How to change the extension of a Word file. Changing the file name in Windows

Before moving on to the topic of how to change the file format, I suggest you define file terminology. Instead of the word “format” you may also come across the word “extension”.

These are two words with equal meaning, between which one can put a mathematical equal sign, although this is not entirely correct from the point of view of mathematics:

file extension = file format

Any user sooner or later faces the need to change, and some of them find it difficult to perform this action.

You can find many special programs, with the help of which the file format is changed. Such programs are called converters. They can be freely downloaded from the Internet, or you can simply not go through the procedure of installing programs on your computer or on a device that replaces a PC.

Before we start changing the format, let’s clarify what, exactly, we are going to change.

What is a file extension (format) and why is it needed?

The file extension or format is the part of the file name that comes after the period. It is this part, which is written in the title (name) of the file, that indicates what type (format) the file belongs to.

Why is the file format needed?

The file format is needed by the Windows operating system so that it can quickly determine which program to open a particular file for the user. And if there is no such program, then the system can inform the user that it does not understand what to do with the “strange” file.

Why to a simple user might you need to know a little about the file extension (format)? First of all, in order to easily open files taken from the Internet or from other sources. Or just to understand that to open each file format you need suitable program.

For example, a file named hope.txt has a .txt extension, which means it is a text file. Therefore, this file can be opened, for example, using , and, if necessary, make edits to it, save it with a different name, etc.

The file nadezhda.mp4 has the extension .mp4, which means we are dealing with a video file, which means that you can open, edit and, in general, deal with this format using appropriate video programs. But the Notepad program, designed for working with text, is not at all suitable for opening the video file nadezhda.mp4.

How to determine file type by format

Let me give you examples:

• “On the sea.jpg” - we read what is written after the dot (jpg) and understand that this is an image, since jpg is an image format.
• “Protection of the report.pptx” – we read what is written after the period (pptx) and understand that this is a presentation.
• “Look at me.avi2” is a video file, since avi is a video file format.

Now let’s look at what formats different types of files have, so that you can also easily determine the file type by extension yourself or resort to entering a query like “bmp what format”.

The following extensions have

• archivers: rar, zip, arj;
• executable programs: exe, com;
• web pages: htm, html;
• texts: txt, rtf, doc, docx, pdf;
• graphics: bmp, gif, png, jpg, jpeg;
• audio: wav, mp3, midi;
• video: avi, mpeg, mp4.

Among the files Microsoft Office There are formats such as:

• documents: doc, docx;
• tables: xls, xlsx;
• presentations: pptx, ppt, pps;
• publications: pub.

How to open a file without knowing its format

You can simply double-click on the file with the mouse and it is likely that it will open. But this does not always happen, so automatic way We move on to the manual option in order to ultimately open the file.

This can be done using the context menu. Sometimes it is also called the PKM menu (menu). A context menu offers a set of specific actions that the system is able to do at the location where the user calls the menu.

Calling up the menu is simple - just right-click on the file name. On touch screens, in particular, the context menu opens if you hold your finger (or pen) in in the right place, for example, on the file name.

In Fig. 1 shown:

1 – Right-click on the file name.
2 – A context menu opens for the file whose name was clicked. The “Play” option suggests opening the video using .
3 in Fig. 1 – If the default program is not suitable for us, click “Open with”.
4 – A list of programs will appear that can be used to open the file if the default program is not suitable.
5 – The “Select program” option will prompt you to search for a suitable program option on the Internet.

Rice. 1. The file can be “Played” using the default program, or through the “Open with” option you can select another program

• video to video (for example, video.avi to video.mpeg format),
• picture to picture (for example, extension of picture.png to picture.jpg)
• etc.

How to change file format on Windows 7

By default, file extensions are hidden from users. Windows Developers they did this on purpose so that users would not make a mess by changing extensions, deleting “extra” files and rendering the system inoperable.

• Hover your mouse over "
• then go to the "Control Panel" menu
• there click on “Small icons”,
• then stop at the “Folder Options” item.
• Next, the “Folder Options” window will appear, where you need to select the “View” tab (1 in Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. How to resolve Windows system 7 show file extensions

• Go lower by moving the slider (2 in Fig. 2).
• Stop at the phrase “Hide extensions for known file types” (3 in Fig. 2).
• There should not be a checkmark; it must be unchecked, if there is one, and then confirm the action with the “OK” button (4 in Fig. 2) so that the changes are saved.

