
                 Unhiding extensions normally hidden even
                when your settings are "Show all extensions":

1. A typical desktop before changes.
2. A typical Start > Programs menu before changes.

Start Regedit (these screen shots were taken later):

    2a. START > Run
    2b. The Run dialogue box.  If regedit isn't current, click Browse.
    2c. Browse dialogue.  If you are not in the Windows directory
        then click on the file folder with the arrow going to the left
        and then turning at a right angle to go up ...
    2d. ... until you get to the root directory, (C:).  Then scroll
        to the right if necessary ...
    2e. ... to get to the Windows directory entry and then ...
    2f. ... double-click on it to get to it.
    2g. Scroll to the right until you find Regedit.
    2h. Double-click on it to enter it into the Run dialogue box.
    2i. Click on "OK" and you're in Regedit.

3. You're in Regedit.  Click Edit > Find

4. Type "NeverShowExt" (without the quotes) in the Find dialogue box
   and press Enter.

(Skipping a lot of repetitions, do the same thing for all entries found
as shown here for lnkfile and piffile.)

5. "Searching" 
6. Entry found, lnkfile.
7. Click Edit > Rename
8. NeverShowExt highlighted for renaming.
9. Press the left-arrow key to get to the 'r' in "Never", use the
   Backspace key to delete the "Never" and type "Always" as a replacement.
10. Press Enter and AlwaysShowExt is now the current value.
11. Click on Edit > Find Next.
12. Entry found, piffile.
13. NeverShowExt changed to AlwaysShowExt the same way as above.

Repeat steps 11, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ... , until ...

14. ... the search fails.  Exit Regedit.
15. Desktop doesn't appear to be changed.  Oh, wait!  This is Windows
    we are talking about.  You have to reboot for the silliest reasons
    at times.  This is one of them.
16. After rebooting, ".pif" and ".lnk" show up in the applicable
    desktop shortcuts ... 
17. ... and in the Start > Programs menu ...
18. ... and even in the sub menus.



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