file extensions

Common file extensions.

Sometimes the PuppetMasters will give us a file that is not what it seems:
For example, at collectivedetective.org, there was a where.zip which really was a ZIP file. But inside where.zip, there was a file called where.gif. However the file was not really a GIF file. it was an MP3 file. The players had to rename the file to where.MP3 and open it with an MP3 player.
In this chapter, you will see various file types, and learn how (when needed) to look "inside" the file to verify that it is what it says it is.

These are some of the most common file extensions that you will run across.

extension name description open using more info

JPG,JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group Bitmap graphic file internet browser, Microsoft Photo editor, or something similar jpg.htm

GIF Graphics Interchange Format graphic file internet browser, microsoft Photo editor, or something similar gif.htm

WAV WAVE Sound File audio files. MP3 player, or "Sound Recorder" or Windows Media Player wav.htm

MP3 Motion Picture Experts Group - Audio Layer 3 audio file Standard MP3 player (winamp for example) or with Windows Media Player mp3.htm

DOC Microsoft Word Documents Word Processing Document Microsoft Word doc.htm

BMP bitmap files graphic file Microsoft Paint, or other graphics utilities. bmp.htm

PCX PC Paintbrush graphic file graphic utilities pcx.htm

PDF Adobe's Portable Document Format a "what you see is what you get" file. most word documents and text files will look different from computer to computer. But a PDF file prints out almost exactly like the way the author wanted it to be. Adobe Acrobat, or in your internet browser (using an Acrobat plug-in) pdf.htm

TXT text file usually doesn't contain any machine code in it. what you see is all you get notepad

SWF MacroMedia's Flash program. Animation and audio. internet browser with flash plug-in

HTM, HTML Hyper Text Markup Language: The language of the World Wide Web. Everything you see on a web page is HTML and interpreted by Web Browsers. internet browser or notepad

EXE executable file: A file type used for files that are executable programs. In most operating systems, Exe files can be run or executed simply by typing their name on the command line. use with caution. run at a DOS prompt or call from START\RUN... or double click when in Windows Explorer

ZIP A compressed file: Zip files can reduce large files using a compression algorithm to reduce the amount of space that an application can take up. winzip or pkzip zip.htm

PHP hypertext preprocessor PHP is a script that runs on the webserver side of the internet. It will create what you see on the fly. For instance, it can be used to access database information. internet browser

ASP Active Server Pages ASP is a Microsoft technology similar to PHP that is used to create dynamic Web pages. internet browser

Directory Directories when there is no extention, only a directory, you are really viewing "index.html" or "index.htm" in that directory.

sources:

extension	name	description	open using	more info
JPG,JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group Bitmap	graphic file	internet browser, Microsoft Photo editor, or something similar	jpg.htm
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format	graphic file	internet browser, microsoft Photo editor, or something similar	gif.htm
WAV	WAVE Sound File	audio files.	MP3 player, or "Sound Recorder" or Windows Media Player	wav.htm
MP3	Motion Picture Experts Group - Audio Layer 3	audio file	Standard MP3 player (winamp for example) or with Windows Media Player	mp3.htm
DOC	Microsoft Word Documents	Word Processing Document	Microsoft Word	doc.htm
BMP	bitmap files	graphic file	Microsoft Paint, or other graphics utilities.	bmp.htm
PCX	PC Paintbrush	graphic file	graphic utilities	pcx.htm
PDF	Adobe's Portable Document Format	a "what you see is what you get" file. most word documents and text files will look different from computer to computer. But a PDF file prints out almost exactly like the way the author wanted it to be.	Adobe Acrobat, or in your internet browser (using an Acrobat plug-in)	pdf.htm
TXT	text file	usually doesn't contain any machine code in it. what you see is all you get	notepad
SWF	MacroMedia's Flash program.	Animation and audio.	internet browser with flash plug-in
HTM, HTML	Hyper Text Markup Language:	The language of the World Wide Web. Everything you see on a web page is HTML and interpreted by Web Browsers.	internet browser or notepad
EXE	executable file:	A file type used for files that are executable programs. In most operating systems, Exe files can be run or executed simply by typing their name on the command line.	use with caution. run at a DOS prompt or call from START\RUN... or double click when in Windows Explorer
ZIP	A compressed file:	Zip files can reduce large files using a compression algorithm to reduce the amount of space that an application can take up.	winzip or pkzip	zip.htm
PHP	hypertext preprocessor	PHP is a script that runs on the webserver side of the internet. It will create what you see on the fly. For instance, it can be used to access database information.	internet browser
ASP	Active Server Pages	ASP is a Microsoft technology similar to PHP that is used to create dynamic Web pages.	internet browser
	Directory	Directories when there is no extention, only a directory, you are really viewing "index.html" or "index.htm" in that directory.