Windows 10: Change default photo import program

Whenever I plug a photo card in to my PC, the new Photo Viewer program is launched (which doesn't find the card but that doesn't matter as I don't want to use that program anyway). How can I change the default import program to one of my choice (Lightroom).
I can of course shut it down, load Lightroom and then select the card but I always have to go through the process of first shutting down the program that loads automatically. If anything is going to load automatically I would rather pick my own!

:)

 

I don't want the Photos app to be the default import for my photos in Windows 10

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

I understand the inconvenience caused. I will be glad to assist you with this.

To make sure I understand correctly, you would like to disable photos app importing your photos every time you connect your camera, is that correct?

If so, this could be because Photos App is set as the default app to view your photos. I would suggest you to try changing the default photo viewer app to the program you mentioned and check if it helps. Follow the steps below to change the default programs:

1. Press Windows key + I to open settings.

2. Click "system" and click 'default apps" on the left pane.

3. Under "photo viewer" change the desired program to the default program.

Let us know the result.

 

Image preview in File Explorer - Windows 10

re: using the older Control Panel/All Control Panel Items/Default Programs/Set Your Default Programs, select Photo Gallery: Well, I tried this on two computers, a W10 Home laptop and my W10 Pro desktop and neither of them even listed Photo Gallery as one
of the Programs I could set. So that did not work for me.

Now, changing it in new Settings/System/Default Apps/Photo Viewer to Windows Photo Viewer
did bring back the Preview button for me. But... it still will not scroll through searches or sorted listings, which is important to me.

So, for me at least, I guess the "Photos" app remains the only way to do that kind of scrolling.

 

There are two stages to this:

1. Change your default program for photos to Lightroom.
2. Choose what happens when you insert media.

For 1 you need to go to Settings -> System -> Default Apps and on the Photos icon choose your default program as Lightroom

For 2 you need to go Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Autoplay and Choose what happens when you insert each type of media.

Make sure that for Camera memory cards - import photos and videos is selected.

 

Thanks. That's what I was looking for.