An ARH file has multiple possible interpretations, so identifying it depends on where it appeared; many ARH files are Siemens ProTool HMI project packages used to store or move automation configurations—likely if associated with Siemens, ProTool, WinCC, STEP7, S7, or factory equipment—whereas others belong to ArheoStratigraf in archaeology, where they store stratigraphy and Harris Matrix information, usually found in documentation folders mentioning layers, trench, matrix, or contexts.

To identify your ARH file correctly, the most immediate method is opening it with 7-Zip or WinRAR because some ARH files function as archives; if it opens and lists files or folders, you can extract and examine items like images, configs, project data, or databases—often indicating a Siemens/ProTool package—while if it doesn’t open, the file may still be valid but proprietary to ProTool or ArheoStratigraf, and you can further test by copying the file and renaming it to `.zip` or `.rar` to see if it extracts, with the proper approach depending on your goal: extracted assets may be all you need, but full project access requires the original software.

Because many ARH files bundle entire projects, they may be stored as compressed containers, so opening them with 7-Zip or WinRAR is a smart first step; if they open, you’ll see folders with configs, databases, images, or logs that quickly identify the source, and you can extract assets directly, but if they don’t, the ARH may just be a proprietary format, and copying and renaming the extension to `. If you want to check out more about ARH file type visit our web-page. zip` or `.rar` can reveal whether it’s a standard archive, making this test an easy way to classify the ARH and possibly recover data.

An ARH file isn’t a fixed-format document because many developers reuse “.ARH” for unrelated purposes, so the extension alone tells you little; instead, the source matters—industrial automation work (Siemens/HMI/PLC) points toward a packaged project, while archaeological stratigraphy work points toward an ArheoStratigraf file—and checking how it behaves in tools like 7-Zip helps determine whether it’s an archive or a proprietary project.

In effect, “.ARH” acts as a superficial indicator, because the extension can belong to unrelated programs; one ARH might be a Siemens/ProTool HMI project holding screens, tags, configurations, and alarms, while another from archaeology might be ArheoStratigraf data describing stratigraphy relationships and diagrams, so identical-looking filenames can still differ entirely, and the most reliable identification comes from tracing its source and using tools like 7-Zip to see whether it behaves like an archive or needs its original software.

You can usually identify what kind of ARH file you have by examining the *company it keeps*—the folder, nearby filenames, and the type of work it came from—because “.ARH” itself doesn’t define the format; when the ARH appears in industrial automation or HMI backup folders alongside terms like Siemens, ProTool, WinCC, STEP7/S7, PLC, HMI, tags, or alarms, it’s almost always the Siemens ProTool compressed project type, but when it’s found in archaeology folders labeled trench, context, stratigraphy, matrix, layers, or excavation and surrounded by dig photos, drawings, or context sheets, it’s more likely an ArheoStratigraf project, and if context still isn’t obvious, opening it with 7-Zip is a quick test—an archive-like structure suggests a packed project, while a “not an archive” message points toward a proprietary file requiring the original software.