Windows Photo Viewer - limited options available

Question

I've checked several posts on here and other sites relating to Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10.

Windows Photo Viewer isn't listed as an available application when I right-click ad "Open With". The only options are; Paint / Paint 3D / Photos.

I'm in a corporate environment and don't have access to edit the registry nor install any other software.
I've tried pasting this into RUN but nothing happens:

%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Photo Viewer\PhotoViewer.dll"

Is there anything else I can try please? I hate the Windows 10 "Photo" application and want Windows Photo Viewer back!

Once you run photo viewer once, it will pop up in the Open With... dialogue for the same type of file extension. The only feature photo viewer has that Windows Photos does not is the ability to scroll through different pages in a `*.tiff` file, or at least did not the last time I tried opening up a document scanned to `tiff`. — JW0914, Sep 06 '19 at 15:14
Thanks - but I can't find a way to actually open it in the first place. — Dave Wilson, Sep 08 '19 at 15:04
When you select _Open With_, it doesn't show the option _Choose another app_? If not, you'll need to contact IT to have them allow Photo Viewer to be utilized, as they're likely managing through Group Policy. — JW0914, Sep 08 '19 at 15:42

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 06 '19 at 14:04

I'm in a corporate environment and don't have access to edit the registry nor install any other software.

All the solutions that actually work require you to be an Administrator on the system.

I've tried pasting this into RUN but nothing happens; %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Photo Viewer\PhotoViewer.dll"

What you attempted to run does not modify the registry key. You were also suppose to run the command in a Command Prompt which is the reason nothing happened.

Is there anything else I can try please?

There isn't anything else. The only method I know that actually works is to modify the registry.

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}"

However, an existing answer, also suggests running the following commands as an Administrator:

ftype MyFileType=%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe "C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer\PhotoViewer.dll" ImageView_Fullscreen %1 

assoc .jpg=MyFileType

I hate the Windows 10 "Photo" application and want Windows Photo Viewer back!

As a non-privilaged user you don't have any options. You should talk to your Administrator, and request make the required changes, so you can use Photo Viewer again.

Source:

Thanks - but it's a government owned environment, they won't do stuff like this, unfortunately. — Dave Wilson, Sep 08 '19 at 15:05
Windows Photo Viewer will normally show up when selecting _Choose another app_. If it doesn't, using _Open With_ on a `tiff` file should cause Windows to show Photo Viewer in the _Open With_ dialogue under _More Apps_. A registry mod should not be needed, however it does get the job done. — JW0914, Sep 08 '19 at 15:45
@DaveWilson - You are out of luck in that case. However, I have answered your question, just because your unable to implement the answer does not change that fact. — Ramhound, Sep 08 '19 at 17:29

Windows Photo Viewer - limited options available

1 Answers1