File Extension List

This is a list of the most commonly found extensions, what type of file they are and what program if any they are associated with.

.$$ Temporary file

.$A OS/2 program file

.$F OS/2 database file

.$S OS/2 spreadsheet file

.$D$ OS/2 planner file

.$DB DBASE IV temporary file

.$ED Microsoft C temporary editor file.

.$VM Microsoft Windows temporary file for virtual managers.

._DD Norton disk doctor recovery file.

._DM Nuts n Bolts disk minder recovery file.

.— File used to backup sys, ini, dat, and other important files from Windows 3.1 and above.

.075 Ventura Publisher 75×75 dpi screen characters

.085 Ventura Publisher 85×85 dpi screen characters

.091 Ventura Publisher 91×91 dpi screen characters

.096 Ventura Publisher 96×96 dpi screen characters

.0B Pagemaker printer font LineDraw enhanced characters.

.1ST File used by some software manufacturers to represent a file that should be read first before starting the program.

.2GR File used in Windows 3.x to display the graphics on older 286 and 386 computers.

.386 Virtual machine support files for the 386 enhanced mode.

.3GR File used in Windows 3.x to display the graphics on later 386, 486 and Pentium computers.

.4SW 4DOS Swap file

A

A ADA program file or UNIX library

.A3W MacroMedia Authorware 3.5 file

.ABK Autobackup file used with Corel Draw 6 and above.

.ABR Brush file for Adobe Photoshop

.ACT Adobe Photoshop Color table file.

.AD After Dark file.

.ADF Adapter description files.

.ADM After Dark screen saver module.

.ADR After Dark randomizer

.AI Adobe Illustrator file.

.AIF Auto Interchange File Format (AIFF) Audio file.

.ANI Windows 95 / Windows 98 / Windows NT animated mouse cursor file.

.ANS ANSI text file.

.ARJ Compressed file can be used with Winzip / Pkzip.

.ASC ASCII Text file

.ASF Sort for Advanced Streaming Format, file developed by Microsoft. The .ASF file is generally a movie player and can be open with software such as Windows Media Player.

.ASP Microsoft FrontPage Active Server Pages. To open these files use your internet browser.

.AVI Windows Movie file.

B

.BAK Backup file used for important windows files usually used with the System.ini and the Win.ini.

.BAS QBasic program and or Visual Basic Module.

.BAT Batch file that can perform tasks for you in dos, like a macro.

.BFC Microsoft Windows 95 / Windows 98 Briefcase file.

.BG Backgammon game file.

.BIN Translation tables for code pages other than the standard 437.

.BK2 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK3 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK4 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK5 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK6 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK7 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK8 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BK9 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BMP Graphical Bit Mapped File used in Windows Paintbrush.

.BNK Sim City Backup

.BPS Microsoft Works Word Processor File.

.BPT Corel Draw Bitmap master file

.BV1 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV2 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV3 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV4 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV5 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV6 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV7 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV8 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BV9 Word Perfect for Windows Backup file

.BWP BatteryWatch pro file.

C

.C C file used with the C programming language.

.CAB Cabinet file used in Windows 95 and Windows 98 that contains all the windows files and drivers. Information about how to extract a .CAB file can be found on document CH000363.

.CAL Windows Calendar, Supercalculator4 file or Supercal spreadsheet.

.CBL COBOL Program File

.CBT Computer Based Training files.

.CDA CD Audio Player Track.

.CDR Corel Draw Vector file.

.CFB Comptons Multimedia file

.CFG Configuration file

.CFL Corel flowchart file

.CFM Corel FontMaster file / Cold Fusion Template file / Visual dBASE windows customer form

.CHK Scandisk file which is used to back up information that scandisk has found to be bad, found in C root. Because the information within these files are corrupted or reported as bad by Scandisk it is perfectly fine to delete these files, providing you are currently not missing any information. Additional information about scandisk can be found on our scandisk page.

.CL Generic LISP source code.

.CL3 Easy CD Creator layout file.

.CL4 Easy CD Creator layout file.

.CLA Java Class file.

.CLG Disk catalog database

.CLK Corel R.A.V.E. animation file.

.CLL Crick software clicker file

.CLO Cloe image

.CLP Windows Clipboard / Quattro Pro clip art / Clipper 5 compiler script

.CLR WinEdit Colorization word list / 1st reader binary color screen image / PhotStyler color definition

.CLS Visual Basic Class module / C++ Class definition

.CMD Windows Script File also OS/2 command file.

.CMV Corel Movie file.

.CNT Help file (.hlp) Contents (and other file contents)

.CPL Windows 95 / Windows 98 / Windows NT control panel icons.

.CNE Configuration file that builds .COM files.

.CNF Configuration file.

.COB COBOL source code file.

.COD FORTRAN Compiler program code

.COM File that can be executed.

.CPE Fax cover page file

.CPI Code Page Information or Microsoft Windows applet control panel file

.CPP C++ source code file.

.CRD Windows Card file.

.CSV Comma-Separated Variable file. Used primary with databases and spreadsheets / Image file used with CopuShow

.CUR Windows Mouse Cursor.

.CVS Canvas drawing file

.CXX C++ program file or Zortech C++ file

D

.DAT Data file, generally associated or extra data for a program to use.

.DB Paradox database file / Progress database file

.DB2 dBase II file

.DBC Microsoft Visiual Foxpro database container

.DBF dBase II,III,III+,IV / LotusWorks database.

