Before using WinRAR for mods or file extraction, you must have the base game installed through a verified launcher to avoid malware.

The most common format for these archives, especially in the modding community and third-party hosting sites, is . Sometimes you will also see .ZIP or .7z . While Windows has a built-in tool to open ZIP files, it often struggles with RAR files, particularly large, multi-part archives often used for games like GTA 5.