Windows 7 operating system files can be of various types, depending on what information they contain and what program should open them. Users can change the file type, but this is not always possible.
To change the file type, you need to change its extension. This is a special alphabetic code that appears after the file name and is separated from it by a period. For example, in the file name Myfile. DOC, the extension is DOC. By this extension, Windows determines that this is a document file that can be opened using related programs, such as MS Word or WordPad.
How do I change the file extension?
Usually, it is not necessary to change the extension, since Windows automatically assigns it to files for successful opening through the appropriate programs. If you recklessly change the extension, then the file may stop opening. However, sometimes changing it can come in handy, for example, if you change the extension of a text file TXT to the extension HTML, the system will refer it to web files, and it will become available for opening through a browser.
Make sure system files show extensions. To activate them, go to "Folder Options". This section is located in the "Control Panel". Uncheck the box next to "Hide system file extensions". Right-click on the file you want to change and select Rename. Remove the file extension after the period in the name and enter a new one, then press the Enter key. You will see a warning from the operating system that changing the extension may cause the file to malfunction. If you are confident in your actions and know for sure that it can be opened in one of the programs installed on your computer, click the "Yes" button to confirm the operation. This will change the file type.
How do I know which programs are associated with a file extension?
The programs installed on the computer are designed to open one or several specific types of files, depending on their extension. If there are several programs on your computer that can open files of the same type, one of them is installed by default. To change the program that automatically opens a file after double-clicking on it, right-click on the file and select "Properties". Click "Change" opposite the default program and select the appropriate one from the list provided.
Please be aware that on Windows 7, file names are limited to 260 characters. In addition, when specifying a name, it is prohibited to use the characters "", "/", "?", "*", " ","> ","
