Hello, dear users! In this article you will become familiar with the topic of changing the file format. Instead of the word “format” you may also see an option such as “extension”. These are two equal meanings!
Any user may be faced with the need to change the data extension on a PC, and many have found it difficult to resolve the issue when performing this action. In fact, there is nothing complicated about how to change the file format on Windows 10, 8, 7 - there are many available to the user ways!
You can find a large number of special programs with which you can change the extension. Such applications are called converters. They can be freely downloaded from the Internet, or you can simply use online converter and do not go through the program installation procedure. Before you start changing the format, you need to understand what it is.
What is a file extension?
The file extension or format is the part of the file name that appears after the dot. It is this abbreviation, which is written at the end of the name and indicates what type of file it is.
How to determine file type by format?
Please consider these examples:
- On the sea.jpg – we read what is written after the dot (jpg) and understand that this is an image, since jpg is an image format.
- Protection of the report.pptx – we read what is written after the period (pptx) and understand that this is a presentation.
- Let Me In.avi is a video file as avi is a video file format.
Now let's look at what formats the file types have, so that you can also easily identify them by extension yourself.
- Archivers have the following extensions: rar, zip, irj;
- Programs: exe, com;
- Web pages: htm, html;
- Texts: txt, rtf, doc, docx, pdf;
- Graphics: bmp, gif, png, jpg, jpeg;
- Audio: wav, mp3, midi; video: avi, mpeg.
Among Microsoft Office highlight tables: xls; presentations: pptx, ppt, pps and publications: pub.
Algorithm for changing the file extension in Windows XP, Vista
In the window that appears on the screen, select the tab "View". Then you need to click on the item « Extra options» , and then go lower and hover your mouse over the phrase "Hide extensions for registered file types". If there is a checkmark here, then it must be unchecked. If you unchecked the checkbox, be sure to confirm the action by selecting "Apply" so that the changes are saved. You should get something like this screenshot.
Now you can start changing the format of the desired file. To start changing the extension, hover your mouse over your file, click on it to highlight the window, then select the option at the bottom "Rename".
Let's imagine that you have an image format png jpeg. After you clicked "Rename", highlight the file name and its extension (On the sea.png). And now, without changing the file name, we change only its extension, that is, after the dot, write the format that you need (On the sea.jpeg). "Enter". "OK". The file extension has been successfully changed!
How to change file extension on Windows 7, 8, 10?
Hover your mouse over the item "Start", then go to menu , there click on "Small Icons", then stop at the “Folder Options” item. These items are shown in this screenshot.
Next, a window will appear in which you need to select a tab "View", then click on "Extra options". Scroll down and stop at the phrase "Hide extensions for registered file types." There should not be a check mark; it must be unchecked if there is one, and then confirm the action with the button "Apply" so that the changes are saved. You should get something like the picture.
Let's say you have a video file of the format avi, and you want to convert it to the format mpeg. After you click "Rename", highlight the file name and its extension (On the sea.avi). And now, without changing the file name, we write only its new extension, that is, after the dot, indicate the format that you need (On the sea.mpeg). After this operation, press the button "Enter". Next, another window will appear, but all you have to do is click "OK". After completing these steps, you can be sure that the file format has changed.
The process of changing the file format in Windows 8 and 10 occurs in exactly the same way as in version 7 of the operating system. Through "Start" go out to , where you need to click on "Small Icons". After this, go to where you need to click on tab "View" and go to additional options.
Then, in a way that is already familiar to you, we check whether the extensions are hidden. Then accept the changes, if they have been made, and proceed to renaming, namely, changing the file extension, writing the format you need behind the dot.
Conclusion
So, thanks to this article, you remember which formats belong to a specific file type. As you noticed, changing the file extension (format) was not so difficult. The main thing is to know the ways!
We will be very happy if you recommend the page to your friends so that they too know how easy it is to change file formats without installing third-party conversion programs. Leave comments and rate the article! Thank you!
Each file has its own extension, which is used by the operating system to identify it. This is necessary to define a program that can work with a specific object or an action that should be performed when it is clicked.
The extension is a set of letters that is indicated after the name. There are many situations in which there is a need to see the type of an object, or there is a need to change it. Default operating Windows system 10 hides the format of the elements from the user.
How to show hidden file extension in Windows 10?
Sometimes users encounter Windows problem 10, when it is not possible to change the format, since the system hides it by default. This is intended for security purposes so as not to accidentally damage necessary system data. How can I change this setting so that I can see the expansion of objects?
The first method is to click on the “Start” button in the lower left corner of the screen. Enter “Folder Options” into the search form, and then select the item found. In the window that opens, in the “View” tab, you need to uncheck the “Hide extensions for registered file types” line.