Making a copy of the file to be on the safe side

Let's say you have a video file in avi format (title.avi), and you want to convert it to mpeg format (it will be title.mpeg). Since after changing the file format, theoretically it may become inaccessible (stop opening), in this regard, I recommend making a copy of the file to be on the safe side.

• To do this, you need to right-click on the file (right mouse button), after which a menu will appear in which you click on “Copy”.
• Then on free space Right-click again and select “Paste” from the menu that appears.
• The same file will appear with the word “copy” prefixed to the name, more precisely, “title - copy.avi” (1 in Fig. 3).
• Below is an example based on Windows 7; for other versions of Windows (8, 10, XP) the steps are exactly the same.

Rice. 3. Make a copy of the file, then click “Rename”

It is for this new copied file that we will change the extension.

• Click on the name “title – copy.avi” (1 in Fig. 3) with the right mouse button,
• then click “Rename” (2 in Fig. 3).
• And now, without changing the file name, we change only its extension, that is, after the dot, write down the format that you need, in my case it is “title - copy.mpeg”.
• After this operation, press “Enter”, as a result we will get (Fig. 4) a duplicate of the file, or rather, a copy of it:

Rice. 4. Changed the file format “title – copy.avi” to the format “title – copy.mpeg”

Rice. 5. Warning about the consequences of changing the file extension

If you are sure, then you just have to click “Yes”. Having completed these steps, all that remains is to check that the file with the new extension opens. Then you can delete the extra file that was saved under the old name in in this example, is the title.avi file.

How to change file format on Windows 10

To operating system Windows 10 showed extensions instead of hiding them, you can enable this option by following these steps.

Click “Start” (1 in Fig. 6), then “Control Panel”. The “Configure computer settings” window will open, in which we click the “Explorer Options” command (2 in Fig. 6):

Rice. 6. Open the Panel Windows management 10

The “Explorer Options” window will open (Fig. 7), in which:

• open the “View” tab (1 in Fig. 7),
• using the slider (2 in Fig. 7) we look for the option “Hide extensions for registered file types”,
• uncheck the checkbox or make sure that it is not there (3 in Fig. 7) opposite the line “Hide extensions ...”,
• click “OK” (4 in Fig. 7):

Rice. 7. Open Windows 10 file extensions

Changing the file format on Windows 8

The process of changing the file format in Windows 8 occurs exactly the same as in 7 (seventh).

• Through "Start" go to "",
• where you need to click on “Small icons” (1 in Fig. 8).
• After this, go to “Folder Options” (2 in Fig. 8), where you need to click on the “View” tab (3 in Fig. 8) and go to “ Additional options”.

Rice. 8. Opening file extensions in Windows 8

Then we check whether extensions are hidden: there should NOT be a checkmark next to the option “Hide extensions for registered file types” (4 in Fig. 8). Then accept the changes if they have been made (5 in Fig. 8).

Algorithm for changing the file extension in Windows XP

• Hover your mouse over ,
• Next you need to go to the “Settings” menu,
• there select “Control Panel” and
• Click on "Folder Options".

In the window that appears on the screen, select the “View” tab. Then you need to click on the “Advanced options” item, and then go down and hover your mouse over the phrase “Hide extensions for known file types.” If there is a checkmark here, then it must be unchecked. If you uncheck the box, be sure to confirm the action by clicking “Apply” so that the changes are saved.

The same can be done using the “My Computer” window, more details.

Now you can start changing the format of the desired file. To start changing the format, hover your mouse over your file, click on it so that the window appears. Then select “Rename” at the bottom.

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Information stored on our digital devices may be presented different formats. Many users periodically face the question - how to change the file extension? This need is periodically caused by the need to translate the image into required format, adapting a document downloaded from iTunes and other mobile content stores to the characteristics of the device, reformatting text content into a web page and other reasons. How can you change the extension so that the information retains all its properties? Let's try to figure it out.

What is a file extension or format

Before changing the extension replacement function, the user needs to find out what it is and what this characteristic affects:

• First, it limits the range of applications that can open the file.
• Secondly, it was created so that the device would be able to determine its type.

Each document has its own format, which is indicated after the name. Using this property, the system determines what type of information it is dealing with - video, audio, etc. The extension characterizes this parameter and helps the system select the optimal application to open. Before changing the properties of a file to suit your needs, you need to remember how to find out the format, and only then think about how to change the existing file extension.

