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Do you need to change the extension of a file so you can open it in a different program? Renaming a file in Finder or File Explorer won't be enough—you'll need to save the file in a different format from a program. But don't worry—it's super easy! This wikiHow article will teach you how to change a file's extension by saving it in a different format. We'll also show you how to show hidden file extensions in Windows and macOS so extensions are always visible.
How do you change a file type?
Open the file as you normally would and select "Save As" from the File menu. Choose where you'd like the file to be saved, and use the "Save as type" drop-down menu to change the extension for your file. Then, hit "Save"—you can find the file wherever you chose to save it.
Steps
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Open a file in its default software program. -
Click the File menu and then click Save As.Advertisement -
Choose a location for the file to be saved. -
Name the file. -
In the Save As dialog box, look for a dropdown menu labeled Save As Type or Format. -
Choose a new file type for the file from the dropdown menu. -
Click the "Save As" button. The original file will still be open in the software program. -
Find the new file where you chose to save it.
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Open the Control Panel. Click the Start menu, and then click Control Panel . If you're using Windows 8 , click here . -
Click Appearance and Personalization. You can find this in the Control Panel.- On Windows 8, in the ribbon, click Options.
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Click Folder Options. -
Click the "View" tab, in the Folder Options dialog box. -
Make file extensions visible. In the Advanced settings list, scroll down until you see Hide extensions for known file types. Click the box to uncheck it. -
Click on Apply , and then click OK . -
Open the Windows Explorer file browser to see the file extensions.
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Select a Finder window or open a new Finder window. You can also click the Desktop to switch to the Finder. -
Click the Finder menu. Next, click Preferences. -
Click "Advanced" in the Finder Preferences window. -
Click the Show all filename extensions box to add a check. -
Close the Finder Preferences window. -
Open a new Finder window. The files will now show their file extensions.
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Open Windows Explorer. -
Click the View tab. -
Check the File name extensions box in the View/Hide section. -
Observe the location of file extensions. When you open a new Windows Explorer window, file extensions are visible.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I change the program that my computer uses to open a file?Community AnswerIn order to change which program your computer uses to open a file, right-click on the file in the File Explorer and select "Open with..." to choose your desired program.
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QuestionHow do I change the file extension on Windows 10?Community AnswerGo into the explorer, hit "View" and select "Show File Extensions", then rename the file you wish.
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QuestionHow do I change from a txt to a simple file within any extensions?Community AnswerFiles in general require an extension. You can change it to a different extension, but you can't simply remove all extensions.
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About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open the file in its default program.
2. Click the File
menu.
3. Click Save As
.
4. Select a saving location.
5. Name the file.
6. Click the “Save as Type” menu.
7. Select a different extension.
8. Click Save As
.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,524,383 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "I was building my store on Shopify and wrote down a list of the collections I would be selling in Notepad. But when I saved it, I ended it with my website's name, which ended in .com. As I have since learned, .com at the end made the computer think this was the file extension. So the file wouldn't open the next day, and that list had been a product of 3 days of research. But this article solved it, thanks!" ..." more
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"I was building my store on Shopify and wrote down a list of the collections I would be selling in Notepad. But when I saved it, I ended it with my website's name, which ended in .com. As I have since learned, .com at the end made the computer think this was the file extension. So the file wouldn't open the next day, and that list had been a product of 3 days of research. But this article solved it, thanks!"
..."
more
"I saved a file as a bitmap and it was supposed to be JPEG. That fixed one problem, now I have to work on other folders that are configured wrong. I do not know a lot about computers, but I have resolved quite a few problems with computing. Thank you very much!"
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"Unchecking the box 'hide extensions for known file types' was the best and easiest tip."
"All I had to do was change the configuration so that the file extensions were shown."
"I was trying to change a .m4a file to a .wav. I was able to do just that. Thanks!"
