How to Open JAR Files in Windows 10 & 11

Are you looking for an app to open JAR files in Windows? This article shows how to open and run JAR files in Windows 10 & 11.

Though not often, there might be times when you encounter and need to open JAR files. For example, if you play Minecraft and want to install a mod like OptiFine, you have to download the .jar file and run it. However, .jar files are not natively supported by the Windows operating system.

The good thing is that it is easy to open JAR files in Windows 10 and 11 operating systems.

Let me show you how to open .jar files in Windows without further ado.

Table of contents:

1. What is a JAR file?
2. How to open JAR files in Windows?
   1. Install Java on Windows
   2. Check if Java is installed
   3. Open a JAR file on Windows

The steps below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.

What is a JAR file?

A JAR file is nothing but a Java Archive file that contains Java files and, sometimes, executable code. That means developers generally use it to share and distribute applications.

As you’d expect, to run a JAR file, you must install Java on your computer. If you are wondering, you can download and install Java for free.

Since JAR files can contain executable code, it is recommended that you only download and run them from a trusted developer.

How to open JAR files in Windows

Key takeaway: To open a JAR file in Windows, install Java and double-click on the .jar file. It will open and run the .jar file.

The first thing to do is install Java on Windows. Without Java, you cannot open a JAR file. Let me show you where to find and how to install Java on Windows.

Install Java on Windows

Installing Java in Windows is as easy as installing any other application. Here’s how to do it in simple steps.

1. Go to the Java website.
2. Click the “Download” button.
3. Double-click the downloaded setup file.
4. Click the “Install” button.
5. Wait for Java to download and install.
6. Click “Close.”
7. With that, Java is installed in Windows.
8. (Optional) Reboot the computer.

Download link: https://www.java.com/download/ie_manual.jsp (Official Oracle Java).

Note: If you don’t want to download Oracle Java for privacy, licensing, or other reasons, you can download the open-source alternative, OpenJDK. It is the same as the Oracle Java JDK but open-source and community-supported.

OpenJDK download link: https://openjdk.org/

Check if Java is installed

If you are unsure whether you’ve installed Java properly, you can check it via the command line. Let me show you how.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open “Windows PowerShell.”
3. Run the “java -version” command.
4. It displays the currently installed Java version.
5. If you see an error message, Java is not installed.
6. Close the PowerShell window.

Steps with more details:

First thing, search and open “Windows PowerShell” in the Start menu. Windows 11 users can open the Terminal application.

In the PowerShell window, run the java -version command.

It will show the currently installed Java version.

If it doesn’t display the java version or shows the 'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file. error message, Java is not installed on your computer. Follow the above section to install Java.

Open a JAR file on Windows

To open and run a JAR file, double-click on it. Since Java is already installed, the JAR file will run immediately. Alternatively, right-click on the .jar file and select the “Open with > Java(TM) Platform SE Binary” option.

If you don’t see the “Java(TM) Platform SE Binary” option, select “Choose another app” and then select “Java(TM) Platform SE Binary” from the list of options.

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That is all. It is that simple to open a JAR file in Windows 10 and 11 operating systems.

I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.