File Suffixes in Windows
Computer files come in many kinds, which are distinguished from each other
by their suffixes. For example:
.exe means that a file is a program (a program can be "executed" by the computer).
.doc means that a file is a Word document.
.zip is a zipped file
and so on. Of course, when you use a computer, it's pretty important to know what kind of file you're dealing with.
Microsoft, in designing Windows 95 and later versions, made a controversial decision in setting things up so that, unless you do something special, you don't get to see the suffixes.
If you want to restore your view of suffixes, do the following:
Click Start
Click Settings
Click Folder Options
Click on the View tab
Uncheck the box that says Hide File Extensions for Known File Types
Last updated May 11, 2002