To perform the second method, you will have to open an arbitrary folder on your computer and in the left top corner Click on the “Arrange” button. After this, a menu will open where you need to select the line “Folder and Search Options”. A window will open where, on the “View” tab, you need to uncheck the “Hide extensions for registered file types” line.
The third method suggests going through the Start menu to the Control Panel utility. There, select viewing in the form of small icons, go to “Folder Options”. In the new window, find the “View” button again, scroll to the very end and uncheck the “Hide extensions for registered file types” option.
In Windows 10, it is possible to make such changes most quickly. To do this, you will need to open any folder, or Explorer itself, and open the “View” menu section. 
Check the box next to “File name extensions”, after which not only the name, but also their format will be displayed for all files on the computer.
How to change file type in Windows 10 using the context menu
The easiest way is to use the "Context Menu". To do this, you will need to select the desired element, then right-click on it and select “Rename”. After which it will be possible to change it. To do this, you just need to enter the desired value. 
In a new dialog box, confirm that you want to change the file type. 
Before changing the file extension, it is recommended to make sure that the data in it can be run by the intended program. Sometimes it’s easier to find special software for a certain file type than to change it manually.
How to change the extension of a group of files
To do this, you need to go to the folder where the files are stored. Then, while holding down the Shift key, right-click on an empty space in the folder. After the manipulations have been completed, a command window will open.
In the command line that opens, write the command: ren *.jpg *.png, where: “*.jpg” – original; “*.png” is the final value. 
How to change file format using conversion
It often happens that an object is not launched by the program even after changing the format. But this is not surprising since it is intended solely to map an executable object to a program. The object itself is defined by its content.
If the format is not supported by programs installed on your computer, you can try converting it. There are many special programs for this that can be downloaded for free. They differ in functionality depending on the tasks that need to be solved. These programs can be divided depending on what formats they can convert. Sometimes you can resort to using standard utilities.
Saving with a specific extension
In most cases, in order not to be fooled later by how to change the extension, it is easier to immediately specify the one you need, changing it while saving. For example, to make changes to the system, you may need an element with the .bat extension or hosts without .txt. To create them, you just need to launch Notepad and, when saving, select “All files” in the “File type” field. If necessary, you can specify any other required format. 
Instructions
extension file file extension video file extension will be Vob.
extension extension files.
extension extension file.
file extension file.
Sources:
- How to change file format
Sometimes the music we want to listen to doesn't have the file extension we want. This is especially often encountered by users of audio CDs, where the music is recorded in completely unfamiliar formats. There are many audio formats: from the most famous mp3, WAV, ogg to the completely exotic mpp and Ape. And we, for example, want to listen to this music in our MP3 player, but not every MP3 player has the ability to play CDs (more precisely, it cannot play CDs at all). And not every one of them can reproduce the formats in which we have recorded music on our computer. And then there is a natural desire to convert the file to native MP3.
You will need
- Easy CD Extractor
Instructions
Let's take a look at Easy Cd Extractor. It is very easy to use and is very suitable for those who have no experience in converting files. Just open the program and everything becomes clear. There are only three main windows: “grabbing audio CDs” (this is recording from CDs), converting audio formats and CD/DVD Creator (this is creating audio CDs).
The whole process is very clear and understandable. Choose required file that you want to convert, select the format you want to convert to (here you can specify the quality created file), and choose where to save the new files. You can convert an unlimited number of files at once and calmly go drink tea with cookies while the program does everything for you.
Video on the topic
note
The conversion process is very simple, and once you figure it out, you're unlikely to forget how it's done.
There are a decent number of programs that can help us in this difficult task. From small programs that can’t do anything other than convert, to giants that can change not only the format, but also the very sound of music, trim it, add various sound effects and much more.
If you want to download files from an audio CD to your computer, all you need is simple Windows Media Player that saves files as mp3 or wav. To convert some OGG or FLAC, you can use, for example, Easy Cd Extractor (which can also save files from an audio disc). Winamp, by the way, can also convert audio files (but still its main function is to play music).
If you need to not only convert, but also trim music, create various sound effects, for example, a smooth sound decay or increase, that is, very good program Sound Forge (with a huge number of functions and settings). Or any other analogue.
In some cases, you need to extract the audio track from the video and save it separate file mp3. Easy change of extension in in this case will not help, since it will not remove the video track from the file.
Instructions
Open the desired video file in a video editing program. To do this, select “File” -> “Open” from the program menu (in some applications “File” -> “Import”). Place the imported video on the editor's timeline. After that, select the video track and delete it. To do this, right-click on it and select “Delete”, or press the delete key. Make sure that the audio track remains in place. Save your changes. To do this, select “File” -> “Save As” (or “File” -> “Export”), in the window that opens, specify the name of the file to be saved, select the mp3 format and click “Save”.
