Why are my files being saved as a .23 File?

[Karina31705223223h]

Why are my files being saved as a .23 File instead of just the regular format of .pdf?!

When I send documents to others, they have issues trying to open them, and that is how I found out that almost every time I save a pdf document, it is being saved as a .23 file automatically.

It happens when I download a PDF, if I make any name changes it turns into a the .23 file which is impossible to change the format to .pdf, just if I open the file and using the "save as"option and saving the file again it changes to the regulat .pdf format but it takes a lot of time to work like that if I have a lot of files to save or d/l. or I can d/l PDFs and make no name changes and it works as a PDF document - however, this then entails going into each and every document and changing the name post d/l which takes a lot of time as well.

I have researched as much as I could and have found no solution that haleped me to solve this problem , I tried reinstalling and a few solutions and guidelines I found  across the web but unfortunately nothing worked for me.

I really need help because I save and send pdf documents all day long in my work day! 

Please help!!

Many thanks in advance

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Does the file name contain ".23", by any chance, as a part of a date, perhaps? My guess is the file extension is thrown off by it, but it's actually a PDF file. The file's icon suggests that as well. If you want to be sure go to the file's Properties (in Windows Explorer) and check the full fil name.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Does the file name contain ".23", by any chance, as a part of a date, perhaps? My guess is the file extension is thrown off by it, but it's actually a PDF file. The file's icon suggests that as well. If you want to be sure go to the file's Properties (in Windows Explorer) and check the full fil name.

[Karina31705223223h]

Yes of course the files contain the ".23" as part of the date, but I have always saved files that way and I have to as part of my work , and I have never had a problem before. And since the problem started, it also saves files without this extension that way. I am looking for a solution to the problem no matter what extension the files have. Thanks for trying to help.

[ILA31978081lwck]

I am having the same issue with the files saving as a .23.   I am able to open them as if they were a pdf, they show up in the file as a pdf, yet no one I send them to can open them due to the .23.   This issue started about three weeks ago - I wonder what changed.

[Abambo]

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@ILA31978081lwck wrote:

I am having the same issue with the files saving as a .23.   I am able to open them as if they were a pdf, they show up in the file as a pdf, yet no one I send them to can open them due to the .23.   This issue started about three weeks ago - I wonder what changed.

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You changed by using “Open with” :

[Gwenna5FFD]

We are having the very same problem on one computer at work. However they share the Adobe account with someone else on a different computer and that other computer does not have that issue. I am guessing it is a local setting on the computer or local on Adobe, but not globally on Adobe. 

[Abambo]

Somehow, you save your files (probably outside of Acrobat) as something.dd.mm.yy instead of something.dd.mm.yy.pdf. The last string after the last point is always the extension of the file. And that identifies the file type. You have associated 23 with Acrobat so that they show the nice Acrobat PDF logo. If you look well, you see that “real” PDF files have changed to the more modern look, so this seems to be a thing you had for some time. You should rename those files to (…).yy.pdf.

[Robert3307713937n0 · Accepted solution]

I Fixed it!!!!! I was having the same issue. Somehow my computer taught itself the .23 file extension.   Heres what I did---(I got it from an old post in 2021 about the same problem with .21 file extensions).  Solution:  Type regedit into the seach bar (toolbar)-for the "registry editor", then click "open",

then under you should see the folder for .23. Right click it and delete that folder. DONE problem solved. All of my Adobe PDF's now save as .pdf!  I hope this works for everyone, its been a struggle saving files and sending them to clients. 

[Brad33139835zrxv]

Yay!  Thank you.  I was having the same issue and this fixed it.

[Sue33968379bsas]

THANK YOU Robert, you're a genius!

[Jade3804842959i7]

Thank you

So much

[Shara38157865q74b]

You are a lifesaver!! All of my work files have been saving as .24 file extensions and it has been annoying having to reopen and save again so it would come up correctly and could be viewed. No one else on my team has been having this issue and i didnt' want to deal with help desk. This worked great!! now i can view everything correctly without the added hassle.

[wise_Dolphin0D45]

Almost a year later & I've used this fix 4-5 times (thank you) BUT this time I'm NOT seeing ".24" under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in regedit. Does anyone have any other suggestions or is there a place it may be hiding (inside another folder in regedit maybe)? 

[walkidia_velasquez3727]

Thank you this was helpful! All my files were saving as .24 File extension and no one was able to help until I came accross your solution. 

[wise_Dolphin0D45]

I agree that this was helpful for me in 2023, but today I've got a "24_File" that should be a PDF and I've resaved it without the year (".24") even though I always save things with .24 with not problem all year until today, but today I cannot locate ".24" or "24_File" in Registry Editor. Does anyone have any other suggestions? 

