How do I find out which RAR file is corrupt?

Question

I have a RAR I downloaded made up of multiple files. When trying to extract it, it tells me the data is incomplete, something bad with one of the files. Considering I had to download multiple large files, is there a way to find out exactly which of the files I should re-download?

I'm on a Mac.

Answer 1

Consider downloading UnRarX to test the files for integrity.

Open UnRarX.app, click Browse (or Cmd+B), select your RAR files. I guess selecting the first one should be enough. Then, click Test. It will scan each of the RAR files and give you a more specific error message about which one is corrupt.

I prefer UnRarX over the default Archive Helper in OS X, as it sometimes gives better results when opening password-protected RAR files.

Answer 2

What program are you using to extract the rar files? It should be telling you which file is corrupt.

You say that you downloaded several files, looking at them in Finder you might be able to tell the corrupt one by the fact that the file size is noticeably smaller than the rest. Ideally you don't need to redownload the entire bad file. The original poster of the RAR should have also included .Par or .Par2 files just for this situation.

A program like MacPar Deluxe will not only unrar your files but utilize the .par files to rebuild any bad or sometimes missing data.