Records Management :: MERETI Default :: MERETI Acronym

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.fileinfo.net

www.filext.com

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

A

.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.
 

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B-C

.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
 

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D

.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
 

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E–L

.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.
 

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M-O

.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
 

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P

.PAB

Personal Address Book, file used with Microsoft Outlook.

.PCX

Microsoft Paint & PC Paintbrush Windows/DOS.

.PDD

Adobe PhotoDeluxe Image.

.PDF

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.
 

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R-V

.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.
 

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W-X

.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.

 

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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 / Forecast 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
   
   

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