Every file on our PC has a file type. For audio files, it might be MP3, for documents it might be Docx or pdf, for videos it might be mp4, Mkv, etc. Each category of file type has many numbers of file formats according to their compression level or other factors. The programs recognize the files by their format and open them. If you are wondering how to change file type on Windows 11/10, this guide is for you.
How to change File Type on Windows 11/10
If you want to change the file type or format on Windows 11/10, the following methods can help you.
- By renaming the file
- By converting the file
- By using Save As option
- Using Command Prompt
Let’s get into the details of each method and change the file type easily.
1] By renaming the file
This is one of the easiest ways to change a file type on Windows 11/10. You just need to right-click on the file you want to change the type and rename the file type too in the process. There is no guarantee that the change file type will work or not. Sometimes, the files may get corrupted in this process. You need to be careful and copy the files elsewhere before renaming the file type.
To change the file type,
- Right-click on the file you want to change the type and select Rename
- Then, you see the file name and type it in the rename box divided by a full stop. Type the new file type after the full stop by removing the existing one and pressing Enter. You will see a rename prompt. Click Yes to change the file type.
You can change back the file type to the previous or original one anytime if you remember it.
2] By converting the file
There are many programs or online services that convert one file type to another. If you want to change the Docx file to pdf, you can use a converter program or online tools like zamzar.com, convertio.co, etc. You just have to upload the file and select the new file type and convert. It is a safe way to change file type as it does not involve hard writing the file type. It just converts the file to a new format.
Read: Best free online Video Converter Tools
3] By using Save As option
When saving a file on a program like Word, Excel, or Photoshop, we see an option called Save As. It will give different choices to save that particular file in different file types or formats. If you are using Photoshop, when you use the Save as an option, you can save the file in different formats like PNG, JPG, SVG, etc. If you change file types in this method, no file corruption will happen.
Read: How to remove File Type Associations using Registry Editor
4] Using Command Prompt
You can also use Command Prompt to change the file type. There are commands to change the file type of a single file or multiple files.
To change the file type of a single file,
First, copy the path of that particular file by right-clicking on the file and selecting Copy as path option in the context menu.
Then, click on the Start menu and type cmd, and open Command Prompt.
Now, type cd /d and paste the path beside it and press Enter. It will change the cmd directory to that path.
Now, type the following command with the correct file name and types. For example, If you want to change video.mp4 to video.mkv, you can use the following command
rename "video.mp4" "video.mkv"
You can replace the file name and type according to your need. To change the file type of multiple files in the same folder, use the following command. You have to replace file type with real file formats like JPG, PNG, Docx, PDF, etc.
rename *.filetype1 *.filetype2
You can also Batch rename files and file extensions.
Read: How to rename Files or Folders in Windows
These are the different ways you can use to change file type on Windows 11/10.
How do I change a file extension in Windows 11?
There are different ways using which you can change a file extension on Windows 11, like renaming the file type, converting the file to another format we need, saving the file as a new format, or using the command prompt.
Read: How to reset all Apps and File Associations to default in Windows
How do I change a file type format?
The safe way to change a file type format is to convert the file to the new format or save the file in the new format using Save as an option. You can also rename the file type using the rename feature in the context menu or command prompt.
