Eventually, it's going to happen. The inablity of one of your software programs to open a file. So now what? You NEED to open this file, but your software cannot do it.
Usually, if you are running a windows machine, you'll get a box that reads something like this:
It will give you the option of downloading a program to open the file by connecting to a download site somewhere in cyber space. You visit the url that you are redircted to, and find the name of some program that you aren't sure you want to install. I'm sure this has happened to most of us.
Another problem with not knowing about a file format is that the file extension might actually be compatible with your program, but you aren't sure, and don't feel like wading through 50 pages of "help" files. You can use your design program help files, but sometimes the faster way to determine an answer is just to do a simple web search that includes the name and version of software you are using, a comma to separate and then the file type. This usually results in being shown answers from various forum posts, but can be a time saver and you will more than likely also learn a few more things related to the topic which can be very useful.
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