Every computer files have a particular or specific characteristic that depends on the program that was used to create them. They are called computer file but widely known as the file extensions. File extension is one way of tagging the name of files so you and the computer can keep records and track what they contain. They have characteristics that depend on the program or software that created them and they are placed in the last part of the file name, like a suffix. When you try to open a file using the wrong type of application or program that it was intended to open, the file fails to open and may sometimes even crash. The last part of the file name is the file extension and it is what is used to identify and indicate the type of file so the computer can run the correct type of program when you want to use the file.
Examples of file extensions are .JPG, .GIF, .PNG which we all know indicates that a file is a picture or a photo. While computer files commonly consist of three characters like .WMA, some file extensions have more than three, like .JPEG and some have less, like .PS. When you run a file, the computer reads and uses the file extension to determine what kind of program should open the file. It is also possible to change a files extension from one to another which also changes the program that the computer uses to open that particular file. For example, if you change a files extension from filename.doc to filename.txt the computer will pull up and open the file in Notepad instead of opening it in the Microsoft Word where it was opened before. Therefore, you should be careful in changing file extensions so that files won’t be corrupted or destroyed.
File extensions are useful in many ways. One is that it helps you identify the type of file or document you have in your computer like .JPG for a photo and that .EXE indicates a program. Also, computer files or extensions allow the computer to run the correct type of program automatically when the file is double-clicked. This is very practical and convenient but it also means that the computer could also be compromised by malicious files from the internet.
In order to protect your computer form these attacks, you can view the extensions of the files in your computer that was hidden from you. As by default, computer files for known file types are hidden from view. You can turn on the display of computer files manually in your computer with these simple steps. You can just go to Start Menu and open any Windows Explorer folder like My Documents in XP or Computer in Visa and Windows 7. In XP, you must go to Tools and select Folder Options while in Windows 7 go to Organize and select Folder and Search Options. Click View and then uncheck the option that says Hide Extensions for Known File Types. File extensions of the files will be displayed in full after that then you can see what the file really is before you try to open the file.
