The "extension" or "file type" is the part of the file name that comes after the dot. For example, NAMES.TXT is a .TXT file; the extension is "TXT" which means Text. Windows uses the extension to associate a file with an application. If you double-click a .TXT file Windows will try to open it with the Notepad application. If you double-click a .DOC file Windows will try to open it with Microsoft Word. And so on.
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NAMES.TXT | Text | Notepad |
| NAMES.DOC | Document | Microsoft Word | |
| NAMES.HTML | Web Page | Internet Explorer | |
| NAMES.DAT | Data file | Undefined (Generic icon) |
Usually Windows is not set up to show the file extension by default in the icon view. However, if you select (single-click) an icon its full name including extension should appear in the preview pane.
You can configure Windows to show file extensions by pulling down the View menu and selecting Folder Options. Then on the View tab uncheck the box for "Hide File extensions for known file types".
Caution: The association between a specific file extension and a specific application (such as the .TXT extension being associated with the Notepad application) may vary from one Windows PC to another depending on the software installed on a particular PC. Also, Windows allows the user to customize a system by associating specific applications and icons to specific file extensions.
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