An ARC file is a compressed file archive created either as a Macintosh Hierarchical File System (HFS) archive or an MS-DOS archive using standard MS-DOS compression. It contains a collection of compressed files, each being compressed potentially with a different compression technique.

ARC files were commonly used in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, they are rarely used now and have been replaced by newer, more efficient compression algorithms. NOTE: While ARC files were used primarily for MS-DOS and older versions of Macintosh computers, several current programs can still open them, such as StuffIt and WinZip.

Archive file used by Nintendo games; contains game properties, such as images, textures, objects, and levels; typically stored within ROMs; can be edited to customize gameplay.

An ARC file is a backup file created by Norton software products, such as Norton 360 and Norton Online Backup. It contains a backup of computer files created automatically by the software, which may include personal user files as well as system files.

ARC files are used for storing and recovering files in the event of accidental deletion or system failure. They may be backed up to an off-site location using Norton Online Backup. NOTE: Since ARC files can include all personal and system files, they may be very large in size.

Backup file created for mobile devices that use the Symbian open source operating system; contains both personal and system backup data from the mobile device; used for restoring data in the event it is lost.

Example ARC files include backup.arc, Messages.arc, Calendars.arc, and Bookmarks.arc.