.DBK dBase databse backup / Orcad schematic capture backup file

.DBM Cold Fusion template

.DBO dBase IV compiled program file

.DBQ Paradox memo

.DBT dBase database text file

.DBV Flexfile memo field file

.DBW DataBoss database file

.DBX Database file / DataBeam Image / MS Visual Foxpro Table

.DEV Device Driver

.DIF Document Interchange Format; VisiCalc

.DLL Dynamic Link Library; Allow executable code modules to be loaded on demand, linked at run time, and unloaded when not needed. Windows uses these files to support foreign languages and international/nonstandard keyboards.

.DMO Demo file

.DMP Dump file

.DMD Visual dBASE data module

.DMF Delusion/XTracker Digital Music File

.DMO Demo file

.DMP Dump file

.DMS Compressed archive file

.DOC Microsoft Word Windows

.DOS Text file and DOS Specification Info

.DOT Microsoft Word Template (Macro).

.DRV Device driver files that attach the hardware to Windows.

.DRW Micrografx draw/graph files.

.DT_ Macintosh Data File Fork

.DTA Data file

.DTD SGML Document definition file

.DTF Q&A database

.DTM DigiRekker module

.DTP SecurDesk! Desktop / Timeworks Publisher Text Document / Pressworks Template file

.DUN Dialup Networking exported file.

.DX Document Imaging file / Digital data exchange file

.DXB Drawing interchange binary file

.DXF Autocad drawing interchange format file

.DXN Fujitsu dexNet fax document

.DXR Macromedia director projected movie file

.DYN Lotus 1-2-3 file

.DWG AutoCad Drawing Database

E

.EEB Button bar for Equation Editor in Word Perfect for Windows

.EFT CHIWRITER high resolution screen characters

.EGA EGA screen characters for Ventura Publisher

.ELG Event List text file used with Prosa

.EMS Enhanced Menu System configuration file for PC Tools

.EMU IRMA Workstation for Windows emulation

.ENC ADW Knowledge Ware Encyclopedia

.END Corel Draw Arrow Definition file

.ENG Sprint dictionary file engine

.ENV Word Perfect for Windows environment file.

.EPG Exported PaGe file used with DynaVox

.EPS Encapsulated Postscript, with embedded TIFF preview images.

.EQN Word Perfect for Windows Equation file

.ERD Entity Relation Diagram graphic file

.ERM Entity Relation Diagram model file

.ERR Error log file

.ESH Extended Shell Batch file

.EVT Event file scheduler file for PC Tools

.EX3 Device driver for Harvard graphics 3.0

.EXC QEMM exclude file from optimization file or Rexx program file

.EXE Executable file.

.EXT Extension file for Norton Commander

F

.FDF Adobe Acrobat Forms Document.

.FF AGFA CompuGraphics outline font description.

.FFA Microsoft Fast Find file.

.FFF GUS PnP bank / defFax fax document

.FFL Microsoft Fast Find file / PrintMaster Gold form file

.FFO Microsoft Fast Find file

.FFT DCA/FFT final form text

.FFX Microsoft Fast Find file

.FON Font files to support display and output devices.

.FR3 dBase IV renamed dBase III+ form

.FRF FontMonger Font

.FRG dBase IV uncompiled report

.FRK Compressed zip file used with Apple Macinotsh computers.

.FRM Form file used with various programs / Microsoft Visual Basic Form / FrameMaker document / FrameBuilder file / Oracle executable form / Word Perfect Merge form / DataCAD symbol report file

.FRO dBase IV compiled report / FormFlow file

.FRP PerForm Pro Plus Form

.FRS WordPerfect graphics driver

.FRT FoxPro report file

.FRX Microsoft Visual basic binary form file / FoxPro report file

.FRZ FormFlow file

G

.GIF CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format.

.GR2 286 grabbers that specify which font to use with DOS and Windows.

.GR3 386 grabbers that specify which font to use with DOS and Windows.

.GRA Microsoft Flight simulator graphics file

.GRB Microsoft MS-DOS shell monitor

.GRF Micrografx draw/graph files.

.GRP Microsoft Program Group.

.GZ Compressed Archive file for GZip

H

.HBK Mathcad handbook file

.HDL Procomm Plus alternate download file listing

.HDR Procomm Plus message header

.HDX Help index

.HEX Hex dump

.HFI GEM HP font info

.HGL HP graphics language graphic

.HH C++ Header

.HHH Precompiled Header for Power C

.HHP Help data for Procomm Plus

.HLP Files that contain the Help feature used in windows, cannot be read from DOS.

.HQX Apple Macintosh Binhex text conversion file.

.HSQ Data files associated with the Qaz Trojan.

.HSS Photoshop Hue/Saturation information.

.HST History file / Procomm Plus History File / Host file.

.HTA Hypertext Application (run applications from HTML document).

.HTM Web page files containing HTML or other information found on the Internet.

I

.ICA Citrix file / IOCA graphics file

.ICB Targa Bitmap

.ICC Kodak printer image

.ICE Archive file

.ICL Icon library file

.ICM Image Color Matching profile file

.ICN Microsoft Windows Icon Manager.

.ICO Microsoft Windows Icondraw / Icon.

.ID Disk identification file.

.IDB Microsoft developer intermediate file, used with Microsoft Visual Studio

.IDD MIDI instruments definition

.IDE Integrated Development Environment configuration file

.IDF MIDI instruments drivers file

.IDQ Internet data query file

.IDX Index file

.IFF IFF/LBM (Amiga) used by Computer Eyes frame grabber.

.IMG GEM/IMG (Digital Research) or Ventura Publisher bitmap graphic

.INF Information file that contains customization options.

.INI Files that initialize Windows and Windows apps.

.IPF Installer Script File / OS/2 online documentation for Microsoft source files.

.ISO Compressed file used for an exact duplicate of a CD. .ISO files can be extracted or opened such programs as Win Image that can be found on our shareware download section.

