File Extensions

We'll be working with files this quarter. Typically, the ending of the file name gives information about the file. This ending is called the file extension, and begins with the last period (dot) in the filename. The file extension tells Windows what kind of file it is. And therefore, how to handle the file for things like viewing, editing, or printing it.

Here are some examples:

Filename	Extension
index.html	.html	Web page file (HTML file)
termpaper.doc	.doc	Word processing file
landscape.jpg	.jpg	Image file (JPG)

Not infrequently, users who are new to computers are confused by these odd extra characters at the end of their filenames.

Windows and File Extensions

Recent versions of Windows have hidden these from the users, so that new users are not confused by these file extensions. However, there will be times that we will need to see these file extensions. Here are some steps to get Windows to display the file extensions.

1. Open Windows Explorer. There are several ways to do this, including double clicking My Documents or My Computer or pressing .
2. From the Tools menu, select Folder Options. If the menu is not visible, press the alt key to show the menu. The Folder Options Dialog Box will appear.
3. In the Folder Options Dialog Box, select the View tab.
4. In the View tab, clear (uncheck) the check box Hide Extensions for Known File Types.
5. In the File Options Dialog, click OK to save the changes and dismiss the dialog box.

All of the file extensions should now be visible in Windows Explorer, as well as things like the File Open and File Save As dialog boxes.

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