To do this, right-click and select the “Properties” tab. The extension will be indicated in the “File type” line. This property in most cases takes the form of a combination of 3-4 letters and numbers. By way of illustration:

• audio files come with the extension mp3, wma;
• video files – mpeg, avi;
• graphic images- gif, jpg.

When the system sees this letter combination, it understands which program to open the document with and, as a rule, can decrypt it. When changing the format, it is very important to correctly carry out the algorithm of actions, taking into account the features of a particular operating system, otherwise you can damage the information by setting the wrong format, and in the future the system simply will not be able to perform the decryption procedure, etc. To prevent this from happening, we have prepared for you step by step instructions on changing extensions for different OSes and others useful tips.

Some files do not have any extension and it is easiest to change their format. The user needs to right-click and select “Rename”. Then a dot is added to the name, followed by the letter value of the extension of interest. If the properties after renaming fully comply with the required format, the information will be opened by the necessary applications.

Operating systems Windows family The extension is hidden from users by default. The ability to convert a file is provided in one of the sections of the control panel. By going in and making the appropriate changes to the settings, you will be able to give the files you are interested in the desired format. The procedure is slightly different for different versions operating system. Converting information is not such a complicated process, and its implementation is accessible even to users without advanced skills.

On Windows 7

Operating room users Windows systems 7, changing the extension is relatively easy. To do this you need to perform the following procedure:

Click the “Start” button, open “Control Panel”;

select the “Small icons” view type;

select “Folder Options”;

select the “View” tab and uncheck the “Hide extensions for registered file types” item, save the changed settings;

after that, by right-clicking on the document, you can rename it, changing not only the name, but also the extension.

Some users may be interested in how the format is changing for the Windows Vista operating system. This process is completely identical to the procedure for Windows 7. The control panel interface of both operating systems has much in common, and changing the format type for Vista according to the presented instructions will pass without difficulty. For OS XP the format changes in a similar way, but the Folder Options item is located in top menu windows of the Service group.

On Windows 8

For Windows 8 OS the procedure is similar to Windows 7:

go to the “Control Panel”;

set “Small icons”;

open folder options;

select the “View” tab, go to “Advanced options”; Uncheck the box next to “Hide extensions for known file types.”

That's it! After completing these steps while renaming, you can simultaneously convert the information into the format you need. This is easy to do if the sequence of actions is followed, and this task can be completed not only by an experienced user, but also by a beginner who has paid attention to studying the circuit in detail.

How to rename the extension of several files at once

If there is a need to rename the extension of several files at the same time - transfer several dozen files from .txt to .html, change image extensions, etc. - you should acquire special software. Well suited for these purposes Total program Commander. She has user-friendly interface and is distributed free of charge - you can use it without even registering. You can download the program here: ghisler.com/download.htm.

The procedure for changing the format when help Total Commander is extremely simple:

highlight necessary documents using the CTRL+A key combination;

press CTRL+M – a combination that activates group renaming;

indicate the required format, names, numbering and other parameters that interest you;

After this, the selected icons are converted to the format you need

Online

The Internet presents many specialized sites that allow you to change the extension automatically in real time. As an illustration, the site doc.investintech.com/ provides users with the opportunity to convert text files.docx format to .doc, readable a large number text editors. You can follow the procedure for changing the format on such sites as follows:

using the “Browse” or “Browse” button select required file;

its extension is indicated in the corresponding window;

the button to confirm the operation is pressed;

the new format file is downloaded to hard drive computer

After changing the format using an online converter, it is recommended to check whether the procedure was correct by trying to open the updated document using desired application. If it opens without problems, everything went correctly. Its properties were not damaged, and you were able to change the document extension without errors. This means that you can continue to use the online converter in the future.

List of existing file extensions: table

To ensure that you do not have any difficulties or errors in reformatting documents, we have compiled a table for you that lists common extensions, their properties, letter values, file assignments and the software with which these documents are opened. After familiarizing yourself with its contents, you can acquire necessary applications to open certain documents.

This concept implies a group of characters (from 2 to 4), which are indicated through a dot in the file name after its name. This could be docx - Microsoft format Word, jpg - one of many image formats or js - intended for storing code JavaScript language, and others. The function of the extension is to the computer understood, which program should open the required file.