.IWA IBM Writing Assistant Text file.

J

.JAS Graphic

.JPG Graphic commonly used on the Internet and capable of being opened by most modern image editors.

.JS JavaScript file.

.JSB Henter-Joyce Jaws script binary file

.JSD eFAX jet suite document

.JSE JScript encoded script file

.JSH Henter-Joyce Jaws script header file

.JSL PaintShop pro file

.JSM Henter-Joyce Jaws script message file

.JSP Java server page

.JSS Henter-Joyce Jaws script source file

.JT JT fax file

.JTF JPEG tagged Interchange format file

.JTK Sun Java toolkit file

.JTP JetForm file

.JW Justwrite text file

.JWL Justwrite text file library

.JZZ Jazz spreadsheet

K

.KAR Karaoke File used with some audio players.

L

.LGC Program Use Log File (for Windows Program Use Optimization).

.LGO Contains the code for displaying the screen logo.

.LOG Contains the process of certain steps, such as when running scandisk it will usually keep a scandisk.log of what occurred.

.LNK HTML link file used with Microsoft Internet Explorer.

.LWP Lotus Wordpro 96/97 file.

M

.MAC Macintosh macpaint files.

.MBX Microsoft Outlook Express mailbox file.

.MD Compressed Archive file

.MDA Microsoft Access Add-in / Microsoft Access 2 Workgroup.

.MDB Microsoft Access Database / Microsoft Access Application.

.MDE Microsoft Access Database File

.MDF Menu definition file

.MDL Digitrakker Music Module / Rational Rose / Quake model file

.MDM Telix Modem Definition

.MDN Microsoft Access Blank Database Template

.MDP Microsoft Developer Studio Project

.MDT Microsoft Access Add-in Data

.MDW Microsoft Access Workgroup Information

.MDX dBase IV Multiple Index

.MDZ Microsoft Access Wizard Template

.MEB WordPerfect Macro Editor bottom overflow file

.MED WordPerfect Macro Editor delete save / OctaMed tracker module

.MEM WordPerfect Macro Editor macro / Memory File of variables

.MID Midi orchestra files that are used to play with midi sounds built within the sound card.

.MIX Power C object file / Multiplayer Picture file (Microsoft Photodraw 2000 & Microsoft Picture It!) / Command & Conquer Movie/Sound file

.MOD Winoldap files that support (with grabbers) data exchange between DOS apps and Windows apps.

.MOV File used with Quick Time to display a move.

.MP1 MPEG audio stream, layer I

.MP2 MPEG audio stream, layer II

.MP3 MPEG audio stream, layer III; High compressed audio files generally used to record audio tracks and store them in a decent sized file available for playback. See our MP3 page for additional information.

.MPG MPEG movie file.

.MSN Microsoft Network document / Decent mission file

.MTF Windows metafile.

.MTH Derive Math file

.MTM Sound file / MultiTracker music module

.MTV Picture file

.MTW Minitab data file

.MU Quattro menu

.MUL Ultima Online game

.MUP Music publisher file

.MUS Audio file

.MVB Database file / Microsoft multimedia viewer file

.MVE Interplay video file

.MVF Movie stop frame file

.MWP Lotus Wordpro 97 smartmaster file

.MXD ArcInfo map file

.MXT Microsoft C Datafile

.MYD Make your point presentation file.

N

.N64 Nintendo 64 Emulator ROM image.

.NA2 Netscape Communicator address book.

.NAB Novell Groupwise address book

.NAP Napster Music security definition file.

.NDF NeoPlanet Browser file

.NDX Indexed file for most databases.

.NES Nintendo Entertainment system ROM image.

.NIL Norton guide online documentation

.NGF Enterasys Networks NetSight file.

.NHF Nero HFS-CD compilation or a general Nero file

.NIL Norton icon lybrary file.

.NLB Oracle 7 data file

.NLD ATI Radeon video driver file,

.NMI SwordSearcher file.

.NON LucasArts Star Wars – Tie fighter mouse options file.

.NOW Extension commonly used for readme text files.

.NRA Nero Audio CD file.

.NRB Nero CD-ROM boot file.

.NS2 Lotus Notes 2 database,

.NS5 Lotus Notes Domino file,

.NSO NetStudio easy web graphics file.

.NT Windows NT startup file.

.NUM File used with some Software Manufactures to store technical support numbers or other phone numbers, should be readable from DOS and or Windows.

O

.OCA Control Typelib Cache.

.OCX Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) control extension.

.OLB Object library

.OLD Used for backups of important files incase they are improperly updated or deleted.

.OLE Object Linking and Embedding object file

.OLI Olivetti text file

.ORI Original file.

P

.PAB Personal Address Book, file used with Microsoft Outlook.

.PB WinFax Pro phone book file

.PBD PowerBuilder dynamic library / Faxit phone book file

.PBF Turtle Beach Pinnacle bank file

.PBK Microsoft phonebook file

.PBL PowerBuilder library file

.PBM UNIX portable bitmap fuke

.PBR PowerBuilder resource

.PBI Profiler binary input file

.PBM PBM portable bit map graphic

.PBO Profiler binary output

.PBT Profiler binary table

.PCX Microsoft Paint & PC Paintbrush Windows/DOS.

.PDA Bitmap graphic file

.PDB TACT data file

.PDD Adobe PhotoDeluxe Image.

.PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader file which can only be read by Adobe Acrobat (to get file downloaded Adobe Acrobat from our Download Page.

.PDL Borland C++ project description language file.

.PDS Graphic file / Pldasm source code file.

.PDV Paintbrush printer driver.

.PDW Professional Draw document.

.PIC Picture / Viewer Frame Class.

.PIF Program Information File that configures a DOS app to run efficiently in windows.

