List of PC File Extensions
List of PC File Extensions
This is a list of the most commonly found extensions, what type of file they are and what program if any they are
associated with.
.--- File used to backup sys, ini, dat, and other important files from Windows 3.1 and above.
.1ST File used by some software manufacturers to represent a file that should be read first before starting the program.
.386 Virtual machine support files for the 386 enhanced mode.
.3GR File used in Windows 3.x to display the graphics on later 386, 486 and Pentium computers.
A
A ADA program file or UNIX library
.ASF Sort for Advanced Streaming Format, file developed by Microsoft. The .ASF file is generally a movie player and can
be open with software such as Windows Media Player.
.ASP Microsoft FrontPage Active Server Pages. To open these files use your internet browser.
B
.BAK Backup file used for important windows files usually used with the System.ini and the Win.ini.
.BAT Batch file that can perform tasks for you in dos, like a macro.
.BIN Translation tables for code pages other than the standard 437.
C
.C C file used with the C programming language.
.CFM Corel FontMaster file / Cold Fusion Template file / Visual dBASE windows customer form
.CHK Scandisk file which is used to back up information that scandisk has found to be bad, found in C root. Because the
information within these files are corrupted or reported as bad by Scandisk it is perfectly fine to delete these files,
providing you are currently not missing any information. Additional information about scandisk can be found on our
scandisk page.
.CLP Windows Clipboard / Quattro Pro clip art / Clipper 5 compiler script
.CLR WinEdit Colorization word list / 1st reader binary color screen image / PhotStyler color definition
.CPI Code Page Information or Microsoft Windows applet control panel file
.CSV Comma-Separated Variable file. Used primary with databases and spreadsheets / Image file used with CopuShow
D
.DAT Data file, generally associated or extra data for a program to use.
.DLL Dynamic Link Library; Allow executable code modules to be loaded on demand, linked at run time, and unloaded
when not needed. Windows uses these files to support foreign languages and international/nonstandard keyboards.
.DOC Microsoft Word Windows/DOS / LotusWorks word processor Windows/DOS /PF S:First Choice Windows/DOS
DOT MS Word Windows/DOS.
.DRV Device driver files that attach the hardware to Windows. The different drivers are system, keyboard, pointing
devices, sound, printer/ plotter, network, communications adapter.
.DTP SecurDesk! Desktop / Timeworks Publisher Text Document / Pressworks Template file
E
.EEB Button bar for Equation Editor in Word Perfect for Windows
.EXC QEMM exclude file from optimization file or Rexx program file
F
.FDF Adobe Acrobat Forms Document.
.FRM Form file used with various programs / Microsoft Visual Basic Form / FrameMaker document / FrameBuilder file /
Oracle executable form / Word Perfect Merge form / DataCAD symbol report file
.FRX Microsoft Visual basic binary form file / FoxPro report file
G
.GIF CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format.
.GR2 286 grabbers that specify which font to use with DOS and Windows.
.GR3 386 grabbers that specify which font to use with DOS and Windows.
H
.HBK Mathcad handbook file
.HLP Files that contain the Help feature used in windows, cannot be read from DOS.
.HTM Web page files containing HTML or other information found on the Internet.
I
.ICA Citrix file / IOCA graphics file
.IDB Microsoft developer intermediate file, used with Microsoft Visual Studio
.IPF Installer Script File / OS/2 online documentation for Microsoft source files.
.ISO Compressed file used for an exact duplicate of a CD. .ISO files can be extracted or opened such programs as Win
Image that can be found on our shareware download section.
J
.JAS Graphic
.JPG Graphic commonly used on the Internet and capable of being opened by most modern image editors.
K
.KAR Karaoke File used with some audio players.
L
.LGC Program Use Log File (for Windows Program Use Optimization).
.LOG Contains the process of certain steps, such as when running scandisk it will usually keep a scandisk.log of what
occurred.
M
.MAC Macintosh macpaint files.
.MID Midi orchestra files that are used to play with midi sounds built within the sound card.
