File Extensions Explained
If you open a file with one of these file extensions, your computer could, without your continued permission, run one or more operations programmed into that file. To put it in even simpler terms, these files either belong to programs, scripts, or program extensions and plugins. They’re meant to run and do things on your computer, only you can’t be sure exactly what they’re running or doing. That’s why it’s always crucial to only run them when they come from a trusted source or website. Those operations could be damaging if, for example, you were to run a virus-infected executable file that you received by email from someone you don’t know.
High-Risk File Extensions
We’ve rated the following executable file types as High Risk because essentially all computers with the listed operating system installed, execute the commands contained in the executable file. In other words, files with the extensions listed below can be executed with some basic parts of Windows, macOS, Linux, etc. No additional program is required.
Other Executable File Extensions
The following file extensions are only executable if you happen to have the software installed that carries out the commands contained in the file. If you do have one of the programs below installed, consider files with the associated extensions as executable and High Risk. If you don’t have a particular program installed, and you try to execute a file with that extension, either a harmless error will appear or nothing at all will happen.
