Show file type extensions

By default, Windows 98SE, ME and XP hide the three letter endings (extensions) that show what type of file you are looking at. For example, .DOC is a Microsoft Word or Wordpad document, .GIF is a graphic files, and .EXE is an executable file.

Malware writers have taken advantage of this default setting by giving their infected files a double extension, such as article.doc.scr. If you haven't changed the Windows default, all you see is article.doc and you may be mislead into thinking it is a word processing document, when, in fact, it is a malware script designed to cause harm on your computer.

To change the default setting, go to My Computer/Tools/Folder Options/View. Scroll down the list to Hide Extensions For Known File Types and remove the tick. Click OK and you won't be mislead any more.