How to enable extension visibility

When working with a large variety of data, type information can be useful. In case their display disabled, the option is possible reconfigure via "Control Panel":

The new settings will take effect immediately; no reboot is required.

Changing the extension

Once the extension appears in the name, you can change it manually. It's quite easy to do this:

Now for reading this file there will be answer program, designed to work with the format that was specified as an extension. If it suddenly turns out that the file stopped opening, this does not mean that it has deteriorated, but that the selected program does not know how to work with it. After all, changing the extension does not mean changing the type - this requires conversion. If you return everything as it was, the data can again be used as before.

Using the console

This interface makes it possible to change all files with a specific extension in the selected directory at once. For this necessary:

When you run the command in the above illustration, all images will change their extension from .jpg to .png. Changes affect only the folder from which the configuration was made.

Saving with a different extension

It is also possible to override the extension using some programs. For example, docx can be replaced with txt or even pdf, opening it in its native program - Microsoft Word.

In addition, such an approach also involves structural changes for further correct operation.

Conversion

Extension changes it is not always enough, because internal structure one file is different from another. For example, psd image it is forbidden reformat to jpg because it supports layers, which jpg does not. There are a number of others reasons, to which the standard Windows Photos solution will report that it “Cannot open the file.” Here you will need specialized software such as Photoshop. It contains conversion algorithms that allow you to change the file type to work in different applications, and the extension will be rewritten automatically.

Depending on the selected file, you may need various software solutions for their conversion. It is worth noting separately that there are now many online converters on the Internet, so it is not always necessary to download heavy programs specifically for these needs.

At reinstalling Windows file extensions stopped being displayed, on this basis the idea arose to write an article on the topic of how to change the file extension, as well as how to find out the file extension that is not explicitly indicated in the folder.

Let's start small, learn how to recognize the file extension in Windows, and then show and edit it.

What is a file extension

The file extension is a character value that is specified in the file name after the dot. Designed to determine the file type (format) by the user or operating system. This is the most common way to determine both the user and the computer (any other electronic device) with which program to open (read) data.

After the system detects the file extension, it will open it using the program specified in the system settings, this program can be changed using special function. For different versions and devices, these may have different names, you need to focus on this interpretation - “Open with” / “Select a program from the list” / “Find a program”.

In some cases, two file extensions may be used at once, for example.min.js.

How to find out the file extension

Solving the simplest problems can lead to problems that you never expected. One such problem may be unfamiliarity with the extension. How can you recognize him?

Anytime Windows versions you need to do the same thing:

• Select required file.
• Right-click on it.
• In the options that open, select the “Properties” option.
• In the “General” tab, find out the file extension.

All actions are shown in the screenshots:

If the file extension is not shown, then go to the next paragraph of the article and display it on the screen.

Why this might be needed

If you were looking for a solution to this problem, then you definitely have reasons for this, I will list a few of them:

1. Unknown file.
2. You don't know which program to open.
3. Your option -)

It doesn’t matter what reason made you find out the file extension, the main thing is that we have learned to determine it.

How to show and change file extensions

You can change the file extension by following the example above, and directly in the properties, in the general tab, change it to the type we need.

Now let's look at how to show a file extension using Windows 7 as an example; in other versions the names of the folders may differ only slightly.

Method number 1.

Click the “Start” button (it’s in the lower left corner of the screen), go to “Control Panel”.

Click on “Appearance and Personalization”, then “Folder Options”, open the “View” tab, go down and uncheck the box from the item “Hide extensions for registered file types” and click the Apply button. Voila, all system files now clearly show their extension.

And in screenshots:

Method number 2.

Go to “My Computer”, on the right top corner Click "Organize" then click on "Folder and Search Options". The window that opens is familiar to us from the previous example. Go to the “View” tab and uncheck the “Hide extensions for known file types.” Below are screenshots and video guide:

Guide in screenshots:

Okay, now we know how to show file extensions in Windows, it’s time for a change, or rather a change in extension.

How to change file extension

The extension is in sight, great, now let’s change it to the format we need.

Attention, not all extensions can be changed to another, for example a text document (txt), cannot be changed to a picture (png).

Select the required file, right-click on it and select rename. After this, we will be able to rename both the file name itself and its extension.

In this simple way, we figured out how to change the file extension in Windows.

Many PC users have to face the need to change the file format - for example, to play a video in mkv format on a device that only supports mp4 or 3gp. To make changes, you can use special programs, online services, and even those editors where data with such an extension is created. Most applications are completely free or shareware and are easy to use.

