Splitting large files into smaller parts on Windows

[nerdslife_team]

Dealing with large files can be a pain, especially when you need to email them or manage them on older systems. The good news is, Windows lets you split those big files into smaller, more manageable chunks. You can then put them back together when you need the whole file. Here’s how to do it using a few different methods.

Method 1: Using WinRAR

WinRAR is a popular tool for file compression and archiving, and it’s pretty handy for splitting large files too.

1. First, you’ll need to grab WinRAR. Head over to the official WinRAR website and click the big blue ‘Download’ button.
   

   

2. After downloading, install WinRAR. Just keep the default options selected and hit ‘OK’, then ‘Done’.
   

   

3. Now, find the large file you want to split, right-click on it, go to ‘WinRAR’, and click ‘Add to archive’.
   

   

4. The archive format is usually RAR, but you can switch it to RAR4 or Zip if you like. Make sure the compression method is set to ‘Normal’ and leave the dictionary size as is.
   

   

5. Use the ‘Split to volumes, size’ dropdown menu to choose how big you want the smaller files to be.
   

   

6. You can also set a password using the ‘Set password’ button. When ready, click ‘OK’ to start the splitting.
   

   

7. The splitting process might take some time. WinRAR will name the parts as Part 1, Part 2, and so on.
   

   

8. To merge the files back, keep them all in the same spot. Then, right-click ‘Part 1’, go to WinRAR, and click ‘Extract files’. Pick where you want the reassembled file to go, and then click ‘OK’.
   

   

Method 2: Using 7-zip

7-zip is a solid, free, open-source alternative for file compression and splitting.

1. First, get 7-zip from their official website. Download the version that matches your system.
   

   

2. Install 7-zip, then right-click on the file you want to split. Go to ‘7-Zip’, and then click on ‘Add to archive’.
   

   

3. In the 7-Zip window, enter the desired size for the split files in the ‘Split to volumes, bytes’ box, or select a preset from the dropdown menu. If you enter 1GB, for instance, it’ll create 1GB chunks.
   

   

4. If you want, password-protect your split files using the ‘Encryption’ options. Leave the rest at their default settings and click ‘OK’.
   

   

5. The process will take a bit. The split files will be named like filename.001, filename.002, and so on. To put them back together, right-click the first file, then go to 7-zip and click on ‘Extract files’.
   

   

Method 3: Using Git Bash

Git Bash allows you to split large files using command-line instructions. It’s a good option if you prefer that style.

1. Download Git Bash from the official website for Windows.
   

   

2. Install it with the default settings. Then, open File Explorer, go to the file you want to split, right-click an empty space, and click ‘Open Git Bash here’.
   

   

3. In the Git Bash window, type the following command, but replace ‘SplitFile’ with whatever name you like for the split files, ‘MyFile.ext’ with the name of the file to be split, and ‘10M’ with the size you want for each chunk:

    split -b 10M MyFile.ext SplitFile_
   

   Then, press Enter.
   

   

4. To combine the split files back together, use this command in Git Bash, replacing ‘OriginalFile.ext’ with your desired name for the recreated file and ‘SplitFile_’ with the prefix you used earlier:

   cat SplitFile_* > OriginalFile.ext
   

Method 4: Using PowerShell

Windows PowerShell provides a way to split large files without any third-party software.

1. Open the Start menu, type powershell, and then open Windows PowerShell from the search results.
   

   

2. In the PowerShell window, type cd PATH, replacing PATH with the path to the folder where your file is located.
   

   

3. Use the following PowerShell script. Replace ‘MyFile.ext’ with the full path of the file you are splitting, and replace ‘10MB’ with your preferred chunk size:

$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()
}

4. PowerShell will create the split files in the same location as the original. To recombine them, use this script, modifying the placeholders as needed. Replace ‘MyFile.mp4’ with the name of split files, PATH with location of files and ‘RecombinedFile.ext’ with the name you want for the merged file:

$outputFile = "RecombinedFile.ext"
$chunkFiles = Get-ChildItem -Path "PATH" -Filter "MyFile.mp4_Chunk_*" | Sort-Object Name
if (Test-Path $outputFile) {
    Remove-Item $outputFile
}
$outputFileStream = [System.IO.File]::Create($outputFile)
try {
    foreach ($chunk in $chunkFiles) {
        $chunkData = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($chunk.FullName)
        $outputFileStream.Write($chunkData, 0, $chunkData.Length)
    }
} finally {
    $outputFileStream.Close()
}

Things to know

• The methods mentioned above should work with most file types such as disk images, videos, and audio.
• For better storage management, feel free to store split files in different locations. Just move them to a single location when you are ready to merge them.
• By default the split files merge in the source folder itself but you can specify a different location.
• When using command line tools like Git Bash, include file extensions in your commands and scripts.