.PJF Paintjet soft font file.

.PL Harvard palette file / PERL program file

.PL3 Harvard chart palette

.PLB Foxpro library / LogoShow Screensaver file

.PLC Lotus Add-in

.PLD PLD2 source file

.PLG REND386 / AVRIL file

.PLI Oracle 7 data description

.PLL Prelinked library

.PLM DisorderTracker2 module

.PLN WordPerfect spreadsheet file

.PLR Descent Pilot file

.PLS WinAmp MPEG playlist file / DisorderTracker 2 Sample file / Shoutcast file / MYOB data file

.PLT AutoCAD HPGL vector graphic plotter file / Gerber sign-making software file / Betley’s CAD Microstation driver configuration for plotting

.PLY Autodesk polygon

.PP Compressed archive file.

.PP4 Picture Publisher.

.PP5 Picture Publisher.

.PPA Power Point Add-in.

.PPB WordPerfect Print preview button bar.

.PPD PostScript Printer description.

.PPF Turtle Beach Pinnacle program file.

.PPI Microsoft PowerPoint graphic file.

.PPL Harvard (now Serif) Polaroid Palette Plus ColorKey Driver.

.PPM PBM Portable Pixelmap Graphic.

.PPO Clipper Preprocessor Output.

.PPP Serif PagePlus Publication.

.PPS Microsoft PowerPoint Slideshow.

.PPT Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

.PPX Serif PagePlus publication.

.PPZ Microsoft PowerPoint Packaged Presentation.

.PS2 File to support the Micro Channel Architecture in 386 Enhanced mode.

.PSD Adobe Photoshop image file.

.PST Post Office Box file used with Microsoft Outlook usually mailbox.pst unless named otherwise.

.PWA Password agent file.

.PWD Password file.

.PWF ProCite Workforms

.PWL Password file used in Windows 95 and Windows 98 is stored in the Windows directory.

.PWP Photoworks image file

.PWZ PowerPoint wizard

Q

.QIC Windows backup file

.QT Quick Time Movie File

.QXD Quark Express file

.QXL Quark Xpress element library

.QXT Quark Xpress template file

R

.RA Real Audio file.

.RAM Real Audio file.

.RAR Compressed file similar to .ZIP uses different compression program to extract. See our recommended download page for a program that can be used to extract .RAR files.

.RAS File extension used for raster graphic files.

.RD1 Descent registered level file

.RD3 Ray Dream designer graphics file / CorelDraw 3D file

.RD4 Ray Dream designer graphics file

.RD5 Ray Dream designer graphics file

.RDB TrueVector rules database

.RDF Resource description framework file / Chromeleon report definition

.RDL Descent registered level file / RadioDestiny radio stream

.RDX Reflex data file

.REC Sound file used with Windows Sound Recorder.

.RLE Microsoft Windows Run Length Encoded (Run Length Encoded (bitmap format) file that contains the actual screen logo).

.RMI Microsoft RMID sound file.

.RPB Automotive diagnostic file.

.RPD Rapidfile database

.RPM Red Hat Package Manager / RealMedia Player file.

.RPT Various Report file

.RTF Rich Text Format file

.RWZ Microsoft Outlook rules wizard file

S

.SAV File that usually contains saved information such as a saved game.

.SC2 Maps used in Sim City 2000.

.SCP Dialup Networking script file.

.SCR Source files for the .INI files, or sometimes may be used as screen savers.

.SD Sound Designer I audio file

.SD2 Sound Designer II flattened file / Sound Designer II data fork file / SAS database file

.SDA StarOffice drawing file / SoftCuisine data archive

.SDC StarOffice spreadsheet

.SDD StarOffice presentation

.SDF Standard data format file / Schedule data file / System file format / Autodesk mapguide spatial data file

.SDK Roland S-series floppy disk image

.SDL SmartDraw library

.SDN Small archive

.SDR SmartDraw drawing

.SDS StarOffice chart file / Raw MIDI sample dump standard file

.SDT SmartDraw template

.SDV Semicolon divided value file

.SDW Sun Microsystems StarOffice file document file similar to the Microsoft Office .DOC file.

.SDX MIDI sample dump standard files compacted by SDX

.SEA Short for Self Extracting Archive. Compressed file used with the Macintosh.

.SH Archive file

.SH3 Harvard (now Serif) presentation file

.SHB Corel Background file

.SHG Hotspot Editor Hypergraphic

.SHK Macintosh Compressed Archive file

.SHM WordPerfect Shell Macro

.SHP 3D Studio Shapes File / other 3D related file

.SHR Archive file

.SHS Shell scrap object file

.SHW Corel presentation / WordPerfect Slide Show / Show File

.SLK Multiplan file.

.SND Sound Clip file / Raw unsigned PCM data / AKAI MPC-series sample / NeXT sound / Macintosh sound resource file

.SNG MIDI song

.SNM Netscape Mail

.SNO SNOBOL program file

.SNP Snapview snapshot file

.SUM Summary file.

.SWF Macromedia Flash file.

.SWP Extension used for the Windows Swap File usually Win386.Swp. This file is required by Windows and generally can grow very large in size sometimes up to several hundred megs. This file is used to swap information between currently running programs and or memory. If this file is deleted from the computer Windows will be unable to load and will need to be reinstalled.

.SYS System and peripheral drivers.

T

.TDF Trace Definition File used with OS/2

.TGA Targa file

.TIF Tag Image Format that includes most 24-bit color.

.TLB Remote automation truelib files / OLE type library / Visual C++ type library

.TLD Tellix file

.TLE NASA two-line element set

.TLP Microsoft project timeline fie

.TLT Trellix web design file

.TLX Trellix data file

.TMP Temporary files.

