Change File Extensions

For those of you who have Windows Vista already installed as the primary operating system for your computers, chances are you might find yourself in need to change a file extension on your system at one point of time. This is light of some extensions which are readable only for a few programs but are closely related enough to other more standard file types which can be safely interchanged.

And so in getting on with our article and the task at hand, the Window Vista help team has formulated a simple guide for you to follow so as to successfully change the same file extensions.

The guide is as detailed below.

Windows Vista Help with changing file extensions on a Vista computer

Given below are the steps as suggested by the Windows Vista help team in getting you to change the file extensions for specific files on your Windows Vista computer:

1. To first begin with, navigate to the folder where the files for which you wish to change the extensions are located. Note that all the folders on your hard drive can be easily accessed by getting on your Windows “Start” menu, then selecting “Computer” or “My Computer” option. This will bring up the browsing window on your screen.
2. Following which, highlight to display the extensions. Most operating systems are set up in such a way that common file extensions are not shown at the end of the names. So you will have to get the extension to display so as to change it.
3. Now to do so, click on the “Tools” menu from the browsing window then select “Folder Options” followed by hitting on the
   

   Change File Extensions on Vista

   “View” tab from the resulting folder options dialog box. You need to then locate the command “Hide extensions for the known file types” from under the “Advanced Settings” section. Also uncheck the box beside it and click on “Ok”. This should close the current window box and display your file extensions.

4. Next up, right click on the name of the file that you wish to change the extension for and select “Rename” from the resulting list that comes up (this will in turn highlight the file name and the name for the same can be changed now).
5. Windows Vista help then suggests you simply delete the present extension from the file name and then enter the new extension as per your preference and hit “Enter”.
6. Finally, confirm the extension change then wait for Windows to prompt you with a pop-up window asking if you are sure you want to make the change. Click “Yes” and then exit.

That’s it. The process is complete!