Another way is to use an audio editing program. Launch the selected application, and then open the desired video file in it. The procedure for importing it into the program is similar to the corresponding procedure in the video editor. Since the program only works with sound, it will only open soundtrack. All you need to do now is save it as a separate file. To do this, in the program menu, select “File” -> “Save As” (or “File” -> “Export”), in the window that appears, set a name for the file to be saved, specify the mp3 format and click “Save”.
The next option is to use a file conversion program. Launch the appropriate application, and then import the video file into it. In the conversion settings, specify the mp3 format, the directory for saving the future file and click the “Convert” button. Wait for the process to complete.
Video on the topic
MP3 is the most common audio file format today due to the fact that, with a relatively small size, recordings can save good quality sound. Encoding into this format will not take you much time.
You will need
- - a program for encoding audio recordings into Mp3.
Instructions
Create an audio file. For this it will be enough for you standard program sound recording installed in your operating system in the standard entertainment section. Connect the microphone to the appropriate signal receiving section on sound card(after making sure that all equipment is in working order).
Click on the record button, follow this procedure and edit the resulting file. You can adjust the volume, adjust the echo, duration, trim the file and so on. Next, select the menu item at the top “File”. Click on the “Save As” option, select a directory convenient for storing the audio file, and click “OK.”
Select saving options. In MP3 format, configure the bitrate in the drop-down menu - the higher it is, the better the quality of the sound and larger size the file itself. Click on save.
If you need to convert a music file to MP3 format, use any audio format converter program that works with the extensions you have. Download it, install it on your computer, launch it and get familiar with the interface. Find out the purpose of the buttons and the functionality of the program.
Using the “Browse” button, select the file you need for encoding; if necessary, select several; many programs support simultaneous editing and saving of several audio recordings at once.
In the settings of the final program file, specify the MP3 format, the desired bitrate, and other attributes of the future compressed audio file. After you make sure that all the settings are set correctly, start the music transcoding procedure. Wait until it finishes, go to the folder that the program used to save, and try to play it sound file.
note
The process of reducing recording quality is irreversible.
Helpful advice
Initially save copies of the entry options in high quality.
Sometimes, after downloading a video file from the Internet, it does not open, but a notification appears that the operating system was unable to open the file. It is also suggested to select a program to open it manually. The problem is that, most likely, this file is not assigned the correct extension. And without it, the OS does not know which program to use to open it. This problem is completely solvable. All you need is to register the correct extension.
You will need
- - a computer with Windows OS.
Instructions
If you are using the Windows XP operating system, then change extension file in the video you can do it this way. Right-click on the file. Select "Rename" from the context menu. Extension file follows immediately after the name, after which you need to register it. In most cases extension video file Avi. But of course there may be other options, for example 3gp, this format is often used mobile phones. If the video is in DVD format, then it extension will be Vob.
There may be a case when extension files are not displayed in Windows XP. To activate its display, follow these steps. Right-click on any folder and select “Properties” from the context menu. After that, go to the “View” tab. Find the line “Hide extensions for known file types” there. Uncheck the box next to this line. Save your changes. To do this, click “Apply” and OK. Now you can change extension files.
In the operating room Windows system 7 by default extension files not available. To activate it, you need to do this. Click Start. Go to Control Panel and open Folder Options. Next, go to the “View” tab and uncheck the box next to the line “Hide extensions for known file types.” Click Apply and OK. Now you can change extension file.
Right-click on the file and select "Rename". You will see that the name file will be highlighted and then goes it extension. It is the unselected part that needs to be renamed. If only the selected fragment is displayed, this means that there is no extension assigned to the video file at all, and it should be added immediately after the name file.
Sources:
- How to change file format
To play video files using a portable player you need to convert them to the required format. This operation can be performed even without special programs.
You will need
- - Internet access;
- - Movavi converter.
Instructions
If you have high-speed Internet access, then use a converter. This method is relevant if you are working with someone else’s computer and do not have the ability to install applications and programs. Open the page http://converter.corbina.ru.
Click the “File” button located in the first menu of the web page that opens. Select the video file to convert. Click Ok and wait for it to upload to the server. In the next menu select format, to which it will be converted specified file. To start a video from player use format avi or 3gp. Click the "Start" button and wait until the operation is completed.
Download the finished video file and load it into the player. Try playing this video. If you plan to constantly use this resource, then click the “Download Converter” button. This will allow you to convert files without going online.
Install the downloaded application. Restart your computer after this process is complete. Launch Movavi Video Converter.
To start working with the program, press the combination Ctrl keys and O. Specify the video file, format which needs to be changed. Select ready-made template by indicating the desired item in the “Profile” column. Use format s 3gp or avi.
Find the “Browse” button located opposite the “Save Folder” field and click it. Select the directory where the program will save the converted video files. Move the sliders in the render menu if you need to trim part of the video.
