How to set a file extension. Correctly changing file extensions in Windows

A file name extension, or simply file extension, is a sequence of letters and numbers that is added to the end of the file name and separated from the name by a dot. The file extension is used to identify the file type (file format). A file extension is one of the simplest and most common ways that a program, operating system, or user can determine the type of data that is stored in a file. For example, the extension "TXT" indicates that the file contains text information.

In older operating systems (such as MS-DOS), there was a limit on the length of a file extension. It was three characters. Now there are no such restrictions, and the file extension can include any number of characters. In addition, in some cases the file may have several extensions (for example, “.tar.gz”).

Changing the file extension is required quite rarely, but, nevertheless, sometimes such a need arises. In this article we will talk about what to do in such a situation.

In order for you to be able to change the file extension, you need to enable extension displays. To do this, open any folder (for example, “My Computer”), press the “Alt” button and after a menu appears at the top of the window, open the “Service” section.

In the drop-down menu that opens, select “Folder Options.”

In addition, the “Folder Options” window can be opened through the Control Panel (Control Panel – Appearance and Personalization – Folder Options) or by searching in the Start menu (on the Start screen).

In the “Folder Options” window, open the “View” tab and uncheck the box next to “Hide extensions for known file types.”

After that, close the window by clicking on the “OK” button.

While renaming, you will see that the file name now consists of two parts: the file name and the file extension. These parts will be separated by a dot. Changing the second part of the file name is changing the file extension.

How to change a file extension in Windows 7. If you have the file extension visibility feature enabled, then changing this extension is not a problem. Another question is, is it worth changing it? Not always, but almost always, such a change ends with your file no longer opening until you return everything to its place. For such file conversions you need to use specialized programs or online services, of which there are many on the Internet and often they are free. Changing the extension manually is possible and necessary only if your file has an incomprehensible appearance, does not open, and you know exactly what program it was created in. But by default, in Windows operating systems, extensions are hidden from view, so that the user does not accidentally erase them when renaming a file.

How to change the file extension inWindows 7

What is a file extension

If we talk in simple language, then this is a special encoding of three or four Latin letters, which is written at the end of the file after the period. There must be a period!

Even simpler - what is written from the end to the dot is the file extension. It serves to identify files. There are many such extensions, each program has its own. For example, the Word text editor has extensions . doc(Word 2003) and . docx(Word 2007/2010). Knowing the file extension, you can accurately determine which program can open and view it. That's what they exist for.

What are the file extensions?

There are a great many such extensions. We will talk about this later. And now I’ll tell you for those who don’t yet know how to change the file extension in Windows 7. I’ve already talked about how to do this in Windows XP, so I won’t repeat myself. If anyone is interested, read my article. There is also video video on this topic.

If the file extension is not visible, what should I do?

Sometimes the operating system is configured so that the file extension is hidden and only the file name is visible. This is done so that when renaming a file, a novice user cannot accidentally change the extension. Otherwise, the file may no longer open.

Making a file extension visible is not difficult. In the Windows 7 operating system, you can make file extensions visible in this way.

Enter the menu Start and go to Control Panel.

IN Control panels in the right top corner there is a window Search. Enter the word in it Folders.

Stored on our digital devices information can be provided different formats. Many users periodically face the question - how to change the file extension? This need is periodically caused by the need to translate the image into required format, adaptation of a document downloaded from iTunes and other stores mobile content depending on the characteristics of the device, reformatting text content into a web page and other reasons. How can you change the extension so that the information retains all its properties? Let's try to figure it out.

What is a file extension or format

Before changing the extension replacement function, the user needs to find out what it is and what this characteristic affects:

• First, it limits the range of applications that can open the file.
• Secondly, it was created so that the device would be able to determine its type.

Each document has its own format, which is indicated after the name. Using this property, the system determines what type of information it is dealing with - video, audio, etc. The extension characterizes this parameter and helps the system select the optimal application to open. Before changing the properties of a file to suit your needs, you need to remember how to find out the format, and only then think about how to change the existing file extension.

