In the File Explorer Options window, click on the View tab.Ħ. Using Control Panel settings, you can easily configure Windows to show file extensions so you know the exact type of each file.ģ. Click on the Appearance and Personalization tab.ĥ.

Now, if you open any folder, you should be able to view the file name, followed by the extension for all the files.Ģ.Check the File name extensions box under the Show/Hide section.Make sure the Ribbon (top) is maximized, and you can see the File, Home, Share, and View tabs.Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.

From now on all of the filenames listed in File Explorer will include their file extensions.Home › How to › How to Show File Extensions in Windows 10: Step-by-Step Here’s how:ġ – Press the Windows+ E key combination to launch File Explorer.ģ – Click Options (located at the top right-hand side of the window).Ĥ – Click Change folder and search options.Ħ – Uncheck the box beside Hide extensions for known file types. Luckily, it’s very easy to force Windows 10 to display the file extensions when you view the names of files in File Explorer. In case you’re wondering how viewing a file’s extension can help you, here’s a great example (and it’s an important one). I really don’t understand the thinking behind having file extensions hidden since they’re so useful for quickly determining a file’s type when viewing its filename. Click here to sign up for my free Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter!įor whatever reason, the folks at Microsoft have decided it’s a good idea to hide file extensions when using the File Explorer dialog in Windows 10.

How to view file types windows 10