You might be wondering why you need to learn how to restore and use the Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10. After all, it was discontinued a few years ago thanks to the redesigned Photos app. While it may seem like an app from the past, Windows Photo Viewer isn’t going away anytime soon, which isn’t surprising given its ease of use.
Although Windows Photo Viewer used to be the default photo app on Windows 7 and 8, Microsoft replaced it with the Universal Windows Platform app simply called Microsoft Photos, which is what you are most likely using if you are currently using Windows 10. Stick to the Photos app, if you’re like us, you may find that Windows Photo Viewer is not only faster but makes it easier to view the photos you’ve stored on your local drives.
And yes, the Photos app’s cross-platform capabilities are forward-looking as well as convenient for anyone who also uses the best Windows tablet, but the app uses a lot more memory than its predecessor and in many ways isn’t as easy to use as an older app. Not to mention, the Photos app isn’t the most reliable of apps – which you’ve probably already noticed if you’ve been using it!
The good news is that if you’re not satisfied with the Photos app, it’s entirely possible to restore and use Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10. And before you worry that it’s going to be a tedious process, we’re here to tell you it couldn’t be simpler. In fact, it’s as easy as knowing how to play DVDs in Windows 10, and you don’t even need to know how to start Windows 10 in Safe Mode. You will find that you can get the job done in just a few steps.
Oh, and if you’ve just purchased the new operating system and need to install it first before trying to restore and use Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10, you’ll find our guides on how to find your Windows 10 product key and how to activate Windows 10 extremely helpful for your whole setup.
How to restore Windows Photo Viewer after upgrading from Windows 7 or 8
If you have a PC that has been upgraded to Windows 10 either from Windows 7 or 8, restoring Windows Photo Viewer is very easy.
This is because the app has not gone anywhere. Instead, what has changed with the installation of Windows 10 (and Microsoft Photos with it), is which app is set as the default for opening which photos. Fortunately, it does not take many steps to change the default application back to Windows Photo Viewer.
1. Open the Settings app
You can easily find it in the Start menu—it’s the icon right above the power button—or by typing “settings” into the search on the taskbar.
With the Settings app open, tap on the category called Apps.
2. Click on Default Apps
You’ll find the choice of default apps listed among the options on the left of the window.
When you open that, it will show a list of app categories and apps that default to each file category.
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3. Select Windows Photo Viewer
In the dialog that appears, find Windows Photo Viewer and double-click it to set it as your default photo app.
You should now have Windows Photo Viewer set as your default photo app. If you do not see the image viewer listed, you need to follow the steps below.
How to restore Windows Photo Viewer from scratch in Windows 10
It gets more complicated for those using a clean install of Windows 10. While the Windows Photo Viewer app is still lurking in the code, it can’t be accessed without a registry hack.
Although it takes a few steps more than those with an upgraded version of Windows 10, it won’t be long before you’re working in your favorite photo app.
1. Get the recording file
First, download a file registration file Hosted by BleepingComputer. Microsoft basically hid the app by removing it from the Windows registry.
This file will adjust the registry to allow Windows 10 to see that Windows Photo Viewer is still present. Just be sure to save the file somewhere easy to access like your desktop or downloads folder.
2. Double-click the recording file to play
It will make several different prompts, asking if you want to continue. First, you will be prompted with a dialog asking if you want to make changes to the device, press Yes.
Then, a Registry Editor dialog box will appear asking if you want to continue. Click “Yes” again. You will then get a message saying that it has been successfully added to the registry. Click OK.”
At this point, the OS registry has been refreshed and Windows Photo Viewer has basically been unlocked. All that’s left to do is adjust some settings to be able to use the app. Unfortunately, you just can’t set the default app on Windows Photo Viewer the way upgraded users can.
3. Adjust settings
To adjust the image settings, right-click on the image you want to open and hover over Open With.
You’ll see a menu expand to the side showing other apps that can open the file. At the bottom, you will see the “Choose another app” option, which you will tap on.
4. Select the Windows Photo Viewer app
When the new dialog box opens, scroll to the bottom where it will say “More apps” and click to expand the available selections.
Here you will find the Windows Photo Viewer application.
5. Set the file type to default to Windows Photos Viewer
If you want all images of this type of file to be opened by Windows Photo Viewer, check the box next to “Always use this app to open [extension] files. If you’re trying to open a JPEG file, for example, the text will read “Always use this app to open .jpeg files.”
6. Confirm
Click OK to finalize your selection.
You will have to repeat steps 3 to 5 for each file type that you want to use the photo viewer as the default photo app.
Why choose Windows Photo Viewer over Microsoft Photos?
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Microsoft’s new Photos app has come a long way since it first launched with Windows 10, incorporating some features it initially didn’t have but Windows Photo Viewer did, such as a right-click menu.
But it’s still a resource hog compared to its predecessor. If you want to be able to quickly load and scroll through a bunch of photos without taxing your computer, Windows Photo Viewer is the best option.
Photo Viewer’s user interface is also a bit more straightforward since it’s mostly concentrated in the bottom pane. In contrast, the Photos app places most of its menus and buttons at the top, with the Next and Previous buttons pressed along the edge of the screen.