All files end with an extension like .txt for a plain text document or .jpg for a picture. The extension tells Windows Vista what type of file it is and what program to open it with. This guide shows you how to change a file’s extension in Windows Vista.

Change a File Extension

Show File Extensions

First you need to set Windows Vista to show file extensions.

1. Click Computer in the Start menu.
2. Press the Alt key on the right side of your keyboard.
3. A hidden menu will appear in the Computer window. Click Tools and then click Folder Options.
4. Click the View tab.
5. Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.

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6. Click OK to save your changes.

Learn how to show file extensions in Windows 7 ^[2] too.

Change a File Extension

Now that we can see a file’s extension we can change it.

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1. Click on the file that you want to change the extension.
2. Wait a second or two.
3. Click the file again.
4. The name of the file will become highlighted. Simply erase the extension and give it a new one.