.TRM Windows Terminal.

.TXT Text file that can be read from windows of from DOS by using the Edit, Type, or Edlin.

U

.UNI MikMod (UniMod) format file / Forcast Pro data file

.UNK Unknown file type, sometimes used when a file is received that cannot be identified

.UNX Text file generally associated with UNIX.

.URL File used with some browsers such as Internet Explorer linking you to different web pages. Internet Shortcut.

V

.VB VBScript file

.VBA vBase file

.VBD ActiveX file

.VBE VBScript encoded script file

.VBG Visual Basic group project file

.VBK VisualCADD backup file

.VBL User license control file

.VBP Visual Basic project file

.VBR Remote automation registration files

.VBS Microsoft Visual Basic Script file for quick programs and in some cases can be used as a virus file.

.VBW Visual Basic project workplace

.VBX Visual Basic extension file

.VBZ Wizard launch file

.VC VisiCalc Spreadsheet file.

.VCD VisualCADD Drawing file.

.VCE Natural MicroSystems voice file.

.VCF vCard File / Vevi Configuration file.

.VCS Microsoft Outlook vCalander file.

.VCT FoxPro class library.

.VCW Microsoft Visual C++ workbench information file.

.VCX FoxPro class library.

.VDA Targa bitmap

.VDD Short for Virtual Device Driver. Additional information can be found here.

.VDO VDOScript file

.VDX No such file extension – Likely you meant to .vxd

.VM Virtual Machine / Virtual Memory file.

.VMM Virtual Machine (Memory Manager) file.

.VMF Ventura font characteristics file / FaxWorks audio file

.VMH

.VS2 Roland-Bass transfer file.

.VSD Visio drawing.

.VSL GetRight download list file.

.VSS Visio stencil.

.VST Video Template / Truevision Vista graphic / Targa Bitmap/

.VSW Visio workspace file.

.VXD Windows system driver file allowing a driver direct access to the Windows Kernel, allowing for low level access to hardware.

W

.WAB Microsoft Outlook Express personal address book.

.WAD File first found in IdSoftware games such as DOOM, Quake, as well as most new games similar to these.

.WAV Sound files in Windows open and played with sound recorder.

.WB1 Quattro Pro Notebook

.WB2 Quattro Pro Spreadsheet

.WBF Microsoft Windows Batch File

.WBK Wordperfect document / workbook

.WBT Winbatch batch file

.WCD Wordperfect macro token list

.WCM Microsoft Works data transmission file / Wordperfect Macro

.WCP Wordperfect product information description

.WDB Microsoft Works database

.WEB Web source code file

.WFM dBASE Form object

.WFN CorelDRAW font

.WFX Winfax data file

.WG1 Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet

.WG2 Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 worksheet

.WID Ventura publisher width table

.WIN Foxpro – dBASE window file

.WIZ Microsoft Publisher page wizard

.WK1 Lotus 1-2-3 all versions / LotusWorks spreadsheet.

.WK3 Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows /Lotus 1-2-3 Rel.3.

.WKS Lotus 1-2-3 Rel lA,2.0,2.01, also file used with Microsoft Works.

.WLG Dr. Watson log file.

.WMA Windows Media Audio file.

.WMF Windows Metafile. Also see WMF dictionary definition.

.WMZ Windows Media Player theme package file.

.WPD WordPerfect Windows/DOS.

.WPG WordPerfect Graphical files Windows/DOS.

.WPM WordPerfect Macro file.

.WPS MS Works word processor Windows/DOS.

.WRI Windows Write.

.WRK Lotus 1-2 31.0,1.01,1.1/ Symphony 1,1.01.

.WRI Symphony l.1,1.2,2 / Microsoft Write file.

X

.XIF Wang image file / Xerox image file

.XLB Microsoft Excel File.

.XLS Microsoft Excel File.

.XM Sound file / Fast tracker 2 extended module

.XML Extensible markup language file.

.XNK Exchange shortcut

.XOT Xnetech job output file

.XPM X picsmap graphic

.XQT SuperCalc macro sheet

.XRF Cross Reference

.XR1 Epic MegaGames Xargon File

.XSL XML Style sheet

.XSM LEXIS-NEXIS tracker

.XTB LocoScript external translation table

.XWD X Windows dump file

.XWF Yamaha XG Works file

.XXE Xxencoded file

.XY XYWrite text file

.XY3 XYWrite text file

.XY4 XYwrite IV document

.XYP XYwrite III plus document

.XYW XYwrite Windows 4.0 document

Y

.Y Amiga YABBA compressed file archive

.Y01 Paradox index file

.Y02 Paradox index file

.Y03 Paradox index file

.Y04 Paradox index file

.Y05 Paradox index file

.Y06 Paradox index file

.Y07 Paradox index file

.Y08 Paradox index file

.Y09 Paradox index file

.YUV Yuv graphics file

.YZ YAC compressed file archive.

Z

.Z Compressed file that can hold thousands of files. To extract all the files Pkzip or Winzip will need to be used. UNIX / Linux users use the compress / uncompress command to extract these files.

.ZIP Compressed file that can hold thousands of files.

If you have something in mind you can post it on comments below.

Cheers!

Change The Default Location For Installing Apps for Windows XP

Change The Default Location For Installing Apps

———————————————–

As the size of hard drives increase, more people are using partitions to separate and store groups of files.

XP uses the C:\Program Files directory as the default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change the default installation drive and/ or directory by using a Registry hack.

Go to :-

– Start > Run

– Type “regedit” (without “” NOOBS!)

– Go to this directory…

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

– Look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:\Program Files. Edit the value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as the default installation directory for new programs.

