In some cases, after the file is on the user's computer, he begins to wonder how to change the file type? Sometimes this action helps to open files that before that did not want to be "opened" even by their "native" applications. Also, many advanced users are studying file types and their extensions in order to optimize the operation of individual applications and the computer as a whole. Let's look at how to change the file type correctly, and in what cases it is generally worth doing it.
First, let's answer the question, what is the file extension? The file extension (or type, format) is the code letter following the name of each file after the period to the right of the name itself. For example, in the file with the name of the file setup.exe, the extension “exe” indicates that this file belongs to executable files, and the file image.jpg, thanks to the extension “jpg”, belongs to graphic files. In some cases, you should not even think about how to change the file type, for example, the image.jpg file, which is a graphic type, can never turn into an executable file.
But sometimes changing the file extension can significantly affect its operation. For example, when downloading video files from the Internet, many of them are automatically saved in flv format, which in quality can be significantly inferior to other video formats - mp4 and mpeg.
In many cases, the question of how to change the file type may not be at all - just rename the file by changing the name particle after the dot. To do this, simply find the required file, select it by clicking on it with the left mouse button, and then press the F2 key (or select the “Rename” function in the menu after right-clicking). After that, you need to change the old file extension to a new one and the file will automatically change its type. Such a solution will become useful in the case described above with video files having the flv extension, or when, after downloading from the Internet, the file has the htm or html extension, but in fact it is a video file or archive (rar or zip).
Sometimes the file name does not indicate its extension. How to change the file type in this case? To do this, you must specify in the operating system settings the display of file types or use one of the file managers.
To specify the display of extensions in the settings of the Windows operating system, you must go to the "Start" menu and select "Control Panel". If the system displays the file mode "Style by category", you must first go to "Appearance and Themes." In both cases, the next step is to select the "Folder Options" section, and in the "View" tab, uncheck the box titled "Hide extensions for registered file types." After that, the name of each file will also display its type.
In order not to change the settings for design and display of files, before changing the file type, you can use the file manager, for example, the popular program “Total Commander”. In this program, the file type is always displayed in the second column, and you can change it very simply - just press the key combination “Shift + F6”.
However, it should be remembered that not all file types can be changed by simply changing the extension. For example, the pdf file type after the manipulations described above will simply stop opening with its standard application and other programs will not be able to open it. To change the types of some files, you can use special programs called converters. These programs are specifically designed to modify certain types of files, allowing the user to view and edit them using other applications.