File extensions – definition and basic information


File extensions are the integral parts of the files that are on each computer. Often, when working on a computer, we encounter a wide range of files, such as docx, ppt, part, mp3 or rmvb. We realize that they are there – but we often do not know what they are for on our computer.

File extension, also known as the filename extension is a suffix added to the name of a computer file, usually consisting of a number of characters placed after the last dot in the filename, which gives us information about its coding. In other words a file extension is a file format. It allows the operating system (e.g. Windows) to recognize what program it should try to open the file.

In the table below you will find a random selection of popular file extensions.


File extension The full name of the file Category

MAX file extension

3ds Max Scene File

3D Image Files

TXT file extension

Plain Text File

Text Files

EXE file extension

Windows Executable File

Executable Files

VB file extension

VBScript File

Executable Files

COM file extension

DOS Command File

Executable Files

DEM file extension

Video Game Demo File

Game Files

MP4 file extension

MPEG-4 Video File

Video Files

APK file extension

Android Package File

Executable Files

7Z file extension

7-Zip Compressed File

Compressed Files

PKG file extension

Mac OS X Installer Package

Compressed Files

MPG file extension

MPEG Video File

Video Files

GPX file extension

GPS Exchange File

GIS Files

ICS file extension

iCalendar File

Misc Files

TORRENT file extension

BitTorrent File

Misc Files

GAM file extension

Saved Game File

Game Files