[Reinhard36507740ps3t]

Thank you Robert, that fixed it. This happened when I got a new computer and copied all of my files over. So I was able to delete all of the extensions like .23, .24, .2024 etc etc

[Wick3865574775lh]

The “.23” file extension isn't a recognized file format and likely indicates an issue with how your computer is saving files. There are two main reasons why this might be happening:

1. Misinterpreted File Name: When you save a file and include a period (.) followed by numbers in the name, your computer might misinterpret that as a file extension instead of part of the actual file name. For instance, if you save a PDF as "Document.08.23.pdf", the system might read “.08.23” as the extension and assign the file the incorrect ".23" extension.

2. Software Association Problem: In some cases, your computer's software associations might be messed up. This means the program that normally opens PDFs might not be set as the default for handling them.

Here are some solutions you can try:

• Avoid Periods and Special Characters in Filenames: When saving your PDFs, try to avoid using periods (.) or other special characters near the end of the filename.

• Use "Save As" Option: Instead of relying on the automatic save function, try using the "Save As" option. This will allow you to explicitly set the filename and file extension (".pdf") before saving the file.

• Check File Associations: Make sure your computer is set to open PDFs with the appropriate program, like Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can usually manage file associations through your operating system's settings.

For more detailed instructions on checking file associations, you can refer to this guide for Windows (https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-change-the-default-app-for-pdf-files/f6...) or search online for instructions specific to your operating system.

If the problem persists after trying these solutions, it might be helpful to search online for troubleshooting steps specific to your program or operating system.

[Wick3865574775lh]

Why are my files being saved as a .23 File instead of just the regular format of .pdf?! When I send documents to others, they have issues trying to open them, and that is how I found out that almost every time I save a pdf document, it is being saved as a .23 file automatically. It happens when I download a PDF, if I make any name changes it turns into a the .23 file which is impossible to change the format to .pdf, just if I open the file and using the "save as"option and saving the file again it changes to the regulat .pdf format but it takes a lot of time to work like that if I have a lot of files to save or d/l. or I can d/l PDFs and make no name changes and it works as a PDF document - however, this then entails going into each and every document and changing the name post d/l which takes a lot of time as well. I have researched as much as I could and have found no solution that haleped me to solve this problem , I tried reinstalling and a few solutions and guidelines I found  across the web but unfortunately nothing worked for me. I really need help because I save and send pdf documents all day long in my work day!  Please help!! Many thanks in advance

The “.23” file extension isn't a recognized file format and likely indicates an issue with how your computer is saving files. There are two main reasons why this might be happening:

1. Misinterpreted File Name: When you save a file and include a period (.) followed by numbers in the name, your computer might misinterpret that as a file extension instead of part of the actual file name. For instance, if you save a PDF as "Document.08.23.pdf", the system might read “.08.23” as the extension and assign the file the incorrect ".23" extension.

2. Software Association Problem: In some cases, your computer's software associations might be messed up. This means the program that normally opens PDFs might not be set as the default for handling them.

Here are some solutions you can try:

• Avoid Periods and Special Characters in Filenames: When saving your PDFs, try to avoid using periods (.) or other special characters near the end of the filename.

• Use "Save As" Option: Instead of relying on the automatic save function, try using the "Save As" option. This will allow you to explicitly set the filename and file extension (".pdf") before saving the file.

• Check File Associations: Make sure your computer is set to open PDFs with the appropriate program, like Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can usually manage file associations through your operating system's settings.

For more detailed instructions on checking file associations, you can refer to this guide for Windows (https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-change-the-default-app-for-pdf-files/f6...) or search online for instructions specific to your operating system.

If the problem persists after trying these solutions, it might be helpful to search online for troubleshooting steps specific to your program or operating system. You can learn more about file extensions here.

[Wick3865574775lh]

t's frustrating to encounter unexpected file extensions like ".23." Here's what might be causing this issue and how to fix it:

Understanding the Problem:

• The ".23" extension isn't a recognized file format. This suggests a problem with how your computer is saving files, particularly PDFs.

Common Causes:

1. Misinterpreted Filename:

   • When you save a file with a period (.) followed by numbers in the name (e.g., "Document.08.23.pdf"), your computer might misinterpret that as a file extension instead of part of the actual filename.
   • Solution: Avoid using periods and special characters near the end of your PDF filenames. check here

2. Software Association Problem:

   • Your computer's software associations might be messed up. This means the program that normally opens PDFs might not be set as the default for handling them.
   • Solution: Check and ensure your computer uses the appropriate program (like Adobe Acrobat Reader) to open PDFs.