You have Windows show filename extensions, it's easier to determine In the Folder Options window, choose the View tab, turn off the Hide extensions for known file types option, and click OK. Fortunately, this is easy enough to change just open Folder Options in Control Panel (or click Organize → Folder and Search Options in Windows Explorer). The biggest flaw in the system is that Windows hides filename extensions by default, which is why Windows Explorer shows only Readme instead of Readme.txt.

To open all your digital photos without having to modify all your. For instance, it's fairly easy to change the program used Something as easy to break as the filename, but the design does have itsĪdvantages. May seem silly that so much of Windows' ability to open files rests on If you see this window, the selected file's filename extension isn't currently registered on your PC Just don't be surprised if you don't get a satisfying response.įigure 1. Alternatively, you can double-click the unknown file and when Windows asks you what you want to do ( Figure 1), select Use the Web service to find the correct program, and click OK. Useful if you encounter a file you can't open and don't recognize. docx, which means it's a word processor document in the Microsoft Word 2007 file format.Īre a number of filename extension databases on the Web, which is Likewise, the extension of Resume.docx is. For example, the extension of the file Readme.txt is. TheĮxtension is the group of letters-usually three-that follow the period How to handle a file based solely on the filename extension. Notepad document, but that isn't the case. Might assume that the aforementioned text file somehow knows it's a The desktop or show you an online advertisement for anatomicalĮnhancement if you click the link in a spam email message.

Windows knows to open Notepad when you double-click a text document on The most apparent use of this feature is that, for example, Are the links between your documents and the applications that use

Windows vista how to view file types