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How to Change File Properties

This wikiHow teaches you how to access and change the properties and settings of individual files on a computer. You can do this on both Windows computers and Mac computers. Open Start . Click the Window logo in the bottom-left corner of...

Table of Contents
Method 1 of 2:

On Windows

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    Open Start
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    . Click the Window logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
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    Click File Explorer
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    . It's in the lower-left side of the Start window.
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    Select the file you want to change. Click once the file for which you want to see and change properties.
    1. You may need to select the file's location (e.g., Documents) first by clicking the pertinent folder on the left side of the Explorer window.
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    Click Home. It's a tab in the upper-left side of the window.
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    Click Properties. This white box with a red checkmark is in the "Open" section of the toolbar at the top of the Explorer window.
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    Review your file's properties. Each file type will have a slightly different Properties menu, but you can typically change the following information:
    1. File name - This will typically be at the top of the General tab.
    2. Opens with - Near the middle of the General tab, clicking Change next to this option will allow you to pick a different default program for the selected file.
    3. Previous Versions - This tab lets you select and restore a previously saved version of the file if one exists. You must have set a restore point in order for this to work.
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    Save any changes you make. Click Apply in the bottom-right corner of the Properties window, then click OK to save and exit.
Method 2 of 2:

On Mac

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    Open Finder. Click the blue, face-like icon in your Mac's Dock to open Finder.
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    Select the file you want to change. Click a file in the Finder to select it.
    1. You may first need to select a folder in which the file is located by clicking the folder on the left side of the Finder window.
    2. You can click All My Files in the upper-left corner of the Finder window to see a list of every file on your Mac.
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    Click File. This menu item is in the upper-left side of the Mac's screen. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
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    Click Get Info. It's about halfway down the File drop-down menu. This will open a file information window.
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    Review your file's properties. Most files on your Mac will have the following options located near the middle/bottom of the Get Info window:
    1. Name & Extension - Change your file's name or file type here. You can also check the "Hide extension" box to hide this particular file's extension.
    2. Comments - Add notes about the file.
    3. Open with - Change the program with which your file opens.
    4. Preview - View a preview (e.g., thumbnail) of the file.
    5. Sharing & Permissions - Change who can read, edit, or modify the file.
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    Save your changes. When you're done making changes, you need only click the red circle in the top-left corner of Get Info window to save them.

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