Open Safe but Unknown File Types

So you receive a file attachment in your e-mail and you really, really need what is inside it. Maybe it's a file from your most important client, or a file that you cannot get re-sent to you, or just something that you need to get to as soon as possible. No matter what the reason, you need to get to that file.

(Cue the Mission Impossible theme music)

You need to open it and you only get one shot before you are beset with a serious foe: the junk code and a useless file. This is your mission, if you choose to accept it.

(Cut the music)

The first thing you are going to do is take a look at the file type. This will be the three or four letters that come after the file name. It may say something like .doc, .txt, .pdf, .ppt, or any other combination of letters may make up this file type. You may sometimes hear these letters called the "file extension". Now that you have this, it's time to do some research. It is only when you know what type of file you have that you can pick a program to open it with.

Check out the list of common file type extensions below. This list is pretty comprehensive, but it is by no means universal. So if you do not find yours here, try using a search engine. Once you know what type of file you have to open it with, choose the closest type of program you have. (Use a text editor for a document, Power Point for a presentation and Access for a database...)

Documents Extensions

You should be able to open these with Microsoft Word or Note Pad if you don't have the host program.

* ABW - AbiWord document
* ANS - ANSI text with Layout
* ASC - ASCII text with Layout
* CWK - ClarisWorks / AppleWorks document
* DOC - Microsoft Word document
* DOCX - Microsoft Word 2007 XML based format
* DOT - Microsoft Word document template
* DOTX - Microsoft Word 2007 document template
* LWP - Lotus Word Pro
* MCW - Microsoft Word for Macintosh (versions 4.0 - 5.1)

* ODT - OpenDocument Text document
* OTT - OpenDocument text document template
* PAGES - Apple Pages document
* PAP - Papyrus word processor document
* RTF - Rich Text document
* SDW - StarWriter text document, used in earlier versions of StarOffice
* STW - StarOffice/OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice text document template
* SXW - StarOffice/OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice text document
* TXT - ASCII or Unicode plaintext
* WPD - WordPerfect document
* WPS - Microsoft Works document
* WPT - Microsoft Works document template
* WRD - WordIt! Document
* WRF - ThinkFree Write
* WRI - Microsoft Write document

Database Types

Try opening in Access if you don't have the host program.

* ACCDB - Microsoft Database (Microsoft Office Access 2007)
* BOX - Lotus Notes Post Office mail routing database
* DAF - Digital Anchor data file
* FDB - Firebird Databases
* FP? - FileMaker
* FRM - MySQL table definition
* LDB - Temporary database file, only existing when database is open
* MDB (.mdb, .ldb) - Microsoft Database (Access)
o ADP - Microsoft Access project (used for accessing databases on a server)
* MDE - Compiled Microsoft Database (Access)
* MDF - Microsoft SQL Server Database
* MYD - MySQL MyISAM table data
* MYI - MySQL MyISAM table index
* NCF - Lotus Notes configuration file
* NSF - Lotus Notes database
* NTF - Lotus Notes database design template
* ODB - OpenOffice.org Base
* ORA - Oracle tablespace files sometimes get this extension (also used for configuration files)
* PDI - Portable Database Image
* SQL - bundled SQL queries
* WDB - Microsoft Works Database

Graphics Programs

Open in Photoshop or Paint if you have no other options.

* BMP - Microsoft Windows Bitmap formatted image
* CPT - Corel PHOTO-PAINT image
* ICNS - file format use for icons in Mac OS X. Contains bitmap images at multiple resolutions and bitdepths with alpha channel.
* ICO - a file format used for icons in Microsoft Windows. Contains small bitmap images at multiple resolutions and sizes.
* JNG - a single-frame MNG using JPEG compression and possibly an alpha channel.
* JPEG, JFIF (.jpg or .jpeg) - a lossy image format widely used to display photographic images.
* JP2 - JPEG2000
* MSP - a file format used by old versions of Microsoft Paint. Replaced with BMP in Microsoft Windows 3.0
* NITF - A U.S. Government standard commonly used in Intelligence systems
* OTA Bitmap (Over The Air Bitmap) - a specification designed by Nokia for black and white images for mobile phones
* PCX - a lossless format used by ZSoft's PC Paint, popular at one time on DOS systems.

Presentations

Open with PowerPoint.

* KEY, KEYNOTE - Apple Keynote Presentation
* ODP - OpenDocument presentation
* OTP - OpenDocument presentation template
* PPS - Microsoft PowerPoint Show
* PPT - Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
* PRZ - Lotus Freelance Graphics
* SHF - ThinkFree Show
* STI - OpenOffice.org 1.* Presentation template
* SXI - OpenOffice.org 1.* Presentation