It's also possible that you might get another message telling you that the file is 'read-only'. This is quite safe-remember that you can restore the original extension if anything goes wrong. Windows will give you a warning that the file may not work properly. Enter the new extension like so:Īfter entering the new extension hit the Enter (return) key. Step 2: Right-click the file name and select Rename (or left-click and hold down the button for one second).

To view file extensions, uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types option. Click the View tab at the top of Folder Options as shown below The Folder Options dialog box is displayed. Step 1: Open the File Explorer by clicking on the Windows Start button and selecting the File Explorer icon as shown below.Ĭlick the View tab in File Explorer and then click the Options button (or click the drop down menu and click Change folder and search options) as shown below. How to show file extensions in Windows 10 This is the opposite way the tickbox works in Windows 7 and Vista. If the box is check, extensions will be shown.

Now check the box next to File name extensions. Simply open a File Explorer window (the new name for Windows Explorer) and click the View tab. Step 1: It’s simple to turn file extensions on and off in Windows 8. Now you should be able to see the file extension.

Uncheck the box titled 'Hide extensions for known file types' like so:Ĭlick OK. Then choose Folder and Search Options, then click the View tab. Step 1: If you can't see the file extension, Open Windows Explorer and click on the Organize button towards the top left. If you can already see file extensions on your computer, skip to Step 2 In order to change them, you must first unhide file extension to make them visible so they can me changed. These instructions are for Windows 7 but the same basic process applies to most versions of Windows.īy default, Windows hides file extensions. This article outlines how to change a file extension in Windows.

How to view file types in windows 10