Show file extensions

29 April 2005 · 0 comments

A trap for Web designers (and others): the default setting on both Windows and Mac is to hide file extensions. This means that a file that’s really called MyFile.txt looks as though it’s called MyFile. Web designers need to know whether it’s MyFile.txt or MyFile.html or MyFile.jpg and so on. To put this right and [...]

 

A trap for Web designers (and others): the default setting on both Windows and Mac is to hide file extensions. This means that a file that’s really called MyFile.txt looks as though it’s called MyFile. Web designers need to know whether it’s MyFile.txt or MyFile.html or MyFile.jpg and so on.

To put this right and to have more control over what you’re seeing on your computer take these easy steps.

Mac OS X users

Go to the Finder and choose Finder menu — Preferences — Advanced. Now check the box for Show all file extensions.

Windows users

  1. Open My Computer / Windows Explorer.
  2. Tools — Folder Options
  3. View
  4. Uncheck “Hide file extentions for known file types”
  5. Apply and OK

With thanks to the Wise Women mailing list for the discussion and the Windows instructions.

Be the first to comment ⇒

These Posts may interest you too:

  1. Firefox Extensions If you make web pages then do yourself a favour and download Firefox. Then install and use at least two extensions: Chris Pederick’s Developer Extension and Aardvark from Karmatics. The...
  2. Use Tab in Finder windows to select by name Rob Griffiths is a mine of most excellent Mac tips, such as this one, that I’d never come across before in all these many years of using Macs — A...
  3. Path Finder 4.8 adds new look, new settings One of the bits of software I use all the time behind the scenes is Cocoatech’s Path Finder. It’s a replacement for the Mac’s built-in Finder, though you can use...
  4. File Extensions Interesting Mac support call today. Kevin was using Appleworks under OS 9 on an iBook to write documents. He then wanted to open them in Appleworks under OS X on...
  5. Automator works My first look at Automator yesterday, through a haze of feeling very unwell, just scared me. It looked very daunting and just didn’t make much sense at all. Today the...

Tell us what you think.
Note: there may be a delay before your comment appears. I now approve all comments from new visitors, in an attempt to keep spam at bay.

Add your Comment

Previous post:

Next post: