Knowing your way round file extensions

A file extension is a way of identifying a file type, and usually comes in the format of (object title). (Extension). For example, word documents are aworddoc.doc or anotherworddoc.docx . Depending on the release date of the software the extension and version may change, but it should normally recognize older types of its ‘family’ within the software. In the case of Word – 2007 opens .doc files, but 2003 word can’t open .docx files without a plugin.

The most common types of file extension are probably .txt (text files), .rtf (rich text files), .exe (executable files) and .doc (word documents), though the myriad of options can be dizzying.

Finding your file extension.

In most cases you shouldn’t need to look up your file extensions, after all, you should recognize the icons that identify the file type that goes with it – but if your computer can’t open the file type in question, it should tell you what file type it is, or list it in the ‘list view’ of any folder. Be aware of any files that are .txt.php, or any other type of double barrel – they might indicate problems.

Why it’s Important to Know Your Extensions

Knowing which extensions are which can give you an opportunity to know whether a file will open on your pc, what software your friends are using (to aid compatibility and to gauge whether you’d want to use it) and probably most importantly, let you keep an eye on potential virus issues on your computer.

Most viruses either hide in executable files (.exe) and then trick you into opening them, or download and install themselves, hiding in what could be otherwise innocuous file types, so it’s good practice to get to know your computer and its contents. Doing so can allow you to spot something out of place when you virus scan, or something to follow up on.

I’ve found one I don’t Recognize, What Now?

If you find an extension that you don’t recognize, you can look it up on-line – if you can’t open it at all, newer versions of windows will give you the option to look it up on-line, or if you can see the extension type, you can type it into your favourite search engine and look it up.