How to Change a File Extension_Computers and Electronics_Common Sense of Life

Method 1 Method 1 of 4: Changing a File Extension in Nearly Any Software Program

1 Open a file in its default software program.
2 Click the File menu and then click Save As.
3 Choose a location for the file to be saved.
4 Name the file.
5 In the Save As dialog box, look for a dropdown menu labeled Save As Type or Format.
6 Choose a new file type for the file from the dropdown menu.
7 Click the "Save As" button. The original file will still be open in the software program.
8 Find the new file where you chose to save it.

Method 2 Method 2 of 4: Making File Extensions Visible on Windows

1 Open the Control Panel. Click the Start menu, and then click Control Panel. If you're using Windows 8, click here.
2 Click Appearance and Personalization. You can find this in the Control Panel.
- On Windows 8, in the ribbon, click Options.
3 Click Folder Options.
4 Click the "View" tab, in the Folder Options dialog box.
5 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.
6 Click on Apply, and then click OK.
7 Open the Windows Explorer file browser to see the file extensions.

Method 3 Method 3 of 4: Making File Extensions Visible on Mac OS X

1 Select a Finder window or open a new Finder window. You can also click the Desktop to switch to the Finder.
2 Click the Finder menu. Next, click Preferences.
3 Click "Advanced" in the Finder Preferences window.
4 Click the Show all filename extensions box to add a check.
5 Close the Finder Preferences window.
6 Open a new Finder window. The files will now show their file extensions.

Method 4 Method 4 of 4: Making File Extensions Visible on Windows 8

1 Open Windows Explorer.
2 Click the View tab.
3 Check the File name extensions box in the View/Hide section.
4 Observe the location of file extensions. When you open a new Windows Explorer window, file extensions are visible.

How to Change a File Extension