Change The Default Location For Installing Apps———————————————–
As the size of hard drives increase, more people are using partitions to separate and store groups of files.
XP uses the C:\Program Files directory as the default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change the default installation drive and/ or directory by using a Registry hack.
Go to :-
– Start > Run
– Type “regedit” (without “ ”)
– Go to this directory…HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
– Look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:\Program Files. Edit the value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as the default installation directory for new programs.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:

Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager

msinfo32 = System Information

cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup

ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)

mmc = Microsoft Management Console

excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)

msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)

powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)

winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)

frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)

notepad = Notepad

wordpad = WordPad

calc = Calculator

msmsgs = Windows Messenger

mspaint = Microsoft Paint

wmplayer = Windows Media Player

rstrui = System Restore

netscp6 = Netscape 6.x

netscp = Netscape 7.x

netscape = Netscape 4.x

waol = America Online

control = Opens the Control Panel

control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog

cmd = Command Prompt

iexplore + “web address” = Internet Explorer

compmgmt.msc = Computer Management

dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management

dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management

services.msc = Services

eventvwr = Event Viewer

dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers

dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services

Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

Also don’t forget about the “Right-click” key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you’ve opened up any program.

Keyboard Shortcuts

[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications

[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter

[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu

[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window

[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document

Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word

Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

[F1] Open Help for active application

Windows+M Minimize all open windows

Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows

Windows+F1 Open Windows Help

Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box acessability shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds…….. Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN……. Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK……. Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT……. five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK…… for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

Explorer shortcuts

END……. Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME……. Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK.. on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN……. on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN……. on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW…… Collapse current selection if it’s expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW……. Display current selection if it’s collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Internetbrowser

type in u’re adress “google”, then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]

add www. and .com to word and go to it

For Windows XP:

Copy. CTRL+C

Cut. CTRL+X

Paste. CTRL+V

Undo. CTRL+Z

Delete. DELETE

Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE

Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item

Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item

Rename selected item. F2

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW

Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys

Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys

Select all. CTRL+A

Search for a file or folder. F3

View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER

Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4

Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR

Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4

Switch between open items. ALT+TAB

Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC

Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6

Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10

Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR

Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC

Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name

Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu

Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10

Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW

Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW

Refresh the active window. F5

View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE

Cancel the current task. ESC

SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

To Press

Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB

Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Move forward through options. TAB

Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB

Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter

Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER

Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR

Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys

Display Help. F1

Display the items in the active list. F4

Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

Display or hide the Start menu. WIN Key

Display the System Properties dialog box. WIN Key+BREAK

Show the desktop. WIN Key+D

Minimize all windows. WIN Key+M

Restores minimized windows. WIN Key+Shift+M

Open My Computer. WIN Key+E

Search for a file or folder. WIN Key+F

Search for computers. CTRL+WIN Key+F

Display Windows Help. WIN Key+F1

Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. WIN Key+ L

Open the Run dialog box. WIN Key+R

Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds

Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN

Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK

Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times

Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds

Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:

Display the bottom of the active window. END

Display the top of the active window. HOME

Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)

Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)

Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)

Collapse current selection if it’s expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW

Display current selection if it’s collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW

Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:
Windows key + R = Run menu
This is usually followed by:cmd = Command Promptiexplore + “web address” = Internet Explorercompmgmt.msc = Computer Managementdhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Managementdnsmgmt.msc = DNS Managementservices.msc = Serviceseventvwr = Event Viewerdsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computersdssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and ServicesWindows key + E = Explorer
ALT + Tab = Switch between windows
ALT, Space, X = Maximize window
CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager
Windows key + Break = System properties
Windows key + F = Search
Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows
CTRL + C = copy
CTRL + X = cut
CTRL + V = paste
Also don’t forget about the “Right-click” key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you’ve opened up any program.

Keyboard Shortcuts
[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications
[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter
[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu
[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)
[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window
[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document
Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word
Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph
[F1] Open Help for active application
Windows+M Minimize all open windows
Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows
Windows+F1 Open Windows Help
Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons
Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box

Acessability shortcuts
Right SHIFT for eight seconds…….. Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN……. Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK……. Switch MouseKeys on and off.
SHIFT……. five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK…… for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
explorer shortcuts
END……. Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME……. Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK……. on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN……. on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN……. on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW…… Collapse current selection if it’s expanded, or select parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW……. Display current selection if it’s collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Hope this one speeds up your computing speed. 🙂

Beep Code. What Does it mean?

When a computer is first turned on, or rebooted, its BIOS performs a power-on self test (POST) to test the system’s hardware components are working properly. Under normal circumstances, the POST will display an error coded message.

For Standard Original IBM POST Error Codes

Code Description

1 short beep System is OK

2 short beeps POST Error – error code shown on screen No beep Power supply or system board problem Continuous beep Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem Repeating short beeps Power supply or system board problem

1 long, 1 short beep System board problem

1 long, 2 short beeps Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA)

1 long, 3 short beeps Display adapter problem (EGA)

3 long beeps 3270 keyboard card

IBM POST Diagnostic Code Descriptions

Code Description

100 – 199 System Board

200 – 299 Memory

300 – 399 Keyboard

400 – 499 Monochrome Display

500 – 599 Colour/Graphics Display

600 – 699 Floppy-disk drive and/or Adapter

700 – 799 Math Coprocessor

900 – 999 Parallel Printer Port

1000 – 1099 Alternate Printer Adapter

1100 – 1299 Asynchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port

1300 – 1399 Game Port

1400 – 1499 Colour/Graphics Printer

1500 – 1599 Synchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port

1700 – 1799 Hard Drive and/or Adapter

1800 – 1899 Expansion Unit (XT)

2000 – 2199 Bisynchronous Communication Adapter

2400 – 2599 EGA system-board Video (MCA)

