When opening anything in Windows, its file extension will help your device understand which application to open. If you have multiple options available, it may ask you which option to use to open said file. However, what happens when you want to convert a file type to another? Is it possible to change the file type on Windows 11? Let’s find out together.
Now, to convert file types on Windows 11, you just need to start by renaming the file extension. However, certain types of text and video files may not be converted. Another method to change the file type is to open the file extension in a compatible program and use the save as feature. You can also Command Prompt to change the file’s extension.
Let’s show you all the methods step by step. But before that, it would be helpful if you showed the file format for all files.
How to use the Control Panel to display file types
Before we start changing file types on Windows 11, let’s first see how you can make sure that all file extensions show up in Windows. There are many ways to enable it, let’s show you the easiest way. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Click Search and type Dashboard. Then, open Control Panel from the search results.
Step 2: In the Control Panel search bar, type ‘File Explorer Options‘.
Step 3: Then, open File Explorer Options.
Step 4: From the menu options, click View.
Step 5: Then, scroll down and uncheck the ‘Hide extensions for known file types’ option.
Step 6: Click Apply followed by OK.
This will enable the file extension name. Now, you can go ahead and change the file extension on Windows 11.
How to change file type on Windows 11
Once the file extension is visible for all files, we can now proceed to change the file type. As mentioned above, there are three main ways you can convert file types in Windows 11. Let’s take a detailed look at all of them.
1. Rename the file
When changing the file type using the rename option, all you need to do is select the file and change the name of the extension. Follow the steps below to do that.
Note: When using the rename option to convert file types, make sure the file extensions are the same before and after, or your file may be corrupted.
Step 1: Open the relevant folder and click on the file you want to change the file type for.
Step 2: Then, from the menu options, click Rename.
Step 3: Here, rename the extension.
Step 4: Then, click Yes.
This will change the file type. Once this is done, try opening the file again to see if the change was successful. This should especially be done when converting video files as they often change the file extension name while preserving the original extension’s characteristics.
2. Use the Save as option to convert the file extension
With the save as option, you can simply open the file extension in the relevant software. Then, using the Settings menu, save the file again but this time in a different format. Here’s how to do it.
Note: For demonstration purposes, we will be using the .pdf file with Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.
Step 1: Go to the relevant folder and open the target file.
Step 2: Then, click on the File option.
Step 3: Here, click Save As.
Step 4: Then choose the format you want to save the file as.
Step 5: Select the folder where you want to save the file and click Save.
This will convert the file type and save it according to your preference.
3. Using the Command Prompt
The third and final way to change the file type on Windows 11 is to use the Command Prompt. Here you can change the file extension for each file individually, or change multiple file extensions at once. Here’s how to do it.
1. Change the file type for an individual file
Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon and select Terminal.
Step 2: Click the down arrow when Terminal opens and click Command Prompt.
Step 3: Then, go to the folder where the file is located and right click on it.
Step 4: Here, click ‘Copy as path’.
Step 5: Now, go to Command Prompt and type the following command:
cd /d “previously copied directory pathname”
Step 6: Press Enter. This will open a new line with the filename.
Step 7: Here, type the following command and press enter.
rename “file-with-extension-1” to “file-with-extension-2”
Note: Replace file-with-extension-1 with its original filename and extension, then the filename and extension you want to convert it to.
This will change the file format for each file.
2. Change multiple file extensions at once
Step 1: Go to the folder containing the file and right click on it.
Step 2: Then click ‘Copy as path’.
Step 3: Now, right click on the Windows icon and select Terminal.
Step 4: Here, click the down arrow and click Command Prompt.
Step 5: Now, type the following command and press enter. This will open a new line with the filename.
cd /d “previously copied directory pathname”
Step 6: Here, depending on your requirements, type any of the commands mentioned below and press enter.
- To convert multiple files in the same directory:
rename *.fileextension1 to *.fileextension2
- To convert multiple files while saving a copy of the original:
xcopy *.fileextension1 *.fileextension2
- To convert multiple files regardless of their original extension:
ren *.* *.newfileextension
- To convert multiple files for all subdirectories in that directory:
for /R %x in (*.extension1) do ren “%x” *.extension2
When you press enter, the command will be executed accordingly.
4. Use Online Converter to convert your files
You can use other third-party tools like Convert Online and Convert to convert the file types for your video, text, and image files, respectively. They are also highly recommended when converting media files as they completely convert the media file to the desired format, which the above methods may not be able to do.
FAQ about changing file types on Windows 11
1. Can you set the default files app in Windows 11?
Yes, you can set default file types in Windows 11. Just open the Settings menu, go to the menu bar and click on Applications. Here, click on Default Apps and using the search bar, find the app you want to set the default file type for. Then select the default app and click OK. You can also check out our article to know how to set default apps in Windows 11.
Change file type
So, these are all the ways you can change the file extension on Windows 11. We hope this helped you change the file to your preferred format. Alternatively, if you want to customize your device, you can also disable Sticky Keys in Windows 11.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
