You should make sure to only do this with files that you’re happy to share. In the Save As window, you should be able to change the file type of the saved file below the file name. If the software you’re using is designed to allow editing, you can often save or export a file to another format by selecting File > Save or Save As from the software menu. For instance, while a PDF can be exported as images, you can’t simply rename a PDF file to the PNG format. It’s easy enough to change a DOCX file to a PDF, or a BIN to ISO, but it’s more complex to change between very different types. This works well with file types that are related. If you want to change a file extension properly, you’ll need to save or export it to another format.

Renaming a file type in Windows File Explorer doesn’t change the file’s data and can only work in certain (limited) circumstances. If the process hasn’t worked, rename the file and return it back to the previous extension. Depending on the file extensions used, you should now be able to open the file. Once confirmed, the file extension will be changed and the file will be listed as the new file type in the Type column.

How to convert a file to a zip file