Does anybody 'Hide extensions for known file types'?
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There are few things as dull as installing Windows. I'm in the update stage and having downloaded the updates, it's installing them - 141 of them. That's just Windows, once I get Office on there and Visual Studio there'll be all the service packs as it morphs from 'Windows' to 'Microsoft' update. In my set-up routine I always go into file explorer and make all the file extensions show up as I'm simply lost without them. Also hidden files, but this time I'm going to leave system files hidden. So question - does anybody hide file extensions or does everybody turn them back on?
Regards, Rob Philpott.
In the discussion of this topic it seems that some have strong reasons to want keep the extensions hidden (as opposed to just that's how MS made it, accept it, and they have no urgent need to change it). Everyone has their own view and their reasons either way of course (and apparently MS had theirs). But while giving it more thought, I came up with a real world parallel that show how silly MS was for hiding them in the first place (imo): *** WARNING --- EXTREME SARCASTIC CONTENT AHEAD - IF YOU LACK HUMOR, STOP READING NOW --- WARNING *** Have you noticed how most (all?) roads have a standard suffix names (e.g. Avenue, Lane, Drive, Road, Loop). Well.. that just seems like unnecessary fluff that should be hidden. So instead of "Maple Drive", it is just "Maple".. instead of "Cherry Lane", just "Cherry". Of course that name on the end means something, but most people don't know or care.. so why not just drop those pesky qualifiers from street signs, maps, and addresses. Yes, some may throw out hypothetical questions like "What if I need to reach Maple Drive, but in this region there is a Maple Drive, Maple Lane, and Maple Avenue? On the map, they are all listed as just Maple." I mean really.. what are the odds this situation would ever come up? Practicality zero! And what if a few out there experience confusion in a few rare scenarios? Why should the masses be bothered by this extra information just to satisfy those few individuals that have what is clearly their problem, not mine. Just accept how much this would simplify our lives -- no more "Daddy, why do all the street signs say "Ave" around our house, but they say "Rd" at my school?" Who wouldn't be glad to not have to deal with that question in their life. I mean really.. can't those kids just be happy with being ignorant about the world. :omg:
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If you receive a file named "playme.exe" and has a Windows Media Player icon, you do need to know the extension. Even if you are a lay person. Or else you cannot even be warned. There is no excuse for not knowing what you're doing.
Martijn Smitshoek wrote:
If you receive a file named "playme.exe"
You're talking about attachments which are handled in a different program, not Windows Explorer.
Martijn Smitshoek wrote:
you do need to know the extension
There is difference between "seeing" an extension, and "knowing" what it means. There is no guarantee that even if a user sees the extension, he's not going to ignore it or worse understand what it means. And this debate can go on endlessly. But again, that's a different issue altogether.
Martijn Smitshoek wrote:
There is no excuse for not knowing what you're doing.
True in general... But your point is? Everyone should get a degree in computer science before touching a computer? The post here refers to people who know and understand the basics. For them, that extension is simply "noise"!
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There are few things as dull as installing Windows. I'm in the update stage and having downloaded the updates, it's installing them - 141 of them. That's just Windows, once I get Office on there and Visual Studio there'll be all the service packs as it morphs from 'Windows' to 'Microsoft' update. In my set-up routine I always go into file explorer and make all the file extensions show up as I'm simply lost without them. Also hidden files, but this time I'm going to leave system files hidden. So question - does anybody hide file extensions or does everybody turn them back on?
Regards, Rob Philpott.
I ALWAYS! unhide file name extensions. I do it on my friends PCs, too, if I get the chance. Leaving them hidden is an extreme security risk and I don't have a clue why that is the default for Windows. Suppose someone sends you a file named FUNNY_CATS.JPG.EXE What do you see when you look at the filename with extensions hidden? Experienced users (like you and me) would notice that the icon is wrong for a JPEG file and immediately suspect it but most users would not notice that.