An A02 file serves as part three of a multi-volume archive, not a standalone file type, and opening it directly won’t work because the archive’s header is stored in the first segment, leading to errors like "file corrupt"; the right method is to gather every piece, then open the starter file—either the main .ARJ or the .A00—so 7-Zip or WinRAR can pull data from A01, A02, etc. If you beloved this article and you also would like to obtain more info concerning A02 file structure generously visit the site. , with issues like "next volume missing," truncated files, or CRC errors pointing to absent, incomplete, or corrupted parts; sorting the folder and verifying all numbered pieces match the same base name ensures clean extraction.

To identify what your A02 file is tied to, list files in name order so matching pieces cluster together, checking whether files share the same prefix such as `backup.a00`, `backup.a01`, and `backup.a02`; if a main file like `backup.arj` is present, open that rather than A02, but if no `.arj` exists and the set starts at `.a00`, then `.a00` is the correct entry point, which you can test by using 7-Zip or WinRAR to open it, and if any part numbers are missing or filenames differ, the archive won’t extract until the missing/corrupted volumes are replaced.

Saying A02 is "part 3" means it serves as the third continuation block in a split archive created by dividing one compressed file into `.A00`, `.A01`, `.A02`, so A02 isn’t its own format but a direct continuation of the same compressed stream, and because the header and file list appear in the first segment or `.ARJ`, A02 alone will fail to open; if identical prefixes like `something.a00`, `something.a01`, and `something.a02` appear, keep them unified and open the first volume so the tool retrieves data from later parts automatically.

An A02 file generally fails to open alone because it’s only a continuation segment, and since the essential metadata—header, index, compression descriptors, integrity markers—is stored at the start of `.A00` or `.ARJ`, A02 begins mid-stream with no identifying signature, prompting errors like "invalid archive"; once all pieces sit in the same folder, opening the first part lets the extractor automatically process A01, A02, and the remaining volumes.

When 7-Zip or WinRAR "uses" A02, it’s treating it as the third chunk, not opening it directly, because the archive header and file list come from `.ARJ` or `.A00`, and the extractor seamlessly steps from `.A00` to `.A01` to `.A02` during decompression; if the A02 piece is missing or corrupt, common errors include "end of archive reached early".