How to Split Large Files in Windows 11

Large files are often awkward to work with. If you want to send them via email, for example, you may struggle, as email platforms typically have strict file size limitations and won’t let you send anything that exceeds them. It can also be tricky to transfer such big files onto a flash drive or into cloud storage.

Fortunately, there are ways to split large files in Windows 11, turning them into smaller pieces that are much easier to work with.

How to Split Large Files in Windows 11 With WinRAR

WinRAR is a long-running file compression application. It is used for both compressing bulk files into one convenient archive, as well as breaking bigger files down into smaller ones. Here’s how to split large files in Windows 11 with WinRAR:

Step 1. Download and install WinRAR from the official site. You may have to restart your computer as part of the process.

Step 2. Find the large file you want to split in your File Explorer. For this example, we’ll use a large video file of over 2.5GB.

Step 3. Right-click on the file, then hover your cursor over “WinRAR” and select “Add to archive.”

Step 4. Next, you need to decide how WinRAR should split the file. Look for the box labeled “Split to volumes, size” and type in the size (in MB, by default) you want each new small file piece to be. Since this large file is approximately 2.5GB, we’ll break it down into 300MB chunks. Press “OK” when you’re done.

Step 5. Wait the necessary time while WinRAR splits your file. You’ll see new, smaller files appear in the same folder, with the same name, but with “Part 1,” “Part 2,” etc. at the end of each one. If you ever want to join them back together, just right-click on the first one, then hover over “WinRAR” and select “Extract files…”

How to Split Large Files in Windows 11 With 7-Zip

7-Zip is a similar tool to WinRAR. It has most of the same functions, but is free and open-source, with no licenses to pay for. Here’s how you can use it to split large files in Windows:

Step 1. Download and install 7-Zip from the official site.

Step 2. Find the file you want to split in the File Explorer.

Step 3. Right-click the file, go to “Show more options,” then “7-Zip” and finally, “Add to archive.”

Step 4. In the “Split to volume, bytes” section, type in the size of the individual smaller files you want to split the big one into. For example, typing “100M” will create files of 100MB. You can also adjust other settings here, like adding a password to protect your files, and then click “OK” when you are ready to split.

How to Split Large Files in Windows 11 With PowerShell

You don’t necessarily need to use a downloaded app to split large files in Windows 11. You can also use the built-in PowerShell utility, though this is a bit more complicated and only suitable for advanced users.

Step 1. Type “PowerShell” into the search bar to find and access the tool. Click to run it as an administrator.

Step 2. Type this command, replacing the word PATH with the full path to the folder where your file is situated: “cd PATH”

Step 3. Enter the command below, replacing “MyFile” with your file name and “10MB” with whatever file size you want the smaller files to be. PowerShell will then split the file for you, creating new small ones in the same folder.

$file = “MyFile.ext”

$chunkSize = 10MB

$fileStream = [System.IO.File]::OpenRead($file)

try {

    $buffer = New-Object byte[] $chunkSize

    $i = 0

    while ($bytesRead = $fileStream.Read($buffer, 0, $buffer.Length)) {

        $chunkFileName = “$($file) Chunk_$i”

        [System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($chunkFileName, $buffer[0..($bytesRead – 1)])

        $i++

    }

} finally {

    $fileStream.Close()

}