User Guide

User’s Guide 47
About Windows 98
What are file name extensions?
The last three characters of a file name, the characters that follow the dot, are
called the file name extension, or extension.
Extensions can have more than three characters, but they usually have three or
fewer characters because most current applications have historically used
three characters to identify different kinds of files.
The extension is used by Windows to identify the application that opens or
runs the file by default, as described in “What is an associated file?”
How can I see extensions in the Windows Explorer file list?
By default, you do not see the file name extension in the Windows Explorer file
list.
To turn on display of extensions in older versions of Windows:
1. In the Windows Explorer window, click any folder name.
2. In the View menu at the top of the Explorer window, click Options.
3. Clear the check next to Hide MS-DOS file extensions for file types that
are registered.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Like Current Folder to make all folders display file names with
extensions.
6. Close the dialog box by clicking Cancel or OK.
If you have installed Internet Explorer 4.0 in Windows, follow these steps:
1. In the Windows Explorer window, click any folder name.
2. In the View menu at the top of the Explorer window, click Folder
Options, then click the View tab in the dialog box that appears.
3. In the Advanced Settings list in the View page, clear the check next to
Hide file extensions for known file types to make the folder display
files names with their extensions.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Like Current Folder to make all folders display file names with
extensions.