TTT: File Extensions

Tuesday’s Technology Tip
Little “bytes” of information to help make your computing life easier.

All computer files use a 3-letter suffix to help the computer figure out what type of file it is. When saving, the file extension should be created automatically for you. It is a good habit to make sure your files have the extension on them, especially when saving and opening betwenn Windows and Macintosh. Some of the more common file types are:

.doc (Word DOCument)
.xls (EXceL Spreadsheet)
.isf (InSpiration File)
.exe (EXEcutable file – these are program files that run in Windows)
.jpg (Joint Photographic Group – these are picture files from digital cameras, etc.)
.gif (Graphical Interchange Format – these are graphic files also)
.wrc (Who Really Cares??? -just checking if you’re reading – of course you care )

If you run into a situation where a file does not open like you expected (or with the correct program), check out the file extension to see if it clues you in to the issue.