How to hide file-extensions for Word/PowerPoint/Excel files?

[Karvel]

Really I just want to hide the .doc/.ppt/.xls in the Finder (I can tell the file-type from the icon, so I obviously wouldn't get confused by cat.ppt, cat.jpg and cat.mov all being just "cat") - is there a way to do that without also hiding file-extensions for 'foreign' file types (.mht for example 😉), and without manually doing a Get Info on all of my Word/PowerPoint/Excel files and ticking "Hide Extension" ?

 

[polycat33]

Is there even a way to hide all extensions without checking that box for each one? I'd love that, I don't need to see the extensions...

 

[mkrishnan]

All, yes. Finder menu -> preferences -> advanced -> uncheck show all extensions...

Some, not that I know of.

 

[polycat33]

Hm, that didn't work for me, it was already unchecked, checking it made the one file that I manually set to not show extensions show it's extension, and then unchecking brings it back again. At least for me, that checkbox toggles whether or not to show extensions that had already been messed with in the "get info" window.

 

[Karvel]

I've had a look on the internet and apparently it's not possible to do. 🙄

 

[polycat33]

That's ashame. And also odd. If each individual file has a checkbox for showing or hiding the extension it's not a far step to have the ability to do it for all of them. Oh well...

Is an extension really necessary? I mean, if I rename a file to a new name and don't put the extension, it doesn't freak out (like windows would, saying that the file may not work if renamed like that), it still sees itself as the right filetype and opens. That leads me to think it doesn't have to be there at all... but I keep them there because I feel like they must be there for a reason!

 

[swiftaw]

Well, you need the extensions so that when you send the files to your windows using buddies their machine doesn't freak out 🙂