Missouri Electronic Records Education and Training Initiative
Common Filename Extensions
A filename extension is the suffix or last set of characters that follow the period after the root or file name, i.e. rootname.ext, and is automatically added the first time a file is named and saved. Most filename extensions consist of three characters, although they can contain between one and five.
Extensions identify the type of data stored in the file to both users and the computer operating system. For example, a file named "letter.wpd" is a WordPerfect Document file, based on the ".wpd" file extension. Likewise, files ending in ".doc" indicate Microsoft Word documents. A file extension ensures that the computer will use the correct program to the open the file when you click on the filename.
Care should be taken when changing a file extension, as the computer may be unable to open the file. If for example a Microsoft Word file with a ".doc" extension is changed to a ".jpg" the file will not open because it is not an image.
Just as there thousands of software programs available, there are also thousands of filename extensions. The list below, from Workshop 3 Managing Electronic Records, includes some of the most commonly used file extensions.
For more comprehensive lists of file extensions, the following websites are recommended:
www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/fileextensions.asp
www.saugus.net/Computer/Extensions
A | B - C | D | E - L | M - O | P | R - V | W - X
Extension |
Application and File Type |
|
.AI |
Adobe Illustrator file. |
|
.AIF |
Auto Interchange File Format (AIFF) Audio file. |
|
.ANS |
ANSI text file. |
|
.ARJ |
Compressed file can be used with Winzip / Pkzip. |
|
.ASC |
ASCII Text file |
|
.ASP |
Microsoft FrontPage Active Server Pages. To open these files use your internet browser. |
|
.BFC |
Microsoft Windows 95 / Windows 98 Briefcase file. |
|
.BK2 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK3 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK4 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK5 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK6 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK7 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK8 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BK9 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.BMP |
Graphical Bit Mapped File used in Windows Paintbrush. |
|
.BPS |
Microsoft Works Word Processor File. |
|
.BPT |
Corel Draw Bitmap master file |
|
.BV6 |
Corel Word Perfect for Windows Backup file. |
|
.CAL |
Windows Calendar, Supercalculator4 file or Supercal spreadsheet. |
|
.CDR |
Corel Draw Vector file. |
|
.CFL |
Corel flowchart file |
|
.CLP |
Windows Clipboard / Quattro Pro clip art / Clipper 5 compiler script |
|
.DOC |
Microsoft Word Windows/DOS / LotusWorks word processor Windows/DOS /PF S:First Choice Windows/DOS DOT MS Word Windows/DOS. |
|
.DOS |
Text file and DOS Specification Info |
|
.DOT |
Microsoft Word Template (Macro). |
|
.DRW |
Micrografx draw/graph files. |
|
.DXB |
Drawing interchange binary file |
|
.DXF |
Autocad drawing interchange format file |
|
.EQN |
Word Perfect for Windows Equation file |
|
.FDF |
Adobe Acrobat Forms Document. |
|
.FRK |
Compressed zip file used with Apple Macintosh computers. |
|
.GRF |
Micrografx draw/graph files. |
|
.IWA |
IBM Writing Assistant Text file. |
|
.JAS |
Graphic |
|
.JPG |
Graphic commonly used on the Internet and capable of being opened by most modern image editors. |
|
.JZZ |
Jazz spreadsheet |
|
.LWP |
Lotus Wordpro 96/97 file. |
|
.MAC |
Macintosh macpaint files. |
|
.MBX |
Microsoft Outlook Express mailbox file. |
|
.MD |
Compressed Archive file |
|
.MPP |
Microsoft Project file. |
|
.MSP |
Microsoft paint file format. |
|
.MWP |
Lotus Wordpro 97 smartmaster file |
|
.MYD |
Make your point presentation file. |
|
.OLI |
Olivetti text file |
|
.PAB |
Personal Address Book, file used with Microsoft Outlook. |
|
.PCX |
Microsoft Paint & PC Paintbrush Windows/DOS. |
|
.PDD |
Adobe PhotoDeluxe Image. |
