HELP: toggle HIDE/UNHIDE file extension display

[Vance Roos]

Is there a way I can quickly access the setting to HIDE or UNHIDE the
file extension?

At the moment I am having to go into Windows Explorer -> Tools ->
Folder Options -> View -> Hide Extensions For Known File Types.

I have to do switch between hide and unhide frequently for use in
naother application and I would really like to know a quicker way of
doing this.

Maybe there is some macro which swaps the relevant registry keys to
enable/disable this finction?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

There is no quick toggle available.

Will

Is there a way I can quickly access the setting to HIDE or UNHIDE the
file extension?

At the moment I am having to go into Windows Explorer -> Tools ->
Folder Options -> View -> Hide Extensions For Known File Types.

I have to do switch between hide and unhide frequently for use in
naother application and I would really like to know a quicker way of
doing this.

Maybe there is some macro which swaps the relevant registry keys to
enable/disable this finction?

 

[Alex Nichol]

Is there a way I can quickly access the setting to HIDE or UNHIDE the
file extension?

At the moment I am having to go into Windows Explorer -> Tools ->
Folder Options -> View -> Hide Extensions For Known File Types.

I have to do switch between hide and unhide frequently for use in
naother application and I would really like to know a quicker way of
doing this.

Make the following, after - - start and before - - end into a file by
cut/paste to NotePad. Don't let lines wrap around ( [HEY through
Advanced] is one line; "Hide starts the next), and make sure there is a
blank line at the end. Save as "Patch.reg" then right-click on this file
and take Merge to enter it into the registry. This will hide
extensions. Make another copy with "HideFileExt"=dword:00000000 instead
- that will unhide them. It will not affect an explorer window
currently open (even if you refresh) but will affect any opened after
the merge

- - start
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideFileExt"=dword:00000001


- - end

 

[Vance Roos]

Is there a way I can quickly access the setting to HIDE or
UNHIDE the file extension?

At the moment I am having to go into Windows Explorer -> Tools
-> Folder Options -> View -> Hide Extensions For Known File
Types.

I have to do switch between hide and unhide frequently for use
in naother application and I would really like to know a quicker
way of doing this.

Make the following, after - - start and before - - end into a
file by cut/paste to NotePad. Don't let lines wrap around (
[HEY through Advanced] is one line; "Hide starts the next), and
make sure there is a blank line at the end. Save as "Patch.reg"
then right-click on this file and take Merge to enter it into
the registry. This will hide extensions. Make another copy
with "HideFileExt"=dword:00000000 instead - that will unhide
them. It will not affect an explorer window currently open
(even if you refresh) but will affect any opened after the merge

- - start
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Expl
orer\Advanced] "HideFileExt"=dword:00000001


- - end

I tried this exactly as advised but it does not seem to work.

I have got two reg files and I have tried applying one or the other.
I get messages saying that a change has been made to the registry.

However, if I close and open Windows Explorer after doing one (or the
other) then I still see all the file extensions.

Could you kindly double check that this is correct. Thanks.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I tried this exactly as advised but it does not seem to work.

I have got two reg files and I have tried applying one or the other.
I get messages saying that a change has been made to the registry.

However, if I close and open Windows Explorer after doing one (or the
other) then I still see all the file extensions.

Could you kindly double check that this is correct. Thanks.

It works for me on test. It does of course only apply to those
extensions that are registered file types - but that applies however you
change the setting

 

[Vance Roos]

Thought - make *quite* sure you have that blank line at the end
of the file - indeed have two to be certain you have one

Yes the blank line did it.

Why does a blank line make a difference?

 

[Alex Nichol]

Yes the blank line did it.

Why does a blank line make a difference?

It is just the way regedit is written - it does not accept end of file
as being the end of a line. Probably for safety, so that if a file
loses a few bytes it does not act on a line that might be dangerously
curtailed

Glad its working now