To do this you need to click right key mouse and select the “Properties” tab. The extension will be indicated in the “File type” line. This property in most cases takes the form of a combination of 3-4 letters and numbers. By way of illustration:

• audio files come with the extension mp3, wma;
• video files – mpeg, avi;
• graphic images- gif, jpg.

When the system sees this letter combination, it understands which program to open the document with and, as a rule, can decrypt it. When changing the format, it is very important to correctly carry out the algorithm of actions, taking into account the features of a particular operating system, otherwise you may damage the information by specifying the wrong format, and in further system simply will not be able to complete the decryption procedure, etc. To prevent this from happening, we have prepared for you step by step instructions on changing extensions for different OSes and others useful tips.

Some files do not have any extension and it is easiest to change their format. The user needs to click right click mouse, select “Rename”. Then a dot is added to the name, followed by the letter value of the extension of interest. If the properties after renaming fully comply with the required format, the information will be opened by the necessary applications.

Operating systems of the family Windows extension hidden from users by default. The ability to convert a file is provided in one of the sections of the control panel. By going in and making the appropriate changes to the settings, you will be able to give the files you are interested in the desired format. The procedure is slightly different for different versions operating system. Converting information, not like that difficult process, and its implementation is accessible even to users without advanced skills.

On Windows 7

Operating room users Windows systems 7, changing the extension is relatively easy. To do this you need to perform the following procedure:

Click the “Start” button, open “Control Panel”;

select the “Small icons” view type;

select “Folder Options”;

select the “View” tab and uncheck the “Hide extensions for registered file types” option, save the changed settings;

after that, by right-clicking on the document, you can rename it, changing not only the name, but also the extension.

Some users may be interested in how the format for the operating room is changing Windows systems Vista. This process is completely identical to the procedure for Windows 7. The control panel interface of both operating systems has much in common, and changing the format type for Vista according to the instructions provided will be easy. For XP OS, the format changes in a similar way, but the Folder Options item is located in top menu windows of the Service group.

On Windows 8

For Windows 8 OS the procedure is similar to Windows 7:

go to the “Control Panel”;

set “Small icons”;

open folder options;

select the “View” tab, go to “ Extra options"; Uncheck the box next to “Hide extensions for known file types.”

That's all! After completing these steps when renaming, you can simultaneously convert the information into the format you need. This is easy to do if the sequence of actions is followed, and not only advanced user, but also a beginner who paid attention to studying the circuit in detail.

How to rename the extension of several files at once

If there is a need to rename the extension of several files at the same time - transfer several dozen files from .txt to .html, change image extensions, etc. - you should get special software. The program is well suited for these purposes Total Commander. She has user-friendly interface and is distributed free of charge - you can use it without even registering. You can download the program here: ghisler.com/download.htm.

The procedure for changing the format when help Total Commander is extremely simple:

highlight necessary documents using the CTRL+A key combination;

press CTRL+M – a combination that activates group renaming;

indicate the required format, names, numbering and other parameters that interest you;

After this, the selected icons are converted to the format you need

Online

The Internet presents many specialized sites that allow you to change the extension automatically in real time. As an illustration, the site doc.investintech.com/ provides users with the opportunity to convert text files.docx format to .doc, readable big amount text editors. You can follow the procedure for changing the format on such sites as follows:

using the “Browse” or “Browse” button select required file;

its extension is indicated in the corresponding window;

the button to confirm the operation is pressed;

the new format file is downloaded to HDD computer

After changing the format using an online converter, it is recommended to check whether the procedure was correct by trying to open the updated document using desired application. If it opens without problems, everything went correctly. Its properties were not damaged, and you were able to change the document extension without errors. This means that you can continue to use the online converter in the future.

List of existing file extensions: table

To ensure that you do not have any difficulties or errors in reformatting documents, we have compiled a table for you that lists common extensions, their properties, letter values, file assignments and the software with which these documents are opened. After familiarizing yourself with its contents, you can acquire necessary applications to open certain documents.

