Danger! Danger! That File Extension May Be Your First Clue

Files arrive on computers several different ways. Some are loaded as part of a software installation; others are transferred onto the computer over a network or from a removable storage device; other files are downloaded from the Internet (with or without the user's knowledge); and other files arrive as email attachments. When a file arrives on your computer, how it arrived provides you with a clue as to its safety.

For example, if you transferred some work documents from your desktop to your laptop via a USB stick, you can be reasonably assured that the files are not dangerous. Likewise, if you transfer photo files from your digital camera to your hard drive, those files are most likely safe. On the other hand, if an email with an attachment arrives from a stranger, the file's safety should be immediately questioned. In fact, if an unsolicited file comes from a stranger, it's most likely some form of malware and should be removed, preferably by your antivirus program. If you must manually delete it, delete the entire email message, making sure not to open the attachment.

Your next clue as to a file's potential for danger is its file extension. Certain file extensions are more notorious than others, especially executable file extensions such as.exe,.bat, or.com. When an executable file is clicked, an application runs. This application could be either innocent or dangerous. Again, consider the source before taking any action. Did an.exe file arrive from a trusted source? For instance, is it a software setup file that you downloaded from a site such as Microsoft.com? If so, then it's likely safe. If the.exe file randomly arrived, it may be dangerous.

If you notice a file with the .com file extension, be especially careful. Not only is the.com file extension an executable, MS-DOS application file, it is also deceptive thanks to the use of ".com" in URLs. You may think that a file with the.com file extension is a link to a Web site, but it's not, so use extreme care before clicking.

Another sign that a file might be dangerous is when the file has a double file extension such as filename.gif.exe. These file extensions are named with double extensions to trick users into thinking that they are safe. For example, if your computer isn't set to display file extensions, the file with the double extension will look legitimate. In our example, filename.gif.exe would appear as filename.gif. In general,.gif files are safe to open, so a savvy computer user wouldn't see the dangerous.exe extension and have a false sense of security when seeing the relatively safe.gif extension.

Because a file's extension does provide you with clues, it's smart to set up your computer to display file extensions. This is done in the Control Panel's Folder Options. In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, go to Start and type Folder Options into the Search bar and then click on the Folder Options link once it appears. Next, click on the View tab and then remove the checkmark next to "Hide extensions for known file types."

A final consideration when opening newly arrived files is whether you are expecting the file or not, regardless of its file extension or who sent it. For example, it's not uncommon for malware to overtake a computer's email system and send viruses on behalf of the computer's owner. While you may trust your family members and coworkers not to send you infected files, you can't always be sure that your contacts' computers haven't been commandeered by malware. If your boss lets you know that he'll be sending you a report and then an email arrives with a file named "salesreport.exe," then it's likely safe to open because you are expecting it. On the other hand, if out of the blue an unexpected email arrives from your boss with an attachment named "funnymovie.com," you'd be wise to ask your boss what the file is for before opening it.

Dangerous files will arrive on your computer. Whether your computer gets infected or not often starts with you making smart decisions on how to handle these files.

Celeste Stewart writes for Filetonic.com where you'll find a huge File Extension Library and loads of free computer advice. You can even write in and "Ask a Tech Jock" for specific answers to your computer questions.

What is File Extension M4A?

