Summary: Windows Picture and FAX Viewer is the default application for viewing images under Windows. But there are many other programs out there as well.
How do I make something other than "Picture and FAX Viewer" the default for viewing pictures?
I'm sure that Microsoft believes they're being helpful by providing this default viewer for graphics images. But in reality this is a common question I get and it's one of several things I "fix" when I install a new copy of Windows XP. It's not difficult to change, just a tad cumbersome.
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If, when you try to view a picture, it's displayed in the "Picture and FAX Viewer", do the following:
Note what the file extension is. That's the ".jpg", ".gif", and so on at the end of the filename. It indicates the type of picture and more importantly it's what Windows uses to decide what program to use to display it.
Close "Picture and FAX Viewer".
Open up Windows Explorer. (The Windows Key + E, on many keyboards.)
Find any file with that same extension. It's handy if it's the same file but it doesn't have to be.
Right-click on the filename and select Open With ....
Even if the program you want is already listed don't click on it. Instead, select Choose Program at the bottom of the list that's displayed.
In the resulting dialog box, click on the program you want to use to view pictures.
Check the box labeled "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".
Press OK
This made your selection permanent. That particular type of image file will now be opened with the program you've selected.
The only down side to this approach is that you'll need to repeat it for each different image type (file extension) that you typically view. Fortunately that's usually only a handful.
You can also change the program used per extension by visiting Tools, Folder Options, File Types in Windows explorer, but personally I find this technique using Open With ... and Always use ... to be easier and quicker.
Update:
View Selecting a Different Image Viewer and watch as I walk you through the Tools, Folder Options method of making this change.
Article C1909 - March 18, 2004
hi, when i open a file in hotmail with pictures attached they are displayed as a box with a red "x" in the corner. how can i view it in the first hotmail screen, without having to click on the file itself to download it?
Posted by: marc at May 22, 2007 11:49 PMwhen i am trying to open my pictures with windows picture and fax viewer i am getting this error "Error in loading shimgvw.dll". How can i overcome this problem?Please help me.
Posted by: Harika at August 1, 2007 2:27 AMWhen I am trying to download my picture in the required box,it won't print and I can't send it ,even do how many times I have tried it.I Installed it in my computer as Picture.jpg under "Piicture and Fax Viewer" Can you help me how to download it in appropiate box
Posted by: Francisco Leo Hortillosa at August 8, 2007 1:22 AMSo here's one for you: I already knew everything you've said in this article. However, concerning my GIF files, when I check the "Always use the selected program..." checkbox and click ok, it'll open the file that one time in my app (IE 7). But after that, it auto-defaults back to Windows Pic & Fax viewer. I even unregistered the DLL as stated above. Now, when you double click the file, the hourglass flashes for a split second and then nothing happens. I've been up and down looking at everything I could find to make the change permanent...no go. Could it possibly have something to do with IE 7? Thanks much for any help you can lend!
Posted by: Boyd Campbell at September 6, 2007 11:17 AMThanks for your help. You answered other peoples questions and therefore helped me. Sincere thanks
Posted by: nathan at November 1, 2007 1:17 AMI don't like W.P.&F.V. because every damn picture I happen to see anywhere on the web and/or receive through e-mail as an attached document goes into the WPFV memory of which I did not find any way of getting rid of AT ONCE.
Posted by: André Beauséjour at February 5, 2008 2:59 PMi use windows fax for my fax. when i clickon view, adobe photoshop opens the file with only the first page showing.
Posted by: Charles at April 15, 2008 8:21 AMhow do i get it to show all the pages? how do i change the viewer to some other program? like windows pic and fax view?
thanks
a fast answer is appreciated.
Charles
Hi. I was wondering if you could please help me. I created a folder and had some 250 photos of my grandchildren, which they always opened in Adobe Photoshop CS2. I have since included an additional 250 photos in this same folder, making it 500 odd photos, but now they all, including the once that used to open in Adobe Photoshop now open only in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Can you please tell me how can I make all of these photo open in Adobe Photoshop and not the other program. I know that I can disable Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, but this will also delete or disable thumbnails, which I don't want to delete. Can you please help me.
Thanks for your time,
Emmanuel
Posted by: Emmanuel at February 5, 2009 3:34 PMi ADDED shimgvw.dll FROM SYSTEM32 TO MY SEND-TO FILE BUT WHEN I WANT TO SEND AN IMAGE (JPG) FILE TO IT IT DOES NOT SHOW IN THE SEND-TO.
Posted by: DOGAN SUBAYKAN at April 4, 2009 2:34 PMIS THERE A WAY TO DO IT?
my pictures does not display....what's the reason?? is the cause virus if then which virus and what should we do for it????
Posted by: lonely lama at July 9, 2009 4:04 AM