Have you ever come across a file with an extension you don’t recognize? Or perhaps someone emailed you a file you can’t open? (Be careful with this one – make sure you were expecting the file and you trust it! Malicious software loves to arrive via email.)

Head over to Wolfram|Alpha and type the extension. Be sure to start it with a dot. For example – if a friend or colleague emails you a file ending in .wps and your computer doesn’t know what to do with it, visit wolframalpha.com and search for “.wps”. This handy search/computational tool will tell you its likely a Microsoft Works file.

Wolfram|Alpha does far more than file extensions. They have some examples of what it can do.  Give it a try – it is a fantastic resource. If you have a smartphone like an iPhone or Android, they have an app for easy access.