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Show All Extensions, Files, Folders
Microsoft currently holds the largest world wide market share of installed computer
operating systems. My guess is that most of you reading this article have one of
Microsoft's operating systems (OS) (Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP etc.) installed
on your computer. Software installed and used on a Microsoft operating system
assigns/appends 3 letters to the end of any file or document created. The 3 letters
together form what is referred to as a file extension. File extensions are used
to help identify what type of data the file stores and the software/program that
will open, view and edit the file. Examples: .doc is the
file extension added/appended to the end of any file produced by Microsoft's "Word"
the word processing program. Any file created with Microsoft's "Word" will have
the .doc extension added after the name you assign to the file, example: "resume.doc".
File extensions used by other Microsoft products include .xls for Excel spread
sheets and .mdb Access (database) files.
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Some file extensions are hidden by default so you can not see them. This is true
in most versions of the Microsoft Windows computer operating system. Why hide
extensions? This is probably a question best answered by the Microsoft product
design team. My guess: hiding the file extension makes it less likely a computer
user will accidentally change or truncate (shorten) the file extension when
renaming a file. If a files extension is incorrect you may not be able to open/use
it.
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Hiding file extensions creates a potential security hazard. You
could be tricked into opening a file that is dangerous. A malicious individual could
hide a virus or dangerous script by simply renaming it with a familiar extension
known to be safe. The
"LoveLetter" or "ILOVEYOU" virus spreads using this technique. The virus
arrives as an e-mail attachment entitled "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs". The .vbs
extension indicates a potentially dangerous file type. In a default windows
configuration you would not see the .vbs extension and see the title of the attachment
as "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT. The virus spreads by mailing itself using the Outlook
e-mail client and all addresses in the infected computers "Address Book". Depending
on the extent of the infection a password stealing mechanism is also installed.
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Microsoft's Windows also hides certain types of files and folders.
The idea behind this is to prevent you from accidentally deleting
important operating system files and folders that might disable your computer.
Unfortunately, it is also possible for a virus or dangerous malware to hide itself
on your computer system in the same manner. To show all extensions, files
and folders open "My Computer" and click on:
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Click:
- the "View" tab of the "Folder Options" dialog box
- in the radio button next to "Show hidden files and folders"
- to remove the check next to "Hide extensions for known file types"
- to remove check next to "Hide protected operating system files"
- "OK" button to save your changes
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| Copyright © 1996-2011 Tom Bowser. All rights reserved. |
