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A friend emails you a file and it will not open. Or perhaps you downloaded a file from a website and can not gain access to it. Instead you got an error message stating 'windows cannot open this file'. What is that strange file extension and why won't windows open it?
If you cannot open a file it may be because you don't have a program that is capable of opening that type of file. Often it is the software type that is needed rather than a particular software program. For example a .txt extension is a text file. This means that you need a text editor in order to open the file, but it does not have to be notepad. A .doc extension is a document file and can be opened by most word processors. A .jpg or a .gif extension is a graphic file which can be opened by a graphic viewers. As a general rule it does not matter which program as long as you are attempting to open a .doc with a word processor and a .jpg with a graphic viewer. Some programs are interchangeable, but these are few. You can open a .txt file in a word processor, but you cannot open a .doc extension in a text editor. Until you have a very clear understanding of file extensions, it is best to use the most common programs to avoid confusion and error messages telling you that the file cannot be opened. Finding and Changing File Associations In Windows if you want to find out what opens a specific file type, go to Windows Explorer (windows key and 'E' on your keyboard is a quick way) choose 'Tools' on the top menu bar and click on 'Folder Options' from the drop down menu. From there select 'File Types' and it will open to show all the file types on your computer. Click on one of the file extensions which is the three letters that follows the dot at the end of a file name. Under file details it will show the file with its own icon, the file extension, and will explain what program will open the file. If there is no software program listed to open the file, it may be that you do not have the necessary program installed on your computer or you will need to edit the file and set it to open with the correct program. Sometimes you will have more than one of a certain type of software program, for instance, I have two word processors on my personal computer. Other times you may not have a default program listed to open a particular type of file extension. At any rate, there may be times you would like to change which program will open a particular file type. Changing File Associations (Win XP) By default, Windows hides file name extensions for known file types. In order to make changes you want to first make these know file type extensions visible. To do this go to Windows Explorer like you did above and choose 'Tools' from the menu bar, click 'Folder Options' and then choose the 'View' tab in the opened dialog box. From the list of options clear the 'Hide extensions for known file types' check box. Now that you are able to see the file associations you can change what program will open certain file types. Find a file with the extension whose association you want to change and Right-click on that file. From the drop down menu click 'Open With'. A dialog box opens up with a list of programs that you have installed on your computer. Click the program that you want to open the file. If the program you are looking for is not listed there, click 'Browse' to locate the program that you want. At the bottom of the 'Open With' dialog box is a check box that says 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file'. If this is the program you want to use every time to open the file type, check this box before clicking OK. The file will now automatically open into the program you selected as long as you chose a software program of the right type. Below are some common file extensions and the programs that will open these files. .txt extension will open with a text editor like Edit Pad or Text Pad. Windows default text editor is Notepad. .doc extension will open with a word processor, like Microsoft Word or OpenOfficeWrite. .zip or .tar extension will open with a zip program such as WinZip or 7-Zip. .pdf extension will open with Adobe Acrobat Reader. .jpeg, .bmp, .gif extensions are images and can be opened in a graphic viewer. Irfanview is a Freeware program that is great for viewing all types of images and can be downloaded at www.irfanview.com. .wav extension: A Wave file is an audio file format, created by Microsoft and will open in Windows Media Player. Where To Find More Information On File Extensions FILExt at http://filext.com is a database of file extensions and the various programs that use them. If you are uncertain how to open a file you can do a search here for the file and learn what programs will open the file. Some files are used by multiple programs and you may have to dig a little further. At FILE you can find help in finding the needed information. At www.bton.com/tb17/formats.html and www.wotsit.org you can look up the file extension alphabetically and it will give you a explanation of what programs are able to open that particular file. The list at these sites are quite extensive. In conclusion, if you cannot open a file on your pc, you may have to find a plug-in on the web that will help you view it. Or you may just have to change the default program so it will open properly. Using the websites mentioned above you will have a store of information that will help you determine what you need to do or get in order to view and work with different file types. Doran provides computer tutoring for newbies in the Kansas city Metro. Visit her website at http://doranunlimited.com for PC tips, freeware, ebooks, articles and net biz opportunities.
About the Author Doran is a freelance writer and computer tutor. Visit her website at http://doranunlimited.com for PC tips, freeware, ebooks, articles and writing services.
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