This concept implies a group of characters (from 2 to 4), which are indicated through a dot in the file name after its name. This could be docx - Microsoft format Word, jpg - one of many image formats or js - designed for storing code JavaScript language, and others. The function of the extension is to the computer understood, which program should open the required file.

How to enable extension visibility

When working with a large variety of data, type information can be useful. In case their display disabled, the option is possible reconfigure via "Control Panel":

The new settings will take effect immediately; no reboot is required.

Changing the extension

Once the extension appears in the name, you can change it manually. It's quite easy to do this:

Now for reading this file there will be answer program, designed to work with the format that was specified as an extension. If it suddenly turns out that the file stopped opening, this does not mean that it has deteriorated, but that the selected program does not know how to work with it. After all, changing the extension does not mean changing the type - this requires conversion. If you return everything as it was, the data can again be used as before.

Using the console

This interface makes it possible to change all files at once from specific extension in the selected directory. For this necessary:

When you run the command in the above illustration, all images will change their extension from .jpg to .png. Changes affect only the folder from which the configuration was made.

Saving with a different extension

It is also possible to override the extension using some programs. For example, docx can be replaced with txt or even pdf, opening him in native program– Microsoft Word.

In addition, such an approach also involves structural changes for further correct operation.

Conversion

Extension changes This is not always enough, because the internal structure of one file is different from another. For example, psd image it is forbidden reformat to jpg because it supports layers, which jpg does not. There are a number of others reasons, to which the standard Windows solution Photos will report that it "Cannot open the file." Here you will need specialized software, such as Photoshop. It contains conversion algorithms that allow you to change the file type to work in different applications, and the extension will be rewritten automatically.

Depending on the selected file, you may need various software solutions for their conversion. It is worth noting separately that there are now many online online converters, therefore, it is not always necessary to download heavy programs specifically for these needs.

Windows operating systems are popular because they allow you to configure work computers as the user sees fit. No OS has ever provided as much freedom in changing settings and organizing personal file storage as Windows, and all this without the need for specific knowledge. The user can easily copy, move, edit, duplicate or delete any files that are not system files.

To work effectively with files, you need to know what a “format” or “extension” is. The format refers to the type of data structure and the way it is written in a file. And the “extension” is the part after the dot in the file name, which indicates the document format, and sometimes also the program that can work with this type of content. For example, "file.txt" is a document in text format, which can be opened in Notepad. Using some methods, you can change the file format on Windows 7 (as well as in other OSes) to associate a document with another program or change the script for working with the contents of the document. There are several ways to change the format that every user needs to know about.

Quick navigation through the article

Enabling display of extensions

First, before you start working with file formats, you need to enable the function to display document extensions in Windows Explorer to understand what type of document you are working with. In order for the file name to also show its extension, you will need:

• Open any folder.
• Press the “Alt” button on your keyboard.
• Select "Service".
• Go to the "Folder Options" section.
• Open the "View" tab.
• Scroll down the list.
• Uncheck the box “Hide extensions...”
• Save changes.

Name correction

You can change the format of some equivalent files simply by simply renaming them. For example, files with the extension *.txt can be used as *.ini files, renaming one to the other. Both of these files contain only text without any formatting or other settings, so they can be considered equivalent.

In turn, even file types that are not entirely equivalent can be renamed, which, although it will be fraught with some consequences, will still not affect the performance of the document. A picture in *.jpg format, if renamed to *.bmp, can still be edited in Paint, but special image programs will not be able to read geolocation data and other image parameters.

Objects with completely unequal contents cannot be changed by simply renaming them. You cannot make a *.mp3 version of an audio track from a *.avi file with a recording of a concert without additional programs. Just like not making out text document from Word programs in *.docx format, an animated picture in *.gif format.

Conversion

For cases when you need to get another from a file of one format, you need to use special software. It is always better to use this method, even if the contents of the objects are similar. This will preserve the data stored in the file and ensure compatibility with other programs, devices and systems.

There are converter programs for each type of document. For example, the image format can be changed in graphic editors by the overstorage method. Audio formats can also be transcoded, for which you must have special program like Adobe Audition.