Windows 7 Changing file extensions/properties

After you create your file using Wordpad (or Notepad), then
File > Save as and navigate to the folder in which you want to save the file.

In the "File name" field, type your desired name enclosed in double quotes, like:
"mypoifile.csv"
and click Save.

You can leave the "Save as type" field as it is because enclosing the name of the file in double quotes says that you want the file name and extension to be exactly what you have typed.

Why are you not using Excel to create your file? If you don't have MS Office, you can use get the open source package "OpenOffice" which has a spreadsheet.

Use Notepad, its under accessories. That is what opens my files if I double click on one I have downloaded. You may be able to change the extention to .csv and as a text file.

Thanks, I think I got it now. Perhaps the wrong word processor. I should use "NOTEPAD"...

Windows 7 (and every MS OS since at least XP) hides the file extension for known file types by default. This can and should be changed by the user, as it is never a good idea. It hides important information. To fix this, open any folder and go to tools->folder options then pick the View tap and in the advanced settings area uncheck "hide extensions for known fike types" and say OK.

Once you have done this you might see that some files you saved have a double extension on them, the one you wanted and then the one the application added!

At this point you can always change an extension with a simple rename command (it might warn you, but you still get the option to make the change). You should be able to use almost any editor, but some text editors (such as Word) will normally hide formatting information in the file that would cause problems with a POI. Look for an option that lets you save as plain text. Or just use an editor that is in plain text mode by default. Notepad is one, but it is slow and limited in the size of files it will edit. I like the free text editor Editpad Lite, which can handle large files with no problem.

By the way, Win 7 isn't changing the file extension on you, but an application that you use under Win 7 might do that if you use it incorrectly. Editpad lite has never made an unwelcome extension change on me, if I open a file with a CSV extension in Editpad lite it keeps the csv extension unless I tell it to save with a different extension.

WORDPAD is essentially a stripped down version of WORD, it contains formatting information. Even if you rename the file name and extension, it is still not the same as simple TXT/CSV file.

You can use either one but yeah Notepad is the right editor for unformatted text. CSV file is an unformatted text file. To save the file in Wordpad, choose Save as type "Text document".