How to show file extensions on Windows 11

• To show file extensions on Windows 11, open File Explorer, then click on “View,” select “Show,” and choose the “File name extensions” option to show extensions.
• Another way is to open “Folder Options” and clear the “Hide extensions for known file types” option.
• Furthermore, you can enable this feature from the Settings app or by using Command Prompt or PowerShell.

On Windows 11, File Explorer hides the extensions for known file types by default for some reason. However, you have multiple ways to make them visible, and in this guide, I will teach you how to complete this configuration.

A file extension is the three or four letters after the period at the end of the filename, indicating the file format type (for example, my-notes.txt, my-document.docx, etc.). Although extensions are unnecessary after saving the file with a supported application, it’s another visual queue to identify the file’s format quickly. Also, it makes it easier to change compatible extensions as necessary, such as from .txt to .bat, when writing a script or batch file.

In this guide, I will teach you the easy steps to show extensions for files on File Explorer.

• Show file extensions on Windows 11 from File Explorer
• Show file extensions on Windows 11 from Settings
• Show file extensions on Windows 11 from Command Prompt

Show file extensions on Windows 11 from File Explorer

To view file extensions on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E) on Windows 11.

2. Click the View menu button in the command bar.

3. Select the Show submenu and choose the “File name extensions” option.

   

Folder Options method

You can also show file extensions by turning on the feature from the “Folder Options” settings, and here’s how:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click the See more button and click on Options.

   

3. Click the View tab.

4. Clear the “Hide extensions for known file types” option under the “Advanced settings” section.

   

5. Click the Apply button.

6. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, File Explorer will show extensions (for example, .txt, .exe, and .docx) for known file types on Windows 11.

Show file extensions on Windows 11 from Settings

To enable the option to view file extensions on Windows 11 from the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the For developers page.

4. Click the File Explorer setting.

5. Turn on the “Show file extensions” toggle switch.

   

After you complete the steps, you will be able to see the file extensions on File Explorer.

Show file extensions on Windows 11 from Command Prompt

You can also use Command Prompt or PowerShell to enable the option to display extensions for files by running a command that will edit the Registry to enable the feature. This option will also come in handy when turning on extensions through a script file.

To display file extensions through the Command Prompt on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt or PowerShell, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to show extensions for files and press Enter:

   reg add HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /v HideFileExt /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

   

After you complete the steps, File Explorer will start displaying file extensions on Windows 11.

Update May 14, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.