3000 – 3199 LAN Adapter

4800 – 4999 Internal Modem

7000 – 7099 Phoenix BIOS Chips

7300 – 7399 3.5″ Disk Drive

8900 – 8999 MIDI Adapter

11200 – 11299 SCSI Adapter

21000 – 21099 SCSI Fixed Disk and Controller

21500 – 21599 SCSI CD-ROM System

AMI BIOS Beep Codes

Code Description

1 Short Beep System OK

2 Short Beeps Parity error in the first 64 KB of memory

3 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB

4 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB Operational of memory

or Timer 1 on the motherboard is not functioning

5 Short Beeps The CPU on the motherboard generated an error

6 Short Beeps The keyboard controller may be bad. The BIOS cannot switch to protected mode

7 Short Beeps The CPU generated an exception interrupt

8 Short Beeps The system video adapter is either missing, or its memory is faulty

9 Short Beeps The ROM checksum value does not match the value encoded in the BIOS

10 Short Beeps The shutdown register for CMOS RAM failed

11 Short Beeps The external cache is faulty

1 Long, 3 Short Beeps Memory Problems

1 Long, 8 Short Beeps Video Card Problems

Phoenix BIOS Beep Codes

Note – Phoenix BIOS emits three sets of beeps, separated by a brief pause.

Code Description

1-1-3 CMOS read/write failure

1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum error

1-2-1 Programmable interval timer failure

1-2-2 DMA initialisation failure

1-2-3 DMA page register read/write failure

1-3-1 RAM refresh verification failure

1-3-3 First 64k RAM chip or data line failure

1-3-4 First 64k RAM odd/even logic failure

1-4-1 Address line failure first 64k RAM

1-4-2 Parity failure first 64k RAM

2-_-_ Faulty Memory

3-1-_ Faulty Motherboard

3-2-4 Keyboard controller Test failure

3-3-4 Screen initialisation failure

3-4-1 Screen retrace test failure

3-4-2 Search for video ROM in progress

4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt in progress or failure

4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure

4-2-3 Gate A20 failure

4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode

4-3-1 RAM test in progress or failure>ffffh

4-3-2 Faulty Motherboard

4-3-3 Interval timer channel 2 test or failure

4-3-4 Time of Day clock test failure

4-4-1 Serial port test or failure

4-4-2 Parallel port test or failure

4-4-3 Math coprocessor test or failure

Low 1-1-2 System Board select failure

Low 1-1-3 Extended CMOS RAM failure

World Wide Web

The Internet is a computer network made up of thousands of networks worldwide.

No one is certain whoknows exactly how many computers are connected to the Internet. It is certain, however, that these number in the millions.

No one is in charge of the Internet. There are organizations which develop technical aspects of this network and set standards for creating applications on it, but no governing body is in control. The Internet backbone, through which Internet traffic flows, is owned by private companies.

All computers on the Internet communicate with one another using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol suite, abbreviated to TCP/IP. Computers on the Internet use a client/server architecture. This means that the remote server machine provides files and services to the user’s local client machine. Software can be installed on a client computer to take advantage of the latest access technology.

An Internet user has access to a wide variety of services: electronic mail, file transfer, vast information resources, interest group membership, interactive collaboration, multimedia displays, real-time broadcasting, shopping opportunities, breaking news, and much more.

The Internet consists primarily of a variety of access protocols. Many of these protocols feature programs that allow users to search for and retrieve material made available by the protocol.

——————————————————————————–

COMPONENTS OF THE INTERNET

——————————————————————————–

WORLD WIDE WEB

The World Wide Web (abbreviated as the Web or WWW) is a system of Internet servers that supports hypertext to access several Internet protocols on a single interface. Almost every protocol type available on the Internet is accessible on the Web. This includes e-mail, FTP, Telnet, and Usenet News. In addition to these, the World Wide Web has its own protocol: HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP. These protocols will be explained later in this document.

The World Wide Web provides a single interface for accessing all these protocols. This creates a convenient and user-friendly environment. It is no longer necessary to be conversant in these protocols within separate, command-level environments. The Web gathers together these protocols into a single system. Because of this feature, and because of the Web’s ability to work with multimedia and advanced programming languages, the Web is the fastest-growing component of the Internet.

The operation of the Web relies primarily on hypertext as its means of information retrieval. HyperText is a document containing words that connect to other documents. These words are called links and are selectable by the user. A single hypertext document can contain links to many documents. In the context of the Web, words or graphics may serve as links to other documents, images, video, and sound. Links may or may not follow a logical path, as each connection is programmed by the creator of the source document. Overall, the Web contains a complex virtual web of connections among a vast number of documents, graphics, videos, and sounds.

Producing hypertext for the Web is accomplished by creating documents with a language called HyperText Markup Language, or HTML. With HTML, tags are placed within the text to accomplish document formatting, visual features such as font size, italics and bold, and the creation of hypertext links. Graphics and multimedia may also be incorporated into an HTML document. HTML is an evolving language, with new tags being added as each upgrade of the language is developed and released. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), led by Web founder Tim Berners-Lee, coordinates the efforts of standardizing HTML. The W3C now calls the language XHTML and considers it to be an application of the XML language standard.

The World Wide Web consists of files, called pages or home pages, containing links to documents and resources throughout the Internet.

The Web provides a vast array of experiences including multimedia presentations, real-time collaboration, interactive pages, radio and television broadcasts, and the automatic “push” of information to a client computer. Programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Visual Basic, Cold Fusion and XML are extending the capabilities of the Web. A growing amount of information on the Web is served dynamically from content stored in databases. The Web is therefore not a fixed entity, but one that is in a constant state of development and flux.

