{ "id": "ee900c41-245e-40b8-9efb-f6a6c1bcf43e", "created_at": "2026-04-06T00:11:11.266413Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:24:29.612231Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "21bfeb8a145500e3a267a24667bdf330e707b7df", "title": "How to Make Windows Show File Extensions", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 1055422, "plain_text": "How to Make Windows Show File Extensions\r\nBy Chris Hoffman, Nick Lewis\r\nPublished: 2017-03-08 · Archived: 2026-04-05 18:19:09 UTC\r\nUpdated  Oct 8, 2023, 9:30 AM EDT\r\nSummary\r\nTo view file extensions on Windows 10, launch File Explorer, then click on the \"View\" tab and check the \"File\r\nName Extensions\" box. To show file extensions on Windows 11, open File Explorer, and then click View \u003e Show\r\n\u003e File Name Extensions.\r\nWindows doesn't show file extensions by default, but you can change a single setting and make Windows always\r\nshow you each file's full file extension. This works in File Explorer on Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well as\r\nWindows Explorer on Windows 7 and Windows 8.\r\nWhy You Should Show File Extensions\r\nEach file has a file extension that tells Windows what type of file that is. File extensions are usually three or four\r\ndigits long, but can be longer. For example, Word documents have the .doc or .docx file extension. If you have a\r\nfile named Example.docx, Windows knows it's a Word document and will open it with Microsoft Word.\r\nThere are many different file extensions. Audio files may have a file extension like .mp3, .aac, .wma, .flac, .ogg,\r\nor many other possibilities depending on what type of audio file they are. Some common image file extensions are\r\n.jpeg, .png, .gif, and .heic.\r\nSetting Windows to show file extensions is helpful for security. For example, the .exe file extension is one of\r\nmany file extensions that Windows runs as a program. If you can't see what a file's extension is, it's hard to tell\r\nwhether it's a program or a safe document or media file at a glance.\r\nAs an example, you may have a file named \"document\" that has the icon of your installed PDF reader. With file\r\nextensions hidden, there's no quick way to tell if this is a legitimate PDF document or is actually a malicious\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 1 of 6\n\nprogram using your PDF reader's icon as a disguise. If you had Windows set to show file extensions, you'd be able\r\nto see whether it's a safe document with the name \"document.pdf\" or a dangerous file with a name like\r\n\"document.exe\". You could look at the file's properties window for more information, but you don't need to do that\r\nif you've enabled file extensions.\r\nHow to Show File Extensions in Windows 11\r\nWindows 11 changed the user interface for File Explorer quite a bit between Windows 10 and 11, but the option to\r\nshow file extensions is still readily accessible.\r\nClick the \"View\" tab along the top of the File Explorer window. Mouse over \"Show\" at the bottom of the drop-down menu, and then click \"File Name Extensions\" in the sub-menu.\r\nFile extensions will be visible for all files in all folders.\r\nHow to Show File Extensions in Windows 10\r\nThis option is easily accessible in File Explorer on Windows 10, and it's in the same place on Windows 8.\r\nClick the \"View\" tab on the ribbon. Activate the \"File name extensions\" box in the Show/hide section to toggle file\r\nextensions on or off. File Explorer will remember this setting until you disable it in the future.\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 2 of 6\n\nHow to Show File Extensions in Windows 7\r\nThis option is a little more hidden on Windows 7, where it's buried in the Folder Options window.\r\nClick the \"Organize\" button on Windows Explorer's toolbar and select \"Folder and search options\" to open it.\r\nClick the \"View\" tab at the top of the Folder Options window. Disable the \"Hide extensions for known file types\"\r\ncheckbox under Advanced settings. Click \"OK\" to change your settings.\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 3 of 6\n\nThis options window is also accessible on Windows 8, 10, and 11 — just click the \"Options\" button on the View\r\ntoolbar. But it's faster to quickly toggle file extensions on or off via the ribbon.\r\nThis window is also accessible via the Control Panel on any version of Windows. Head to Control Panel \u003e\r\nAppearance and Personalization \u003e Folder Options. On Windows 8, 10, and 11, it's named \"File Explorer Options\"\r\ninstead.\r\nShow File Extensions Through the Registry Editor\r\nYou can also enable File Extensions through the Registry Editor on any version of Windows.\r\nDon't randomly change or delete values in the Windows Registry. You may cause bugs, crashes, or even\r\n(theoretically) render your computer inoperable.\r\nFirst, open up the Start Menu and search \"regedit,\" then click the \"Registry Editor\" result.\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 4 of 6\n\nNavigate to the path we list below, open up the \"HideFileExt\" entry, and set the value to 0.\r\nComputer\\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced\r\nOnce that is done, you'll need to refresh any open File Explorer windows you have open before file extensions\r\nwill be visible.\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 5 of 6\n\nSource: https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nhttps://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/\r\nPage 6 of 6", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "MITRE" ], "references": [ "https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/" ], "report_names": [ "beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions" ], "threat_actors": [ { "id": "aa73cd6a-868c-4ae4-a5b2-7cb2c5ad1e9d", "created_at": "2022-10-25T16:07:24.139848Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:04.878798Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Safe", "aliases": [], "source_name": "ETDA:Safe", "tools": [ "DebugView", "LZ77", "OpenDoc", "SafeDisk", "TypeConfig", "UPXShell", "UsbDoc", "UsbExe" ], "source_id": "ETDA", "reports": null } ], "ts_created_at": 1775434271, "ts_updated_at": 1775791469, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/21bfeb8a145500e3a267a24667bdf330e707b7df.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/21bfeb8a145500e3a267a24667bdf330e707b7df.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/21bfeb8a145500e3a267a24667bdf330e707b7df.jpg" } }