To show file extensions in Windows, use File Explorer’s View menu in Windows 11 or its folder options in Windows 10. Extensions reveal the suffix that identifies a file type, but changing a suffix does not convert the file.
Show file extensions in Windows 11
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Open File Explorer.
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Select View > Show > File name extensions.
With the setting enabled, filenames display their extensions, such as .xlsx after expenses. Microsoft documents this menu path in its File Explorer guidance.
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Show file extensions in Windows 10
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Open File Explorer and select View > Options > Change folder and search options.
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In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.
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Clear Hide extensions for known file types, then select OK.
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Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft’s Windows support page.
What a file extension tells you
A filename typically consists of a name, a period, and an extension. In expenses.xlsx, for example, expenses is the name and .xlsx is the extension. The extension indicates the file type and helps Windows choose an associated application and icon. More than one installed program may be able to open a given extension, as Microsoft explains in its guide to common file name extensions.
Changing an extension does not convert a file
Renaming notes.txt to notes.pdf changes the filename, not the file’s contents or format. Microsoft states: “You can change a file name extension, but that won’t convert the file to another format or change anything else about it except the file name.” To create a different format, use the original application’s export or conversion feature instead.
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