The .M4A file extension identifies as a MPEG-4 Audio Layer file. MPEG-4 encoding is a video streaming file format developed by Apple Corporation and can be played in multimedia players such as Apple's QuickTime. This is a compressed video format which can be used to encode videos without significant quality loss. Since MPEG-4 Part 14 is a container format, MPEG-4 files may contain any number of audio, video, and even subtitle streams, making it impossible to determine the type of streams in an MPEG-4 file based on its filename extension alone. M4A file extension branched out of this concept in order to alleviate the confusion caused by the MP4 file extension, which could be video, or just audio without video, or both.
Many people have questions about M4A, since it is relatively new. M4A stands for MPEG 4 Audio, and it is a popular file extension used to represent audio files. Most people are familiar with MP3 and how it shrinks down the file size of songs and other audio files. M4A and MP4 do the same thing as MP3 does, but even better. Quality is better and file sizes are usually smaller than MP3 files. But unlike MP3, no licenses or payments are required to be able to stream or distribute content in M4A format (unlike MP3 which requires you to pay royalties on content you distribute in MP3 format). This fact alone, is more than enough reason (due to the extreme cost savings) to use M4A files instead of MP3 files. In addition, M4A files tend to sound much better than MP3 files encoded at the same bitrate since it is less "lossy" as an audio compression format.
So what is the difference between M4A and MP4 files? a'ight, no worries! I can hear you !
This is the most popular question we get and seems to cause the most confusion to people who are relatively unaware of the new generation of audio file extensions in use today. I agree with you on this point though that the existence of 2 different file extensions to represent MPEG 4 audio files is rather unfortunate and ultimately unnecessary. Files ending with .MP4 may or may not contain MPEG 4 Audio. On the other hand if you see an M4A file you can deduce that it has to contain MPEG 4 Audio.
MP4 can be used for MPEG 4 video files, combined video and audio files, or just plain MPEG 4 audio. Apple Computer started using and popularizing the M4A file extension denoting that the file has no digital rights management capability. They did this because MP4 was too general (video, video/audio or audio) and could confuse some media players. It is recommended that you use the .m4a file extension rather than .mp4 on your audio files.
Almost all audio players will now play back files using either the .m4a or .mp4 file extension for maximum compatibility. After all, both the .m4a and .mp4 container file formats are the same, they just have different file extensions. If your software program doesn't recognize your file extension, you can rename the file extension to the other one and it should work.







While the only official file extension defined by the standard is .mp4. The common but non-standard use of the extensions .m4a and .m4v is due to the popularity of Apple's iPod, the iTunes Store, and the Xbox 360. An interesting blog about lots of cool & interesting stuff that are in the happening visit deluxDonBlog.

How to Associate a File Extension With the Correct Program

Associating file extensions with the correct program is rather easy if you know how to go about it. File extensions give you clues as to the type of file they are and the kind of program that you need to use in order to open or execute the files. You will know that a .jpeg file is an image file and that you need to use image viewer software to open such files. .Avi files are video files that need software such as Media Player to open the files. This appears easy but when your system displays the message "unknown file type" you are bound to take notice. This is because the file that you accessed is not opening for some reason. The operating system fails to identify the file type and it is therefore not able to associate it with the correct program.
When You Need To Associate File Extensions With The Correct Program
a. Let's say you are surfing online and come across a game/song/video that you decide to download. However, before you download any file, make sure that you have scanned the file with an updated anti-virus before you proceed to open it. After it has been found to be safe, you will probably try opening the file. It is then that you may come across the message that the file type is unknown and get a list of programs that you can try opening the file with.
b. You just got an e-mail and it came attached with a file. You now have to determine if the mail was sent to you from a contact you trust and if not, do not hesitate in deleting it without opening it. Once you are sure the mail and the attachment is safe, you download it and when you are trying to open it, your system displays the message "unknown file type."
You can try and determine the kind of extension it has. You can open windows explorer, open tool, folder options and then open tab. You can remove the check against the "Hide extensions for known file types" box.
Action To Take
Clean The Registry - This is recommended as registry errors and corruption may cause the operating system not to recognize the file extension. When a registry cleaning software is used, it can fix errors and set the registry. This may sometimes help the system to associate file extensions with the correct program.
Look Up Information About The File Extension Online - Windows XP users may be prompted to search for the program needed to open the file online. You can let Windows search for an appropriate program or can take on the task of doing it yourself.
You can also try researching the file extension online via Google or Yahoo. This can give you access to the information about the kind of program needed to open the file. You can look up information about file extension on websites such as www.filext.com which can make the process easier. There are software programs available to get details of various file extensions within minutes.
Once you are certain about the authenticity of the program and its vendor, you can go ahead and purchase it or get a copy of it for free. You have to remember to scan the file/program for viruses before you open it. After you have installed the software, you will find that the operating system automatically associates the file extension with the correct program. It is now possible to open the file when you double click on its icon as the system has associated the file extension with the correct program. In the future, whenever you open a file with that particular extension the operating system will use that particular program to open such files.







Jeff Wilson writes extensively about computer related issues like how to protect your personal privacy on the Internet, fixing those annoying Windows errors, and speeding up your PC. To learn more and download FREE tools visit [http://www.fastpcfixes.com].