(Please click on Legal Stuff before using this Tip of The Week.)
Have you ever received an unknown file and wondered what application was used to create it?
Sometimes it's frustrating to receive a file from someone only to discover that you cannot open it.
There are a few things you can do to try to open and view the contents of that unknown file.
First you should determine the three-letter file extension and then determine which software program may be used to open it. The three-letter file extension should be readily apparent simply by looking at the name. If your computer is not set to display the file extensions, then you can right-click the file and select "Properties" from the context menu and then be able to determine the file type and what program to use to open it.
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In the above example, the properties of "golf.jpg" clearly list this as a "JPEG" file which should easily open on your computer.
But what if you receive a file from someone with an extension of ".lss"? There are some files which your computer may not be able to open because you lack the required software application. In the example below, the file type is listed as "Unknown" so you won't know what program to use to try to open it.
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Chances are good that double-clicking it will only result in the following:
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If you select the "Select the program from a list" radio button, you will be presented with a list of applications. The problem with this approach is that if you select a program and the "Always use the selected program" check box is checked, then it may result in an incorrect file association.
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If you are using Windows XP, then there will be a "Use the web service to find the appropriate program" radio button. Provided that you are connected to the internet, selection this option will result in a browser window to open at the "Microsoft Windows File Associations" website where it will attempt to determine the program associated with that file.
If the Microsoft website cannot determine the file type, then you'll be presented with an option to go to the FilExt website where you can then look up the program associated with that file by entering the three-letter file extension.
If you've followed along with this exercise, you'll have discovered that our ".lss" file is one of two possible file types. The first possibility is that it's a spreadsheet file created with a program called "Legato" and the second possibility might be that it's a "LotusScript Macro File". Armed with this information you'll know if it's really worth it for you to continue to try to open this file.
NOTE: If you ever receive a file with an extension of ".vbs" from an untrusted source and it has not been checked by virus scanning software, we highly recommend that you do not attempt to open this file type. Instead, consult someone with an up-to-date virus scanning software.
(If the Tip-of-The-Week generates additional thought-provoking questions on your part that you would like us to personally answer, give us a call at 895-5016 to set up an appointment, or consider using our online AskBrightIdeas.com service.)
