If you've ever tried to select all the files with particular extensions in a folder or Open/Save dialog, you know it's a hit-and-miss process. It almost always involves sorting by file type, and what if files with different extensions share the same type and icon?

Select By Type makes things much easier. Just select one or more files and/or folders in the usual way, right-click any selected item and choose Select By Type from the ShellToys XP menu. Any file with the same extension as one of those you chose will automatically become selected itself. If you selected a folder, all folders will be selected.

Note #1: Many applications allow only a single file to be selected in Open and Save dialogs. Using this option in single-selection dialogs will select only the last matching file displayed.

Note #2: This option is not compatible with the Open/Save dialogs used by Microsoft Office applications, and has no effect on the Windows desktop.