What is the file format?

The term file format refers to the information used by a computer to open a specific area of ​​data. Thanks to this information, the appropriate program is selected - in most cases, the operating system does this automatically. For new extensions that have not yet been opened by the system, the user must select the application manually - if problems arise with this, information about the specific format can be obtained on the Internet.

The extension is 2-4 characters after the period in the name - in Windows it is recognized, including the display of this information, file managers type Total Commander provide this opportunity immediately. When the opening application is already installed, its icon changes - by icon experienced user draw conclusions about the data type.

Text in .docx format will open in default office application Word. In this case the icon will look like blue letter W. If MS Office is not installed on your computer, but OpenOffice is already installed, the document will open in this program. The default option can be changed - for example, by forcing .txt files to open not in Notepad, but in a text editor.

Programs for changing file formats of various types

Simple and in a fast way, which allows you to both change the file format and convert it to new type, are special converter programs. With their help, the extension for the following types of data is changed:

• Images. Almost anyone can do this graphic editor, from Paint, which works with PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF extensions, to Adobe Photoshop, capable of converting information received from digital cameras.
• Audio. Sound objects can be converted by almost any music editing software.
• Video. This format can be changed in video editors such as VSDC Free Video Editor or Photo Montage.

In addition to programs that can change a specific group of files, there are a number of universal applications that can handle the transformation of several types of data at once. For example, Format Factory and SuperC work with video, images, and audio. And utilities such as Any Video Converter Free, Any Audio Converter and ImBatch, changing only audio, videos and pictures, support the conversion of a group of files. To work with applications, you need to download them, install them, open them, select the necessary data and specify a new format. The process takes minimal time, although the exact duration depends on the number of objects being modified.

If you need to change the file format for a document with a .doc, .pdf or .org extension, use the same programs in which it can be created. For text it will be Word or OpenOffice, for spreadsheets - Excel. Electronic documents converted by a program such as Adobe FineReader. It is worth noting that analogues of these applications are created not only for Windows, but also for Android and iOS. And if you wish, you can use online resources for the same purpose.

Online services for converting files

The advantage of sites that can change the format is that there is no need to install additional software on your computer. software. Sometimes this allows you to solve the problem with the user not having administrative rights and being prohibited from making changes. In other cases, this feature saves space on system disk and doesn't take up RAM computer.

The list of services that provide format changes includes:

• Converter convertio.co/ru/, working with audio, video, text documents, presentations and even archives. With the help of online software, you can change several files at once.
• The resource docspal.com/ru/ is a multiconverter that can not only convert data, but also work with 5 elements simultaneously.
• Service convertonlinefree.com. Despite the almost “talking” name, the site works not only with PDF and DOC formats, but also with various versions of texts, images and even e-books.

Another well-known and popular resource is online-convert.com/ru, when you go to the main page of which you can see a list of 8 conversion options. The service is able to change documents, images, videos, music, archives, e-books and even web services and hashes. To work with a resource, select the final format and click on the “Start” button next to the selected type. After this, you can select a file from your computer, from a cloud storage, or via a link, start the conversion and download the resulting data back to disk.

Changing file extensions in Windows

In most cases, simply changing the file format by renaming it, but without actually converting it, does not give the user any benefit. additional features. Drawing with docx extension will not open in Word, a table renamed from xlsx to rar will not become an archive. However, sometimes it is really necessary to change the format. For example, to obtain from text with the txt extension executable file bat. This replacement will come in handy and, if necessary, make it from the same txt html web page.

Before normal renaming in Windows, you need to enable the extension display. It is usually invisible so as not to interfere with title renaming. The activation method depends on the version of Windows:

The extension is now visible to the user. To change the format of only one file, you can use context menu, select the rename item.

You can correct the extensions of a group of files by opening cmd. To do this, press Shift key, right-click on the folder with the files to rename in Explorer, select “open command window”. In cmd type the command below and press Enter:

ren *.xxx *.yyy, where xxx represents the initial format, yyy – the final format.

By changing the file format using special programs and resources, they provide the ability to open elements of the same type certain applications, reduce their size (as in the case of converting BMP or RAW to JPEG). The easiest way to do this with images and documents is to use a regular editor. For some files, you can simply change the extension in Windows, but their number is limited - in most cases, simply changing the label will not give any effect.