To understand what a temp file is we need to know a little about file extensions, they are basically the last 3 digits after the dot in a file for example (resume.doc) tells us that the file was created in WORD because of the .doc (short for document) another example is (shopping.txt) this is a text file and would commonly be opened in NOTEPAD.

This is how we can send files to other people and their computer knows which program to use when opening the file. Sometimes it gets confusing because many different programs can open the more common files such as a .jpg or .jpeg (picture files). Windows picture viewer is normally the default program however, Irfanveiw, photoshop, picture manager and dozens of other programs can also open .jpgs so which one gets the job? Usually its the last program you installed that becomes the default viewer unless you specify otherwise (if the program allows you too).

“But which one should we use?” I hear you ask..... the answer lies in what you wish to do with the picture when it is opened.
Do you just want to look at it?
Do you want to zoom in on part of the picture?
Do you want to alter part of the picture?
Do you need to crop or remove part of it?
Each program specialises in doing certain things quickly, for example to just view a picture Irfanveiw does a very good job and fast because it is only a small program itself. Photoshop or illustrator are huge powerful programs that take a while to open but allow you to do anything you wish with any picture provided you have the skills to work the program.

So, how do we choose a program that is just right for the job at hand? If you intend to do a lot of work with pictures then it would be worthwhile taking the time to learn one of the more complex programs. Progress will be slow at first but you will reap the reward later. If you only want to fix small things like redeye and maybe colour tones then just stick to a simple program like “photo impact” or “picture it”.

Getting back to the extension of each file, we can now understand why they are needed, sometimes Windows is hiding the extension of the file. To unhide the extension follow these steps.

FOR WINDOWS 98,2000,ME and XP

Open “my computer” on the start menu
Go to “tools” at the top
Then “folder options” at the bottom of the list
Then click the “view” tab
Then look down the list until you see “hide extensions for the known file types”
And click the tick to remove it from the box.
Then close all the open windows again by clicking the red cross in the corner.
Now you should be able to see the extensions of all files.

If you believe information provided on any of these pages is incorrect then please contact me so I can address the problem.