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Why are my files being saved as a .21 File?

Anonymous
2021-01-14T23:21:39+00:00

Why are my files being saved as a .21 File instead of just as a .pdf?!

When i send documents to others, they have issues trying to open them, and that is how i found out that EVERY time i save a pdf document, it is being saved as a .21 file automatically.

I have researched as much as i could and have found no answers! I need help because i send pdf documents all day long in my work day! 

Please help!!

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-07-28T20:43:18+00:00

    Was receiving the same complaint from an end user. Here is what we are trying:

    Look at the file name before you save it. My end user has a habit of adding a date to the file name and since we are in the year 2021 she was ending each file with .21

    I think this was then converting the file to the .21 extension which was causing the PDF to become corrupted. Hopefully having her change the file name before she saves will solve this issue.

    8 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2021-04-25T08:52:59+00:00

    Check the MIME type association in the registry.

    Type regedit into search and Run as administrator the Registry Editor.

    Paste the following line into the Address Bar and press Enter:

    Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\application/pdf

    Look in the right hand pane at the Extension value data.

    If it's listed as .21, double click on Extension and change to .pdf

    ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/f84eb7c8-721e-4685-b987-16631ffe42d3?platform=QnA

  3. Anonymous
    2021-07-12T07:31:27+00:00

    Hi

    We seem to have got round this by removing the .21 file type from the registry.

    https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/remove-file-association-windows/  <-- this is for a .bak extension but the principle is the same.

    Hasn't happen since but it was an intermittent error for me so fingers crossed

    4 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2021-07-09T04:09:10+00:00

    Try this solution to see if that works for you. I start to have the same problem when I use microsoft edge to save pdf files from website, as long as i name the pdf file as xxx.2021, it will be saved as 2021 file, which was really annoying. However, when i was using chrome to save pdf files, it's completely fine. Seems like edge taught the system about a non-existing file type ".2021" and the system starts to memorize that ever since.

    After i remove the .2021 in the registry and restart the computer, now everything is back to normal. here is the link to the solution. let me know if that works for you.

    https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/remove-file-association-windows/

    4 people found this answer helpful.
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