Show or show file extensions for known file types in Windows Explorer

If Windows 10 is reinstalled, the Windows Explorer is set by default so that the file extension is not displayed for all “known” file types . Incidentally, this is not only the case with Windows 10, it also applies to the older versions of Windows. Although the file type is displayed in the ” Type ” column , it can have certain advantages if you display the file extensions in Windows File Explorer .

Below we have shown you an Explorer window with some known file types . As you can see, the file extensions, which usually consist of 3 or 4 characters after the period , are not shown.

Windows Explorer files without file extension

If the file extensions are also displayed, the user can recognize much more quickly whether it is a text file or a Word, Excel or PDF document . Even when renaming files or file extensions, you cannot avoid showing the known file extensions .

Show file extensions in Windows Explorer

To display these file extensions again, all you have to do is click on ” View ” and then on ” Options “. Then the folder options will be visible, in which you can make many settings. We have already reported in detail on how you can ” Show hidden files, folders and drives in Windows Explorer “.

To show the file extensions, please click on the “View” tab. There is the following option, which you must then ” deactivate “.

Hide extensions for known file types

Here is a hard copy of the Windows Explorer folder options .

Hide extensions for known file types

If you checked this option , your Windows Explorer will look like this with the same files.

Windows Explorer files with displayed file extensions

Now you can see the exact file extension such as .bmp, .jpg, .txt, .zip, .docx etc. at first glance . In addition, renaming file extensions is now much easier.

There are many other setting options in Windows Explorer , which we would like to introduce you to in the following article.

– Yellow exclamation mark in the drive symbol for Windows 10 Explorer
– Open every Windows folder in a new Windows Explorer window
– Remove OneDrive from Windows 10 Explorer
– Keyboard shortcuts for Windows Explorer
– Start each Windows Explorer window in a separate process
– Administrator prompt in the Windows Explorer context menu
– Registry value for hidden files in Windows Explorer
– Show hidden files, system files and file extensions in Explorer by default
– Copy / move undo process in Explorer with key combination
– Call up defragmentation directly from Explorer (context menu)

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