What is the difference between file type and file extension

These extensions tell you about the characteristics of a file and its use. In this lesson, we'll go over some examples of these extensions, as well as how to determine a particular file's extension. Some operating systems hide file extensions by default to reduce clutter. It is possible to show the file extensions if they're hidden. Typically, these are executable files that can run certain types of code when you try to open them. By default, Windows shows file extensions. For a while—in Windows 7, 8, and even 10—this was not true, but fortunately, they changed the default settings.

We say fortunately because we feel showing file extensions is not only more helpful but more secure. File extensions do not show up on Macs by default. Windows knows that a file named readme. Instead, they use something called MIME types and creator codes to determine what a file is. In Windows, if you delete a file extension, Windows no longer knows what to do with that file. When you try to open the file, Windows will ask you what app you want to use.

If you change the extension to something else, macOS will try to open the file in the app associated with the new extension. Whenever you install an app that can open a particular file type, that app and the file extension get registered with your operating system. You can fire up an app, and then load any supported file type into it. Or, you can right-click a file to open its context menu and choose an available app there.

And you can change that default app. Scroll through the very long list of file types to find the one you want, and then click the currently-associated app on the right to change it. Check out our full guide to setting your default apps in Windows for more information. And you can do the same thing on your Mac. Easy enough.

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CLASS or. JAVA Java files. CVS Canvas. DIF Data Interchange format. DOC or. FM3 Filemaker Pro databases the numbers following represent the version. HTM or. HTML Web page source text. MAC MacPaint. MAP Web page imagemap. MID or. MOV or. MTB or. MTW MiniTab. PDF Acrobat -Portable document format. PPT or. RA RealAudio. WAV Windows sound.