What Are File Extensions and how do you show them?

File extensions basically let you know what type of information is contained in a particular file. For example a note pad file has the .txt extension. This means it is a text file. The .jpeg or sometimes the .jpg is a file extension for a certain type of picture. The file extension can also mean that the file has a different attribute to another file. For you can have the same picture with a .bmp file extension or a .jpeg file extension. However if it was a .jpeg file the same picture would be a smaller file size than the .bmp file.

Here are some other examples of file extensions.

• .exe (An executable file, usually the file that starts a program.)
• .pdf (Portable Document Format, is a file format created by Adobe Systems. Most office documents come in .pdf file format.)
• .zip/.rar (These could be any file but they have been compressed and packed away to a smaller size. When unpacked or unzipped it will become what it was originally.)
• .wav/ .mp3 (Music files)
• .jpg/.gif/.bmp (Picture file formats)

By default, file extensions are hidden to the computer user. Therefore to see file extensions on your computer you must follow these steps:

To show or unhide file extensions:

1. Open any folder on your computer.
2. Choose Tools from the menu above.
3. Choose Folder Options from the menu.
4. Click the View tab.
5. Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.
6. Click OK.