subject: Managing File Extensions with Windows Folder Options [print this page] Have you ever been mystified to find several files with the same name? Not sure which file is which? Usually, the files extension will tell you the difference between two similarly named files such as filename.doc and filename.xls. Its also not unusual to need to know a files extension such as when troubleshooting computer errors. You may be instructed to look for a file with a specific extension such as .exe or .inf. In addition, you may want to search your computer for all files of a certain type such as all .dat or .dll files.However, file extensions are often hidden, making it difficult to find the exact file that you need. While you can search for certain files with the extension hidden, its easier to distinguish file types when you can see the suffix. In order to do this, youll first need to change a setting in your computers Folder Options. Depending on your version of Windows, Folder Options may also be called Folder and Search Options. There are two ways to access Folder Options: Using the Control Panel or Using Windows Explorer. When using Control Panel, simply go to Start > Control Panel and then find Folder Options in the list. When using Windows Explorer, youll need to first launch Windows Explorer by right-clicking Start and choosing Explore and then clicking on either Tools > Folder Options (pre-Windows Vista) or Organize > Folder and Search Options (post-Windows Vista). Once you launch Folder Options, you should see a dialog box containing three tabs: General, View, and Search. The General tab contains basic folder options such as whether or not to open each folder in its own window, whether to single or double-click to open items, and how the navigation pane should display folders. The View tab contains a series of file and folder settings that you can change as needed. The Search tab contains settings covering what to search and how to search. In this case, the View tab is the tab that you need. Click View and look at the Advanced Settings area. Youll see a fairly extensive list of options including: Hidden files and folders (Dont show hidden files, folders, and drives and Show hidden files, folders, and drives), Hide protected operating system files, Hide extensions for known file types, and Display full path in title bar. These are but a few of the options available. In order to view the file extensions, you will need to find the option labeled Hide extensions for known file types and clear the check mark from its box. If youve been instructed to search for an operating system file, you may need to also change the way protected operating system files are displayed. Make your selection and click the OK button. File extensions for known file types will appear when you browse for files as will hidden operating system files if you opted to show them. Now you can browse Windows Explorer for the exact file you need or enter specific search criteria, filtering results by file extension type.
Managing File Extensions with Windows Folder Options
