In the vast majority of cases, the file format is determined by its extension - that is, by the part of the file name that is written after the dot and ends the full file name. Both application programs and the operating system must define the file format in order to understand how to process it. But not only programs, but also the user sometimes needs to know the format of a particular file. Below is a detailed instruction on how to determine the file format in the Windows operating system.
Instructions
Step 1
You can determine the file format in the standard Windows Explorer. To start it, just press the Win key and, without releasing it, the "U" key (Latin "E"). Using the folder tree in the left pane of the Explorer, you need to go to the folder where the file we need is located. File extensions are not displayed in the default Windows settings. This is rather inconvenient, since it is not even possible to distinguish between two files lying in the same folder and having the same names - for example, a file named Document1.doc and Document1.rtf will have the same icon and the same name, but who of them is who we are to determine we will not be able to, without seeing the extension. To determine the format and content of each of these files "by eye" you will have to open both files. And if there is not one such pair, but more? And if these documents are still saved not in two formats, but in larger quantities ??
Step 2
Definitely, it makes sense to enable the display of file extensions in the Windows settings! To activate the corresponding option in the settings, in the Explorer menu, click the "Service" section and select the "Folder Options …" item in it. In the window that opens, go to the "View" tab and almost at the very bottom of the "Additional parameters" list, uncheck the item " Hide extensions for registered file types.”And if the file whose format you want to know belongs to system files, then here you should uncheck the box“Hide protected system files”and put a point next to the box“Show hidden files and folders”. the conclusion of the operation, press the "OK" button to commit the changes made.
Step 3
There is another way to configure the display of file extensions - through the "Control Panel" Windows. You can start it by pressing the “Win” key and, without releasing it, the “R” key, and then in the dialog box that appears, enter the “control” command and press “Enter”. Another way to start the control panel is by clicking the "Start" button, select the "Settings" section and in it the "Settings" menu item. In the control panel, we need the item "Folder Options" - it will launch the same window for setting folder properties that we dealt with in the first way to enable the display of extensions.
Step 4
Now, by seeing the file extension, you can determine the format of that file. If the format is unfamiliar to you, you can learn more about it online. There are sites specializing in collecting and cataloging information about all types of file extensions - from already obsolete ones to those that have just appeared. Here are some of them
www.wotsit.org/
