Dummy 1 MB RAR File
Generate and download a dummy 1 MB RAR file. The download is exactly 1,048,576 bytes, created in your browser and never uploaded.
Need a different size? Make a dummy RAR file of any size from 512 Bytes to 1 GB.
Testing with a 1 MB RAR file
One megabyte matches the default nginx client_max_body_size, and a RAR of exactly 1 MB is over it once multipart headers are added. Use this size to check that RAR uploads work at all and that your server returns a clear error rather than a bare 413.
It extracts quickly, which makes it a good control file for checking that your code can open RAR5 before you test larger archives.
RAR5 starts with the eight signature bytes 52 61 72 21 1A 07 01 00, and at 1 MB the file is small enough to open in a hex viewer and check them, along with the end-of-archive header at the end of the file.
- Exact size (binary)
- 1,048,576 bytes
- Decimal equivalent
- 1,000,000 bytes
- Base64-encoded size
- 1,398,104 bytes
- Format
- RAR5, store method (no compression)
- Entries
- 2 (README.txt, archive_payload.dat)
Exact size and boundary files for 1 MB
Set the unit to B and enter these byte counts to test either reading of 1 MB.
| Limit defined as | One under (should pass) | At the limit | One over (should fail) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binary 1 MB | One under (should pass) 1,048,575 B | At the limit 1,048,576 B | One over (should fail) 1,048,577 B |
| Decimal 1 MB | One under (should pass) 999,999 B | At the limit 1,000,000 B | One over (should fail) 1,000,001 B |
Limits closest to 1 MB
A 1 MB file is exactly at nginx (1 MB); under PHP (2 MB), AWS Lambda (6 MB), API Gateway (10 MB), Outlook with Exchange (10 MB), Outlook with internet accounts (20 MB), Gmail (25 MB) and Cloudflare Free and Pro (100 MB). Sent as base64 text it grows past nginx.
| Limit | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| nginx client_max_body_size (default) | 1 MB 1,048,576 B | Requests with a larger body get HTTP 413. |
| PHP upload_max_filesize (default) | 2 MB 2,097,152 B | Also capped by post_max_size, so raise both. |
Other dummy RAR file sizes
Larger: 10 MB RAR. Or see the full dummy RAR file generator.
Other 1 MB dummy files
The same size in another file type.
1 MB RAR file FAQ
Is the 1 MB RAR file exactly 1 MB?
Yes: 1,048,576 bytes in binary units. For a decimal 1 MB, set the unit to B and enter 1,000,000.
What is inside a 1 MB dummy RAR?
Two entries: README.txt, which explains what the file is, and archive_payload.dat, which is zero bytes. The payload is all but under 1 KB of the 1,048,576 bytes, and the store method means it extracts to about the same size.
Which tools open a 1 MB dummy RAR?
Tools that read RAR5. At sizes up to 100 MB we check the generated archive with UnRAR and 7-Zip, which test it, and bsdtar (libarchive), which lists it. A tool that only reads the older RAR4 format cannot open it.
Will a 1 MB RAR file pass the nginx client_max_body_size (default)?
Probably not. At exactly 1,048,576 bytes it equals the 1 MB limit in binary units, and a form upload adds a few hundred bytes of multipart boundary and headers, so the body ends up over. Counted in decimal megabytes (1,000,000 bytes) the file is 48,576 bytes over. Test one byte under to see it pass. As base64 it is 1,398,104 characters, over the limit, and that is the size that counts in a JSON body or an email.
Is the file uploaded anywhere?
No. It is generated in your browser and never leaves your device.