For more complete information about the World Wide Web, see Understanding The World Wide Web.

E-MAIL

Electronic mail, or e-mail, allows computer users locally and worldwide to exchange messages. Each user of e-mail has a mailbox address to which messages are sent. Messages sent through e-mail can arrive within a matter of seconds.

A powerful aspect of e-mail is the option to send electronic files to a person’s e-mail address. Non-ASCII files, known as binary files, may be attached to e-mail messages. These files are referred to as MIME attachments.MIME stands for Multimedia Internet Mail Extension, and was developed to help e-mail software handle a variety of file types. For example, a document created in Microsoft Word can be attached to an e-mail message and retrieved by the recipient with the appropriate e-mail program. Many e-mail programs, including Eudora, Netscape Messenger, and Microsoft Outlook, offer the ability to read files written in HTML, which is itself a MIME type.

TELNET

Telnet is a program that allows you to log into computers on the Internet and use online databases, library catalogs, chat services, and more. There are no graphics in Telnet sessions, just text. To Telnet to a computer, you must know its address. This can consist of words (locis.loc.gov) or numbers (140.147.254.3). Some services require you to connect to a specific port on the remote computer. In this case, type the port number after the Internet address. Example: telnet nri.reston.va.us 185.

Telnet is available on the World Wide Web. Probably the most common Web-based resources available through Telnet have been library catalogs, though most catalogs have since migrated to the Web. A link to a Telnet resource may look like any other link, but it will launch a Telnet session to make the connection. A Telnet program must be installed on your local computer and configured to your Web browser in order to work.

With the increasing popularity of the Web, Telnet has become less frequently used as a means of access to information on the Internet.

FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This is both a program and the method used to transfer files between computers. Anonymous FTP is an option that allows users to transfer files from thousands of host computers on the Internet to their personal computer account. FTP sites contain books, articles, software, games, images, sounds, multimedia, course work, data sets, and more.

If your computer is directly connected to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, you can use one of several PC software programs, such as WS_FTP for Windows, to conduct a file transfer.

FTP transfers can be performed on the World Wide Web without the need for special software. In this case, the Web browser will suffice. Whenever you download software from a Web site to your local machine, you are using FTP. You can also retrieve FTP files via search engines such as FtpFind, located at /http://www.ftpfind.com/. This option is easiest because you do not need to know FTP program commands.

E-MAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS

One of the benefits of the Internet is the opportunity it offers to people worldwide to communicate via e-mail. The Internet is home to a large community of individuals who carry out active discussions organized around topic-oriented forums distributed by e-mail. These are administered by software programs. Probably the most common program is the listserv.

A great variety of topics are covered by listservs, many of them academic in nature. When you subscribe to a listserv, messages from other subscribers are automatically sent to your electronic mailbox. You subscribe to a listserv by sending an e-mail message to a computer program called a listserver. Listservers are located on computer networks throughout the world. This program handles subscription information and distributes messages to and from subscribers. You must have a e-mail account to participate in a listserv discussion group. Visit Tile.net at /http://tile.net/ to see an example of a site that offers a searchablecollection of e-mail discussion groups.

Majordomo and Listproc are two other programs that administer e-mail discussion groups. The commands for subscribing to and managing your list memberships are similar to those of listserv.

USENET NEWS

Usenet News is a global electronic bulletin board system in which millions of computer users exchange information on a vast range of topics. The major difference between Usenet News and e-mail discussion groups is the fact that Usenet messages are stored on central computers, and users must connect to these computers to read or download the messages posted to these groups. This is distinct from e-mail distribution, in which messages arrive in the electronic mailboxes of each list member.

Usenet itself is a set of machines that exchanges messages, or articles, from Usenet discussion forums, called newsgroups. Usenet administrators control their own sites, and decide which (if any) newsgroups to sponsor and which remote newsgroups to allow into the system.

There are thousands of Usenet newsgroups in existence. While many are academic in nature, numerous newsgroups are organized around recreational topics. Much serious computer-related work takes place in Usenet discussions. A small number of e-mail discussion groups also exist as Usenet newsgroups.

The Usenet newsfeed can be read by a variety of newsreader software programs. For example, the Netscape suite comes with a newsreader program called Messenger. Newsreaders are also available as standalone products.

FAQ, RFC, FYI

FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. These are periodic postings to Usenet newsgroups that contain a wealth of information related to the topic of the newsgroup. Many FAQs are quite extensive. FAQs are available by subscribing to individual Usenet newsgroups. A Web-based collection of FAQ resources has been collected by The Internet FAQ Consortium and is available at /http://www.faqs.org/.

RFC stands for Request for Comments. These are documents created by and distributed to the Internet community to help define the nuts and bolts of the Internet. They contain both technical specifications and general information.

FYI stands for For Your Information. These notes are a subset of RFCs and contain information of interest to new Internet users.

Links to indexes of all three of these information resources are available on the University Libraries Web site at /http://library.albany.edu/reference/faqs.html.

CHAT & INSTANT MESSENGING

Chat programs allow users on the Internet to communicate with each other by typing in real time. They are sometimes included as a feature of a Web site, where users can log into the “chat room” to exchange comments and information about the topics addressed on the site. Chat may take other, more wide-ranging forms. For example, America Online is well known for sponsoring a number of topical chat rooms.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a service through which participants can communicate to each other on hundreds of channels. These channels are usually based on specific topics. While many topics are frivolous, substantive conversations are also taking place. To access IRC, you must use an IRC software program.

A variation of chat is the phenomenon of instant messenging. With instant messenging, a user on the Web can contact another user currently logged in and type a conversation. Most famous is America Online’s Instant Messenger. ICQ, MSN and Yahoo are other commonly-used chat programs.