How to Change the Type of File When Saving

"Save As" dialogue

All applications have a default file type when saving a file. For example, Microsoft Word saves documents as DOC files and Excel saves them in XLS. This enables the creating program to locate and open its files quickly. But what if you need to reuse the file in another application or send it to someone who does not have the creating program? Fortunately, file types are easy to save. Note that this article uses Word as a specific example. However, the procedures work in general for all programs.

Instructions

1. Choose the "File" menu and then the "Save As" option. The "Save As" dialogue appears.

2. Enter a name for the file such as "TEST."

3. Click the "Save As Type" dropdown at the bottom of the dialogue to display the different file types available. Choose a type for the file. Note how the extension in the file name changes to match the selected type. For example, if you chose "RTF," then "TEST.DOC" becomes "TEST.RTF."

4. Click the "Save" button to save the file.

5. Test the file by opening it either in Word or an application that opens the saved file type. In this example, Wordpad can open RTF files such as "TEST.RTF."

References

• New file-name extensions