How to Change File Extension in Windows 7

When you open a file, Windows will check the file extension and would invoke the application  which is set as default for that extension, but sometimes it happens when you download email attachments or download something through torrents file extensions are messed up. Like many video files are in extension .DAT which no video player recognizes, for that you have to change the file extension.

First make sure you can see the extension of the files (e.g. fileName.jpg), if not then open up Windows Explorer and press the Alt key, and click on Folder Options via Tools menu button.



Now click on View tab and remove the check from Hide extensions for known file types, and then press OK. (This way you’d be able to see the extensions of the files).



Here we will take an example of the following folder, where there are some images with extension .jpg, and one of the file has extension .avi, meaning we assume its a video file.



When I tried opening that file with the default application for .avi which appeared to be a video file due to its extension i got an error telling me that WMP cannot play that file, VLC didn’t worked too. This means we have to change the extension as this was not a video file as assumed earlier.




Step 3: So next step is to change the extension of the file. Right-Click on the suspected file and click on Rename.



The characters before period (.) represents the name of the file, and those which are after the period defines the file’s extension, so here we would be modifying the other half, after period, which is currently avi.



After changing it from image_1.avi to image_1.jpg you’d get an error which would looks like this, giving you some warning, but click on Yes button as we know exactly what we are doing here.




Now open that file again, and if everything goes well, the file would open up, just like here in our example that image_1.jpg did
.

How to view a computer file extension

To view the file extension of a single file for all versions of Windows follow the below steps.
Viewing the file extension of a single file

1. Right-click the file.
2. Click Properties.
3. In the Properties window, similar to what is shown below you should see the "Type of file:" this is the file type and extension. As can be seen in the below example this file is a TXT file with a .txt file extension and in this case opens with the Text Pad program.

Make windows display file extensions of all files
Users more familiar with computer files and file extensions may wish to view all computer file extensions to help with locating and browsing files. To do this follow the below steps for your version of Windows.

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7 users
MS-DOS and Windows command line users
Windows 98 and ME users
Windows 95 users

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7 users

1. In Windows 2000 or Windows XP open My Computer
2. Click Tools
3. Click Folder Options
4. Click View tab
5. Uncheck the box that says Hide file extensions for known file types.

Or

1. In Windows XP click on Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Folder Options
4. Click View
5. Uncheck Hide extensions for known file type.

MS-DOS users

In MS-DOS when typing dir to list all files will also list any files with extensions.

Windows 98 and ME users

1. In Windows 98 or Windows ME open My Computer
2. Click View
3. Click Folder Options
4. Uncheck the box that says Hide file extensions for known file types.

Windows 95 users

1. In Windows 95 open My Computer
2. Click View
3. Click Options
4. Uncheck the box that says "Hide MS-DOS file extensions for files that are registered" and then click on apply and ok.

Tips for Maintaining Your Laptop

Nowadays, many people are using laptops for their school work, business or leisure. However, laptops can lose their efficiency if not well-maintained. The following are some tips which will help enhance your laptop usage.
1. Watch out for dust
To ensure your laptop remains effective for a long time, you need to protect it from dust. An accumulation of dust in your laptop could block the ventilation areas and result in overheating. It is therefore very important to keep your laptop from being exposed to dust.
2. Keep it cool
Besides dust, it is also very important to protect your laptop from excessive heat. A laptop used in a cool, dry area will work more effectively and faster than if it was exposed to heat. To protect your laptop from overheating, avoid using it on your lap, bed or cushion since this will block the vents underneath which help in cooling. The best solution for this is to use a lap tray as a base for your laptop. Alternatively, you can invest in any of the laptop coolers which are sold in most computer stores.
3. Install a firewall and antivirus software
If you don’t use any antivirus, your laptop remains vulnerable to being infected by a virus. Make sure you use proper antivirus software to protect your laptop and keep it effective for longer. You should also install a firewall so as to restrict access to your laptop. A firewall will alert you anytime an external entity tries to access your laptop. You will then have the option of either blocking or allowing access. In addition, you need to be cautious about using external hard disks and flash disks with your laptop.
4. Eliminate unused programs
At times, you might have some programs in your laptop that you don’t really need. It is advisable to uninstall them so as to create more space in your hard drive. This will enable you to install other important applications and programs. Eliminating unused programs will also improve your laptop’s performance and make it easier to locate important files.
5. Defragment hard drives
When you have many programs in your laptop, it will take time to locate your important files. It is therefore very vital to defragment your drives frequently. Defragmenting will arrange your files in a way which makes them much easier to access.
6. Clean your registry
Once in a while, registry files might get corrupted thus resulting in a drastic and sudden change in your laptop’s performance. Make sure you run your registry cleaners frequently to find out if there are any corrupt files or errors.
7. Minimize programs to run during startup
Whenever you start your laptop, it will load all the system files, as well as the programs which have been selected to run during startup. The more programs you run, the longer it takes to startup. You should therefore minimize the number of programs that will run during the booting process.
8. Delete temporary internet files
Slow browsing speeds are often as a result of poor internet connection. However, in some cases, it might be due to too many temporary internet files saved in your laptop. You should therefore take time to delete such files from your laptop.
9. Empty the recycle bin
When files are deleted from your laptop, they end up in the recycle bin. This means that they are not actually deleted from the laptop; they have just been transferred to a different location. Thus, they still take up space in your hard drive. It is therefore important to empty your recycle bin as often as possible.
10. Power surge protection
Power surge protection is as important for laptops as it is for desktop computers. Replacing a laptop power supply is very costly compared to investing in a power surge protection device. Make sure you get one so as to protect the laptop itself, as well as your laptop power supply