WD: Extension Appended to File Name That Already Has Extension

ID: Q134811

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you save a Word document with an extension, an additional extension is appended to the file name.

MORE INFORMATION

Word has extensions registered in the Windows 95 Registry that indicate that any file with that extension should be opened with Microsoft Word.

If a document is saved from Word with an extension that is not registered in the Windows Registry (i.e.: .aaa), then Windows automatically assigns an additional extension to the file name.

Example:  If you save a file from Word with the name of:   Test.aaa

          Windows would assign Word's extension as:        Test.aaa.doc

The addition of the registered extension by Windows 95 is done to files that are saved from applications that support the long file name (LFN) feature of Windows 95. Applications that do not support this feature do not experience this behavior.

This behavior is inherent to Windows 95. Clearing the "Hide MS_DOS file extensions for file types that are registered" option in the Windows Explorer allows you to see this behavior. (To locate this option in Windows Explorer, click Options on the View menu.) This behavior is by design.

WORKAROUND

To save the file with an exact file name, enclose the file name in quotation marks, for example:

   "test.aaa"

KBCategory: kbenv KBSubcategory: Additional query words: 7.0 7.0a 8.0 word95 word97 extension file save as word7 word8 winword
Keywords          : kbenv
Version           : 7.0 7.0a 97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: August 5, 1997