OFF: No File Extensions Displayed in Files Of Type List (131919)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Office for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q131919

SYMPTOMS

When you display the Open dialog box or Save As dialog box in one of the Microsoft Office programs listed in this article, the Files Of Type list or Save As Type list may not display file extensions. For example, when you save a file in Microsoft Office Binder, the Save As Type list contains the following items

Binder Documents
Binder Templates
All Files

instead of the following items with file extensions:

Binder Documents (*.obd)
Binder Templates (*.obt,*.obz)
All Files (*.*)

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when the "Hide MS-DOS File Extensions For File Types That Are Registered" check box is selected on the View tab in the Options dialog box in Windows Explorer or My Computer. This setting is enabled by default when you install Microsoft Windows, and it not only affects how files are displayed in Windows, but it also affects how they appear in Windows programs.

In Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 installed, this may also occur if the file extensions setting has been changed, but the Windows desktop style has not changed.

RESOLUTION

To display file extensions in the Files Of Type and Save As Type lists, as well as in Microsoft Windows and Windows programs, do the following:

  1. In Windows Explorer or My Computer, click Options on the View menu.
  2. Click the View tab.
  3. Clear the "Hide MS-DOS file extensions for file types that are registered" check box, and click OK.

Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0

If you have Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 with the Active Desktop installed, use the following steps:

  1. In Windows Explorer or My Computer, click Folder Options on the View menu.
  2. On the View tab, clear the "Hide file extensions for known file types" check box.
  3. Click the General tab. Note the current style selected. Temporarily change the style to either Web or Classic, whichever one is not currently selected. Click Apply.
  4. Change the desktop style back to your preferred setting. Click OK.
NOTE: If the file extensions are not displayed as expected after following these steps, repeat steps 4 and 5 until the file extensions are displayed as expected.

REFERENCES

For more information about displaying file extensions in Microsoft Windows, click the Index tab in Windows Help, type the following text

extensions

double-click the selected text, and then double-click "Viewing all files and filename extensions" to go to the "To See All Files And Filename Extensions" topic.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/16/2005
Keywords:KB131919
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