Finally, a place to put all your computer
disks, cd's and dvd's
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BaddTeddy
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Tired of your computer disks being scattered all over the place? |
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FILE
TYPES |
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What are the different
kinds of files? |
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EXTENSIONS |
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Extensions are three letters
or numbers that appear at the end of a file name and indicate what type
of file it is. What the file is used for. And if it will work on your
computer.
Below is a list of common file extensions and information on the type
of file (graphics and sounds) they signify: |
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PICTURES |
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(Pictures on a computer are referred to as Graphics)
The following formats are files that are used to display pictures on your
computer. Please read the list below to see which ones work best on your
computer.
.BMP (bitmap)
-- a type of graphics file. These files are normally used for things like
cartoon images. AOL's software
can
display these files.
.GIF
(Graphics Interchange
Format) -- a type of graphic image very common in online services
and the Internet. GIF includes file compression as part of its definition,
so no additional file compression software is needed. AOL's software
can
display
these.
.JPG or .JPEG
(Joint
Photographers Experts Group) -- a graphics format designed to take
up as little space as possible while retaining as much quality as possible.
JPG files are smaller than GIF files, but take longer to display. AOL's
software
can
display these.
.ART
Indicates a graphics
file compressed using AOL's Johnson-Grace system. These files
can
be viewed using your AOL software but can't be opened with most other
programs.
.PCX Indicates older
graphics files, commonly used for clip art. AOL's Windows software
can
display these files.
.PCT or .PICT Indicates
the original Macintosh graphics format. AOL's
Macintosh
software will display these files. Does not work on IBM computers.
.EPS (Encapsulated Postscript
File). These are images designed for vector, or line-based, graphics.
Drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator use this format. AOL's software
cannot
display
these.
.TIF Tagged Image
Format -- bitmapped graphic images popular among desktop publishers. AOL's
software
cannot
display these. |
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SOUNDS |
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The following file types are used to play sounds or music on your computer.
Some of them will work on your computer and some won't. Please read the
list below to see which of these files will work on your computer.
.WAV
(Windows
sound file). These files are used for playing music, sounds and voices.
Mac users can find utilities in the Software Center at Keyword:
Software
to convert them to sound files that the Macintosh can play.AOL's Windows
software
can
play these files
.MID (.MIDI)
(Musical Instrument Digital Interface file) MIDI files are songs for most
sound cards and MIDI boards. These songs are generally digitized versions
of songs and sound like the Muzak played in elevators and stores. AOL's
software can
play these files.
.AU (sound file from
the Internet) AOL's software can
play these files,
but more commonly uses MIDI's and WAV files.
.MOD Music
module. These are music files that include the instruments as well as
the score, and they play through a sound card, not MIDI. You
will need a special program to play these files in Windows or on the Macintosh.
.SND
Indicates a sound file. These are Macintosh System 7 sounds that can be
played on Windows using converters such as SOX. AOL's Macintosh software
will run these files.
Does
not work on IBM computers.
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MOVIES |
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.AVI
Audio Visual File (movie), used for Windows video files.It is best
to
go into Windows Explorer
to open these files by double clicking on them
.
Generally an AVI is a short movie, that sometimes even has sound. Generally,
these files are to big to open in AOL, and have to be opened in Windows
Explorer. |
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EMAIL |
There
are many types of files used to send email: They include email, doc, txt,
and many others. Generally, most of these are able to work on "most"
but not all servers.
However there is one type of file that often gets sent from MAC computers
that cannot be read by IBM users. MIME files...
.MME
Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) file. MIME converts a binary attachment
(a program or word processing document or even an image) to a text format
that can be handled by the machines that send e-mail through the Internet.
You will need a special MIME decoder to turn the file back into it's original
file type. For more information on MIME converters, see Keyword:
MIME
.
NOTE: It is recommended that
whenever
possible, you do not send email using this format,
because most people using IBM computers will not be able to read it.
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SCREEN
SAVER |
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.SCR
Indicates
a Windows screen saver file. These will not work unless placed in your
C:\Windows directory.
.LOL
There is no
such thing but I felt you needed a laugh. The Tedster
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MORE
FILE TYPES |
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File Extension Directory |
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RELATED
SUBJECTS |
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TUTORIAL
INDEX |
COMPUTER
BASICS |
VIRUSES |
SPAM |
RUMORS |
MAIN
INDEX |
