The program will automatically scan the file types that are known by the system, and display them in the program interface. The scan may take a moment, considering that usually hundreds of file types need to be located and added.

Each file extension is displayed with its name and icon.

types

A double-click on a file extension opens the properties window of it. Here it is possible to change class specific information, including the linked class that is used to open the file type and the perceived type. Additional tabs lead to menu, icon and misc settings. In menu, all Windows Explorer context menu options are displayed. Icon can be used to change the file extension icon and other finally can be used to change the document title and extension visibility.

edit file extension

In Windows, it is possible to configure file extensions to be hidden, or always shown, and this is the preference to change the visibility of the selected extension.

It is furthermore possible to remove file extensions from the operating system in the main interface. This is done by selecting a class from the list of available ones. Now it is possible to right-click and select Delete, or use the red X icon in the top navigation to do the same.

Finally, a pulldown menu containing all classes is offered on the top as well, to quickly locate and selected one of the available classes.

Types is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows operating system. The program requires the Microsoft .net Framework 2.0, and can be downloaded from the homepage of the developer.

Types on the other hand is a lightweight portable Open-Source software that runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista that makes it a tad easier to change file associations in both operating systems. It comes with a window that can actually be changed in size which means that it is possible to display virtually all file extensions on the screen at the same time.

The default application can be changed easily. Other options include changing the icon of the file type and deleting obsolete ones from the system.

Update: Development of Types has continued in past years bringing Type’s version to 1.9.4 at the time of writing. The version history reveals information about the things that have been changed by the software’s developer. The majority of changes are related to bugs, but the software’s compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows 7 has been improved as well.

Third parties have localized the software into other languages. These language files can now be downloaded from the Types website as well. Users who want to change the program interface language need to download the language file of their choice and put it into the Types directory. They then need to press F1 with Types open to select that new language file.