Learn how to set Windows 7 to show a file’s extension in its name.
A file’s extension tells the computer what type of file it is. The extension consist of a unique combination of letters and numbers that follow a period at the end of the file name. For example: an Adobe PDF file has the extension .pdf, or a Microsoft Word document will have a .doc or .docx extension. So a Microsoft Word 2010 document would look like word-document.docx if the file extension were showing instead of word-document. The computer keeps a list of known file extensions handy so that it knows how to deal with each extension it may come across.
By default Windows hides file extensions so that the file names are less confusing for non-technical people.
Show File Extensions
- Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.
- Open Folder Options in the Control Panel.
Note: If Folder Options is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right of the Control Panel.
- Select the View tab in the Folder Options window.
- Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.
- Click OK to save the changes.
What next? Learn how to change the file’s extension.
Still need help? Ask your computer question now.
gee thanks :)
thanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow seems to be working, thanx!!! :)
Cool, thank you!
Thank you very much! Moving from XP to Windows 7, I didn’t know this moved to the control panel.
It works with right alt too.
Now that was what I was looking for – a nice shortcut key – much easier than using the control panel. THX!!
thanks. it really helped.
Thanks !… it’s helpful !…
Thanks! Windows 7 looks nice but sometimes a real pain in the butt.
thanks mate. im not british or autralian lol but thanks
Thanks! this was realy helpfull!!!
is ok
I don’t know what I would have done without this! It was easy to find on Google and quick to use. Thanks.
So easy, yet I missed it for too long. Thanks for the help!
I was having trouble with this for ages. Thanks man.
thanks for your great help!!
this little setting will save my PC :D
in win 7 u dont need to go to control panel to acess folder options just click on tools drop down bar and click on folder options
Thanks so much for publishing–help on the Windows 7 computer couldn’t find this!
Thanks alot….really needed this help….
IT IS VERY EASY AND NICE THANKS FOR YOUR LOVELY SUPPORT FOR THIS HELP I WISH YOU WILL HELP THE PERSONS LIKE THIS
GOD BLESS YOU THANKS ONCE AGAIN
awesome, dude :)
Thank you so much! You really could not have made this easier =]
Glad I could help Donna.
Good Job.
Now fix the Windows 7 bug with the file association defaults on .doc
really usefull who ever made it must be a lucky man/female
good a genius like is good
Thanks… you saved my pokemon save file ^^
Man I’m really I found this… and it’s really easy too… thanks again. God bless you!
Cool, but it didnt move to control panel, well t did but it still is where it was…
Just go to my computer – Organize – Folder and search options and your there :D
i’m with Brento on this, i need to convert an old .rtf , and no program i find can convert it, they don’t recognise the file, and the file shows no file extension.BTW it opens fine on my gf’s laptop using xp sp3 and wordpad
i did this and it still doesn’t work..
ohhh nvm, i just had to rename it to mp3, like songname.mp3. hee, yay! :D
a lot of kisses
Thanks for this tip. I just moved from XP to Windows 7, and was having a problem finding this as a global command.
thanks mate. this is what I needed.
huh
Win7 Pro = Control Panel>Appearence and Personalization>Folder Options
W i n 7 P r o = Control Panel>Appearence and Personalization>Folder Options
done and lots of thanks
;}
Cool , thanks …. :) good luck … i just move from vista to win7 ultimate
Simple but very helpful.
Thank you!
Thanks .. it works nicely
thank you , it was very helpful.
thanks mate, I loved your tutorials
Well documented – worked like a charm!
Thanks
Great site, well documented. Just what i needed.
Thanks. That helped.
thank you very much,
sir.
I wonder why they disable it, its annoying. Thanks for the help.
oh i know it very well i had learn this trick by own to hide some files from childrens so that they did’nt miss use it if you want 2 keep ur files secure so change its extension to unknown extention so that it may be un-usefull for others ………
Is there a way to temporarily change folder opening behavior so that I could (on a case-by case basis)request a folder open in a new window, while still keeping the general preference to have it open in the same window?
