Why is WinRAR 5 not giving me an option to use RAR5 format and only RAR4?

Solution 1:

After verifying the file properties using the method described here https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/03/identify-open-rar5-archives/ we could conclude that:

  • The "RAR" option shown in the screenshot and selected by default is indeed the same as the "RAR5" option of previous versions.
  • The option explicitly mentioning "RAR4" refers to the old format that now is an option but not the default.