How To Change A File Extension/Type In Windows 10？

A file extension is a three-letter code at the end of the file name which tells your computer how to interpret it and how it was created. This is how Windows or macOS can determine that an MP3 file needs to be opened by your music player, or a PDF by a PDF reader. If the file has the wrong file type, then Windows will use the wrong program to open it.

It’s possible to change the file type for files in Windows 10, but this depends on the file itself. Changing file types isn’t just about changing the extension at the end of a file name. If a file isn’t created the right way then simply changing the extension won’t work. Without further ado, here’s how to change the file type in Windows 10 by renaming it.

Methods To Change File Type/Extension

Method 1: Change File Extensions in File Explorer

Before you rename files in Windows 10 to change their extension, you first need to change some settings.

1. Open File Explorer and press View in the ribbon.
2. Tick File name extensions on the right-hand side of the ribbon.
3. In the View tab of File Explorer, click the Options button on the far right.
4. In the Folder Options window, click the View tab, then scroll down and tick the Hide extensions for known file types option.
5. With this setting disabled, you should now be able to view file extensions as part of each file name in Windows File Explorer.
6. Right-click the file or files you want to change the type of in File Explorer and select Rename.
7. Replace the older file extension with the new file extension, then press the Enter key or click in the empty white space to save the changes.
8. Windows will warn you that changing file extensions in this way can break the file. If you’re sure you wish to continue, select OK to confirm.

Once confirmed, the file extension will be changed and the file will be listed as the new file type in the Type column. Depending on the file extensions used, you should now be able to open the file. If the process hasn’t worked, rename the file and return it back to the previous extension.

Method 2: Change File Types Using Online Converter

If the above method can’t help you expectably, then you can consider using a professional online conversion tool. When it comes to the conversion between PDF and other document formats like Word, TXT, Excel, PPT, PNG, etc. or the conversion of different images, you can choose Bitwar Online Converter. The conversion steps are simple as below:

1. Open Bitwar Online Converter website and select the conversion way you want in the menu.
2. Add the files by dragging and dropping or clicking the Choose Files button.
3. After the file is uploaded successfully, click the Convert button.
4. When the page displays File conversion completed, click the Download button to save the converted file on your computer.

Method 3: Change File Types Using Bitwar Video Converter

When it comes to the conversion of all popular video files, including protected formats: QSV, QLV, KUX to MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, MKV, MOV, GIF and so on, you can choose Bitwar Video Converter.

1. Download the video converter from Bitwarsoft Download Center and install it on you computer.
2. Launch the software and click choose file to upload the video.
3. Choose the target format from the preset menu and choose the format quality.
4. Click convert to start the file conversion and wait patiently for the conversion to complete.
5. Click the folder icon to preview the new video file.

Conclusion

Changing the file type or extension is often used in daily work. While Method 1 does not necessarily apply to all conversions, methods 2 and 3 cover the vast majority of file types encountered in everyday office work. Hope today’s article can help you!