|
Adobe Acrobat Reader file. |
||
.PLN |
WordPerfect spreadsheet file |
|
.PP4 |
Picture Publisher. |
|
.PP5 |
Picture Publisher. |
|
.PPS |
Microsoft PowerPoint Slideshow. |
|
.PPT |
Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. |
|
.PPX |
Serif PagePlus publication. |
|
.PPZ |
Microsoft PowerPoint Packaged Presentation. |
|
.PSD |
Adobe Photoshop image file. |
|
.PWP |
Photoworks image file. |
|
.PZA |
MGI PhotoSuite album file. |
|
.RTF |
Rich Text Format file. |
|
.SDA |
StarOffice drawing file / SoftCuisine data archive |
|
.SDC |
StarOffice spreadsheet |
|
.SDD |
StarOffice presentation |
|
.SDL |
SmartDraw library |
|
.SDN |
Small archive |
|
.SDR |
SmartDraw drawing |
|
.SDS |
StarOffice chart file / Raw MIDI sample dump standard file |
|
.SDT |
SmartDraw template |
|
.SH3 |
Harvard (now Serif) presentation file |
|
.SHK |
Apple Macintosh Compressed Archive file |
|
.SHW |
Corel presentation / WordPerfect Slide Show / Show File |
|
.SLK |
Multiplan file. / Microsoft Excel symbolic link. |
|
.SWF |
Macromedia Flash file. |
|
.TLP |
Microsoft project timeline fie. |
|
.UNX |
Text file generally associated with UNIX. |
|
.VC |
VisiCalc Spreadsheet file. |
|
.VSD |
Visio drawing. |
|
.WB1 |
Quattro Pro Notebook |
|
.WB2 |
Quattro Pro Spreadsheet |
|
.WBF |
Microsoft Windows Batch File |
|
.WBK |
WordPerfect document / workbook |
|
.WG1 |
Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet |
|
.WG2 |
Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 worksheet |
|
.WK1 |
Lotus 1-2-3 all versions / LotusWorks spreadsheet. |
|
.WK3 |
Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows /Lotus 1-2-3 Rel.3. |
|
.WKS |
Lotus 1-2-3 Rel lA,2.0,2.01, also file used with Microsoft Works. |
|
.WPS |
MS Works word processor Windows/DOS. |
|
.WRI |
Windows Write. |
|
.WRK |
Lotus 1-2 31.0,1.01,1.1/ Symphony 1,1.01. |
|
.WRI |
Symphony l.1,1.2,2 / Microsoft Write file. |
|
.XIF |
Wang image file / Xerox image file |
|
.XLB |
Microsoft Excel File. |
|
.XLS |
Microsoft Excel File. |
|
Database Extensions
.$$A |
OS/2 program file |
.$$F |
OS/2 database file |
.$DB |
DBASE IV temporary file |
.A |
ADA program file or UNIX library |
.DB |
Paradox database file / Progress database file |
.DB2 |
dBase II file |
.DBC |
Microsoft Visual Foxpro database container |
.DBF |
dBase II,III,III+,IV / LotusWorks database. |
.DBK |
dBase database backup / Orcad schematic capture backup file |
.DBO |
dBase IV compiled program file |
.DBQ |
Paradox memo |
.DBT |
dBase database text file |
.DBX |
Database file / DataBeam Image / MS Visual Foxpro Table |
.DTF |
Q&A database |
.MDA |
Microsoft Access Add-in / Microsoft Access 2 Workgroup. |
.MDB |
Microsoft Access Database / Microsoft Access Application. |
.MDE |
Microsoft Access Database File |
.MDN |
Microsoft Access Blank Database Template |
.MDT |
Microsoft Access Add-in Data |
.MDW |
Microsoft Access Workgroup Information |
.MDX |
dBase IV Multiple Index |
.MDZ |
Microsoft Access Wizard Template |
.MVB |
Database file / Microsoft multimedia viewer file |
.NDX |
Indexed file for most databases. |
.NLB |
Oracle 7 data file |
.PLI |
Oracle 7 data description |
.UNI |
MikMod (UniMod) format file / Forcast Pro data file |
.UNK |
Unknown file type, sometimes used when a file is received that cannot be identified |
.UNX |
Text file generally associated with UNIX. |
.URL |
File used with some browsers such as Internet Explorer linking you to different web pages. Internet Shortcut. |
.VSS |
Visio stencil. |
.VST |
Video Template / Truevision Vista graphic / Targa Bitmap/ |
.VSW |
Visio workspace file. |
.VXD |
Windows system driver file allowing a driver direct access to the Windows Kernel, allowing for low level access to hardware. |
.WDB |
Microsoft Works database |
.WFM |
dBASE Form object |
.Y01 |
Paradox index file |
.Y02 |
Paradox index file |
.Y03 |
Paradox index file |
.Y04 |
Paradox index file |
.Y05 |
Paradox index file |
.Y06 |
Paradox index file |
.Y07 |
Paradox index file |
.Y08 |
Paradox index file |
.Y09 |
Paradox index file |