Windows 10: Unable to replace Photos app with Photo Viewer as default (10240).

I'm not making any headway on answers.Microsoft.com so I'm hoping the experts here can explain why I cannot replace the Photos app with Windows Photo Viewer as the default image viewer (in build 10240). From all outward appearances, it seems Windows Photo Viewer is unavailable.

The saga is explained in detailed words and colorful pictures here:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/i...2-83ece717ddfb

If that's too tl;dr for you, here are the bullet points:

• Windows Photo Viewer is never listed as an option when using "Open with".
• "Open with" lets you browse the disk and manually select the desired program. I navigated to "\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer" but it contains no program there other than "Imaging Devices" (wrong). Choosing "PhotoViewer.dll" produces an error message.
• In Control Panel's "Default Program", Windows Photo Viewer is shown to be associated with TIF files and nothing else. Attempts to set JPG to use Windows Photo Viewer fail because, again, its program folder only contains "Imaging Devices" (and the dll).

In an attempt to fix this problem, I used the "nuclear option" and Reset the PC. After Windows 10 (TH1 10240) reinstalled itself, I still couldn't select Windows Photo Viewer to be the default image viewer.

Suggestions to fix this?

:)

 

The remote proceedure call failed.

I'm using Windows 10 (Build 10240)

Anyone else getting an error message when trying to view a PNG image in the PHOTOS app?

When the image is viewer in "Windows Photo viewer" there are no problems.

By default the PHOTOS app is used, sure I can change the default program but surely the app should work?

 

Unable to open .jpg photos in Windows 10

I am unable to open my .jpg pictures/photos in windows 10. I went to settings and checked the apps for photo viewer and it does not show a box to select jpeg only .tff.... Is there a way to add jpeg to the photo viewer default apps???

 

use faststone imageviewer, it is way better than anything microsoft offers

 

Thanks; I've been using Faststone Image Viewer for several years. However, that's not what I want as my default image viewer when I simply want a quick look at a photo or three. Windows Photo Viewer is my preference for that purpose.

Based on recent replies on answers.microsoft.com, Windows Photo Viewer exists on build 10240 but requires a registry modification to become available to JPG files. It was suggested to use third-party file-management software to make the modification. I'd prefer not to install software if all it takes is changing a registry key or two.

Does anyone have any information on what registry mods are needed to associate JPG to Windows Photo Viewer?

 

what about right clicking image and then choosing open with?

 

If using "Open with" be sure to click "Choose another app", scroll down the list of other applications to Windows Photo Viewer and choose it. You might want to put a checkmark in the "Always use this app to open .jpg files" then double-clicking a .jpg file should open as desired.

 

Right there in my first bullet point: "Windows Photo Viewer is never listed as an option when using "Open with".

That would work if Windows Photo Viewer were in the list but it is not.

For everyone's convenience, here's what I wrote on answers.microsoft.com:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/i...2-83ece717ddfb

• If I right-click a photo and choose "Open with", Windows Photo Viewer is *not listed* (only Paint and Photos).
• I select "Choose another app" followed by "More apps" it is still *not listed*.
• If I continue and select "Look for another app on this PC", I can navigate to "C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer". However it contains only one program called "ImagingDevices" and it is *not* an image viewer.
• If I display "All files" instead of just "Programs" I can see "PhotoViewer.dll". However, selecting this item results in an error message indicating it cannot be used for displaying photos.

 

1. Did you update 10240, with the latest Windows Updates?

 

Latest relevant update was installed July 18th:
Security Update for Windows 10 for x64-based Systems (KB3074665)

 

The only thing that comes to mind is to run SFC, Option 3.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

System File Checker? I've already tried the "nuclear option" which effectively reinstalls the operating system:
Settings > Update & Security > Reset this PC


Am I correct in assuming that everyone who has replied to my post is using build 10240 and can choose Windows Photo Viewer to be their default image viewer?

 

The problem with PhotoViewer opening with a print dialog instead of the image viewer was due to an incomplete registry key (missing "open" subkey). Executing the following .REG file solves this problem. No reboot needed.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open]
"MuiVerb"="@photoviewer.dll,-3043"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,\
6e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,\
00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,\
25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,\
6e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,\
00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,\
25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{60fd46de-f830-4894-a628-6fa81bc0190d}"

 

Another nice one! Thanks! You're on a roll! *Wink

 

This works like charm nexus.

Here is a zip file of .reg key for those that don't know how to make the registry key, Simply save the file to your desktop then extract the zip file & follow the prompts to add it to the registry.

photoviewer.zip (Credit nexus)