After completing the preparation of parameters, click the “Start” button. Wait while the program performs the necessary actions. Upload the resulting file to the video player and launch it.
Video on the topic
Sources:
- how to translate player
Rar indicates that the selected file is an archive. Any folders and files. Change files in format.rar can be created in several ways. It all depends on what exactly the user needs.
To quickly find files and quickly navigate through them, it is not enough to put everything in the correct folders. It is equally important to give files names that are easy to read and meaningful. Fiddling with each of them separately is counterproductive. Therefore, there are methods for group renaming.
To work with a group of files, it is better to copy them to a separate folder. This will greatly simplify the process.
Using standard Windows tools
Changing file names
Let's consider the simplest case: we have the nth number of images with meaningless names.
Let's bring the names of these files to a visual form Picture (n), Where Picture will be the name, and n- serial number. This can be easily done directly in Explorer.
Select all the pictures that we want to rename. To do this quickly, use the key combination Ctrl + A. Then simply press F2 or right-click on the first file and select “Rename”. Enter the word as the name for the selected image Picture and press Enter.
Windows will automatically assign the same name to all subsequent files and assign all serial numbers.
If necessary, you can cancel mass renaming with the Ctrl + Z key combination.
If you want to rename a group of folders in Explorer, you can do it in the same way.
Changing file extensions
Let's say we have several text documents, which after double clicking open with a notepad. But we need them to be opened by the browser by default. To do this, you will have to change their extension from .txt to .html. These types of operations can be quickly performed using the command line.
Click Windows keys+ R, enter in the field that appears cmd and click OK - we see the command line window. Now we insert into it the path to the folder in which our files are located, immediately after the command CD: cd C:\Users\Max Volotsky\Desktop\Docs , and press Enter. Then we use special team, which will change their extensions: rename *.txt *.html, and press Enter again.
The original extension is indicated first in the command, the new one is indicated second. After entering the command, the system instantly makes changes.
To return everything as it was, you need to use the rename command again, swapping the extensions.
Using third party utilities
No built-in tools can match the functionality of special programs designed specifically for batch renaming. You can find many of these on the Internet. free utilities, just enter bulk file rename in the search.
We will look at renaming using the example of the Bulk Rename Utility program. With its help it is very convenient to change the names of folders and files, as well as the extensions of the latter.
When you first launch it, it may seem that the utility’s interface came straight from hell, and perhaps there is some truth in this. But the user does not need to navigate through numerous tabs and menus: he gets access to all functions from one window.
So, let's say we have a group of audio files that we want to make look pleasing to the eye. In this case, the numbers and the lack of artist name are annoying.
We launch the application through the built-in file manager go to the folder we need. Next, use the already familiar Ctrl + A key combination to select all files. We need to remove the first 3 characters at the beginning of each file name and add the artist name at the very beginning. To do this we indicate required parameters in the Remove and Add panels, then click Rename.
Now we’ll make sure that all extensions consist of lowercase characters: in the Extension panel, select the Lower option and click Rename.
As you can see, other panels are available in the program window. For example, Numbering allows you to number documents different ways, and with Case you can change the case of characters in file names. Thanks to the New Name column in the built-in explorer, which shows the result of a rename before it's applied, you'll easily understand the rest of the Bulk Rename Utility.
The last operation with files and folders performed in the program can be easily undone using the Ctrl + Z key combination.
Each file that is used in Windows 10 and other versions of the OS has an extension: .txt, .doc., .exe, .jpg and others. Often, users need to know how to change the file extension in Windows 10 to continue working.
Making visible
By default, extensions are not visible in Windows 10. Therefore, to change them, first turn on the display. There are two ways to do this.
In the View tab
In Folder Options
How to change
You can change the extension after it has been opened.
Using the context menu
The easiest way is to use the Context Menu.
Important! Use this method only when you know for sure what you are doing. If after this the file no longer opens, rename it back.
File groups
Important! The change will occur only for those files whose original extension matches the one specified in the command.
Conversion
Often the file is not launched by the program even after changing the extension. But this is not surprising since it is intended solely to associate an executable file with a program. The file itself is determined by its content.
If the file format is not supported by programs installed on your computer, convert it. Designed for this special programs. You can find them on the Internet. They differ in functionality depending on the tasks you solve.
Video
The video clearly shows the process of opening visibility and changing the extension.
Saving with a specific extension
To make changes to the system, you may need a file with the extension .bat or hosts without .txt extension. To create them, launch Notepad and, when saving, select “All files” in the “File type” field. If necessary, specify the required extension. 
Conclusion
Changing the extension is done using Context menu or Command line when working with a group of files. If the device does not have programs compatible with a particular file, it can be converted to a suitable format using special programs.