.MIX Power C object file / Multiplayer Picture file (Microsoft Photodraw 2000 & Microsoft Picture It!) / Command &
Conquer Movie/Sound file
.MOD Winoldap files that support (with grabbers) data exchange between DOS apps and Windows apps.
.MP3 MPEG audio stream, layer III; High compressed audio files generally used to record audio tracks and store them in
a decent sized file available for playback. See our MP3 page for additional information.
N
.N64 Nintendo 64 Emulator ROM image.
.NUM File used with some Software Manufactures to store technical support numbers or other phone numbers, should
be readable from DOS and or Windows.
O
.OCA Control Typelib Cache.
.OLD Used for backups of important files incase they are improperly updated or deleted.
P
.PAB Personal Address Book, file used with Microsoft Outlook.
.PIF Program Information File that configures a DOS app to run efficiently in windows.
.PLS WinAmp MPEG playlist file / DisorderTracker 2 Sample file / Shoutcast file / MYOB data file
.PLT AutoCAD HPGL vector graphic plotter file / Gerber sign-making software file / Betley's CAD Microstation driver
configuration for plotting
.PS2 File to support the Micro Channel Architecture in 386 Enhanced mode.
.PST Post Office Box file used with Microsoft Outlook usually mailbox.pst unless named otherwise.
.PWL Password file used in Windows 95 and Windows 98 is stored in the Windows directory.
Q
.QIC Windows backup file
R
.RA Real Audio file.
.RAR Compressed file similar to .ZIP uses different compression program to extract. See our recommended download
page for a program that can be used to extract .RAR files.
.RLE Microsoft Windows Run Length Encoded (Run Length Encoded (bitmap format) file that contains the actual screen
logo).
S
.SAV File that usually contains saved information such as a saved game.
.SD2 Sound Designer II flattened file / Sound Designer II data fork file / SAS database file
.SDF Standard data format file / Schedule data file / System file format / Autodesk mapguide spatial data file
.SDS StarOffice chart file / Raw MIDI sample dump standard file
.SDW Sun Microsystems StarOffice file document file similar to the Microsoft Office .DOC file.
.SEA Short for Self Extracting Archive. Compressed file used with the Macintosh.
.SWP Extension used for the Windows Swap File usually Win386.Swp. This file is required by Windows and generally
can grow very large in size sometimes up to several hundred megs. This file is used to swap information between
currently running programs and or memory. If this file is deleted from the computer Windows will be unable to load
and will need to be reinstalled.
T
.TDF Trace Definition File used with OS/2
.TLB Remote automation truelib files / OLE type library / Visual C++ type library
.TXT Text file that can be read from windows of from DOS by using the Edit, Type, or Edlin.
U
.UNI MikMod (UniMod) format file / Forcast Pro data file
.UNK Unknown file type, sometimes used when a file is received that cannot be identified
V
.VB VBScript file
.VBS Microsoft Visual Basic Script file for quick programs and in some cases can be used as a virus file.
.VDD Short for Virtual Device Driver. Additional information can be found here.
.VMH
.VXD Windows system driver file allowing a driver direct access to the Windows Kernel, allowing for low level access to
hardware.
W
.WAB Microsoft Outlook Express personal address book.
.WAD File first found in IdSoftware games such as DOOM, Quake, as well as most new games similar to these.
.WAV Sound files in Windows open and played with sound recorder.
.WKS Lotus 1-2-3 Rel lA,2.0,2.01, also file used with Microsoft Works.
X
.XIF Wang image file / Xerox image file
Y
.Y Amiga YABBA compressed file archive
Z
.Z Compressed file that can hold thousands of files. To extract all the files Pkzip or Winzip will need to be used. UNIX /
Linux users use the compress / uncompress command to extract these files.
.ZIP Compressed file that can hold thousands of files. To extract all the files Pkzip or Winzip will need to be used.
“The List of file extension in the list may differ as the company may have updated the extension
so don’t consider this list as final list but this will give you sufficient knowledge”.