Tech Tips

File Formats

File Extensions

by Barbara J. Feldman September 18, 2007

The part of a computer filename that starts with a dot and is followed by three characters is called the extension. It usually tells your computer what kind of file it is, and what program is needed to open it. If, however, your computer meets a file extension it doesn’t understand, you’ll need to do [...]

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Docx File Format

by Barbara J. Feldman June 8, 2007

By default, Microsoft Office 2007 uses a new file format with the extension “.docx”. If you are trying to share files with users of older versions of Office, this can be a problem. Depending on whether you are the creator or the receiver, there are two ways to solve this problem. To create a more [...]

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Online File Conversion

by Barbara J. Feldman February 22, 2007

Have you ever wanted to convert a file into a different format, but didn’t own the proper software? Zamzar is an online service that will convert files for free. It handles dozens of file conversions including documents, images, audio and video. Simply upload your file, choose your desired format, and enter your email address. When [...]

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iTunes Jukebox

by Barbara J. Feldman February 7, 2005

Even if you do not own an iPod, the free

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Changing the Default Graphics App

by Barbara J. Feldman April 6, 2004

Although Picture and Fax Viewer is the default graphics viewing application for Windows XP, you can easily change this. Open Windows Explorer, and then right-click on any picture file. Select Open With, and then (even if your graphic program is listed) click on Choose Program. Now highlight your graphics program, and check the box titled [...]

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Portable Document Format

by Barbara J. Feldman July 1, 2003

Portable Document Format (PDF) is an increasingly popular standard for e-books (and hundreds of other uses) because of how well it preserves formatting across many platforms. The most robust tool for creating PDFs is Adobe Acrobat (which starts at $299.) For cheaper alternatives, try Adobe’s online convertor or pdfFactory. Both let you try before you [...]

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