The file extension is not necessarily linked to the format of the file but instead just tells File Explorer how to open and read that particular file using the applications you have installed.

Each category of file type has many file formats according to their compression level or other factors. The programs recognize the files by their format and open them.

For example, the file type Text Document has a .txt extension, the Microsoft Word Document file has a .doc or .docx extension, the Adobe Acrobat Document file has a .pdf extension, etc.

To view file associations in Windows 10, open File Explorer and navigate to the folder that contains files of the file type you want to modify. Next, right-click on a file and select Properties ...

If you can't open a file on your computer, don't give up right away. These tricks will give you a fighting chance of accessing or recovering its contents.

When you double-click on a file in Windows, it will automatically open a default program that is configured to manage these types of files. It is common, though, want or need to use a different ...

Changing one file type The quickest method to change a single file type is to do it from the Open With menu. If you want to change more than one file type at a time, skip to the next section.

How to open a file with a different program on your Mac When you double-click a file on your Mac, the operating system will automatically open the file using the program assigned to that type of ...

How to open a CSV file in Microsoft Excel 1. In Excel's ribbon, click the File tab and then click Open. 2. Click Browse and, in the File Explorer box, click the drop-down menu to the right of the ...

Select the file you want to change in the Finder and press "Command" and "I" simultaneously. Click the triangle next to "Open With" to reveal the Application menu.