Thanks
Thanks this helped me a lot
dhachu hai bap
Thank you !!! It help me ! Was the answer i was locking for !!!
cool
thnk u
i still dont get it….
thanks,really help 4 me
Thanks really helped me!!!!
thanks a lot sir
it help so much :D
Omg thank you so much.I forgot how to open those extensions since I upgraded my os.
thanks you so much for your tips to show extensions file in windows 7…
Thanks You
Aditya Perdana
There is a Microsoft fix it package that can be use to show file extensions in an automatic way.
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/865219
Thanks for the link Eric.
Thanks! Wow I’m not sure how anyone using previous versions of Windows would have known to go to control panel, switch to large icons, and change the settings in the folder options. Is is me or does it sometimes seem like Microsoft makes their upgrades less user friendly?
Thank a lot learnt a new thing
Thank you very much! since I have different versions of Word on my computers I really need to be able to keep track of document types for when I move one to another.
Thanks , you’re the one buddy , great piece of information and very helpful , been looking for it for so long,
Thanks very helpful. Using a MAC 95% of the time, windows is more and more full of surprising surprises!!!
Test comment
well well that worked out jus swell
zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeems to be working””””””””””””””””””””””’ = = = = =
uhm.. win 7 works in some ways just like xp.. i totally bypassed vista.. and run my win 7 as i would have my xp. *shrugs* is this the extent of peoples concentration and knowledge these days?? omg. this is a bit scary. ive never had a problem with saving my mp3s on either os and i’m alarmed at how many people needed to look up something that we wound up learning about xp. ie RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE TARGET?
but then again too i may be one of the very few comp owners that take enough of an interest in them to learn to rebuild my own so’s i don’t have to fork out extra money for rebuild due to a frap up thanks but i’ll do the work myself
as for win 7 concern….
GUYS 7 WORKS ALMOST LIKE XP> but better because you can use your start menu to search for it after if you didn’t know where it went
and don’t even TALK to me about vista.
*shudders with disgust*
so what if win 7 is vista based framework
its a vista that actually WORKS as opposed to the other vistas which i won’t even deign to touch
ran win xp MCE 2005 for the longest time before win 7 came out
so if you can run xp.. then yu can run 7 the commands are very similar …
(tho i have NO idea why you guys didn’t know that)
nuff said
didn’t think i could change an iTunes to mp3 but it worked – thanks for the info!!!!
thank you so much for your guidence.according to that i got extra knowledge from this section.thnk you!
thanks a lot!!. :-)
that was awsome
thanks my friend for you help
Not a problem Hasson. Glad I could help.
Thank you so much. I’m looking for this for 2 weeks. Thanks again.
i do not understand this :S
Very well done. Once I was directed to the Folder Options link, it was a breeze. Thanks again.
Ever since my shell program of winfile went down, I’v been quite lost, unable to change file extensions (Untill now). So thank you
Thanks… it works fine :)
Guys,thanks for your advice on file extension.I really appreciate it.Let the good work continue.
tahnk you
You can always find it on the web. Thank you.
Or you could simply do a system restore . My files and programs somehow got changed to .ink extensions but they changed back to the original extension after I ran system restore to the day before. Problem solved.
thanks for the tip..:)
i was using this method from past 3-4 years on windows xp….bt this stopped working since last 2 years..do u know wat made this happened…?well never tried it on windows7…m a windows7 user…
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ok is ok
Hey, its still not working yaar, I have already done whatever you have mentioned but still my PC’s icons are not showing it’s appropriate extension… please help me..
thanks to share. helped!
woww so nice
thanks it really works
I still can’t download any song!!!!!!!!
thank you very much
Thanks mack .. . .
thanks for the tip
thank you very much. . . .
I don’t know what happen to my computer while I try to follow the description above, I cannot make it as unhidden file extension, mean it still don’t show file extension.
So how can I do for my computer (WIN 7)? Pls help me!!
thnx for service its realy gr8..:)
Thanks, mate! Its really useful!
Greetings from Carolina! I’m bored at work so I decided to check out your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love the knowledge you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .
. Anyhow, great site!
Wt about windows phone htc ???
Its got lot of things but complicated lot of stuff I can’t get