Computer File Extensions and Program Requirements

For computer users who haven't been able to open a received file at one time or another, you've no doubt noticed that the end file extension was different than you were used to. This is because each program has its own type of extension and not all of them are compatible with each other. The other side of the coin is that you may have sent a file with the wrong extension and the person was unable to open it.

Make sure you confirm which program your recipient has before you send them any files. To convert the files quickly and easily, just make sure you have the right program open and then save it accordingly. The .docx file extension is an excellent example as this is the newer file extension created by Microsoft Word whenever you create a file. If your team members or coworkers haven't download the right Word plugin and still work with older versions of the software, they won't be able to view or open these files.

In Word, you can also choose to save a file as a .pdf instead of a .docx. If you save a file as a .pdf, you'll notice the file size shrinks and your recipient can open it from a variety of mobile devices. Remember that it's easy to tell the difference between the older and newer versions of Word where the file extension is a .doc file type.

You've probably received a PowerPoint file at some point in time with file extensions of .ppt. If for some reason you weren't able to open it, then you may not have had PowerPoint installed. However, there is an online option in Hotmail that lets you view these online, even if you don't have the original program.

A regular text file with the extension .txt will open in just about any kind of program. It's also the smallest file package and doesn't take up hardly any memory or storage room. The .bmp is the smallest type of file for photos with a long name of bitmap. This is how many people send photos through email programs that have size limitations on each of their email communications.

The .jpg is the larger type of photo file that is regularly used on websites and in blogs. The photos you usually download from the web are going to have this file extension. You also have a compressed file becoming a rar file with the .rar extention.

You will be able to work faster and more efficiently once you understand the difference between the file types. Each program has its own so learn to work with them at the beginning. They are very easy to understand and can make all the difference between a successful communication and one that never gets acknowledged.

Learn the part file extension by following the link.