Windows Photo Viewer Missing in Windows 10? How to Get It Back

Windows Photo Viewer was the default image viewer in Windows 7 and 8 but was replaced by the Photos app as the default in Windows 10. The application is still installed on most Windows 10 systems (especially those upgraded from Windows 7/8) but is hidden and unregistered as a file handler. On fresh Windows 10 installs, it may not be present at all.

This guide covers how to restore it, set it as default, and the best alternatives.

Part 1. Understanding Why Photo Viewer Is "Missing"

Windows Photo Viewer was not deleted in Windows 10 — it was simply not registered as an available app for opening image files. The difference matters for the fix.

💡 Tip: To check if Windows Photo Viewer is still installed on your system, navigate to C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer\ — if the folder and PhotoViewer.dll exist, the app is present and just needs to be registered.

Part 2. Restore Windows Photo Viewer via Registry

If Windows Photo Viewer is installed (common on upgraded Windows 10 systems), a registry modification registers it as an available file handler for image files.

Steps:

1. Download and save the following as a .reg file (e.g., restore-photo-viewer.reg):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
".tif"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Tiff"
".tiff"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Tiff"
".bmp"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bmp"
".dib"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bmp"
".gif"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif"
".jfif"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jfif"
".jpe"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".jpeg"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".jpg"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".png"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png"
".wdp"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp"

2. Double-click the .reg file → click Yes to allow changes
3. Restart Windows or log out and back in

After applying, Windows Photo Viewer should appear in the "Open with" dialog when you right-click an image file.

⚠️ Important: Editing the Windows Registry carries risk if incorrect values are entered. Only apply registry files you understand or have downloaded from a trusted source. Create a registry backup before making any changes: open Registry Editor (regedit) → File → Export → save a full backup to a safe location.

Part 3. Set Windows Photo Viewer as the Default Image Viewer

After registering Photo Viewer, set it as the default for image file types.

Method 1 — Right-click on an image:

1. Right-click any JPEG or PNG file
2. Select Open with → Choose another app
3. Scroll down and select Windows Photo Viewer
4. Check Always use this app to open .jpg files
5. Click OK

Repeat for other file types (.png, .bmp, .gif, .tiff) if needed.

Method 2 — Default Apps settings:

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Apps → Default apps
2. Scroll down or search for file types (.jpg, .png, etc.)
3. Click the current default (Photos app or Edge) → select Windows Photo Viewer

🗣️ r/Windows10 user: "Applied the registry fix and Photo Viewer came back. The Photos app is okay but Photo Viewer is so much faster for browsing through a folder of images — especially for photography work."

Part 4. Windows Photo Viewer Alternatives

If Windows Photo Viewer is not available on your system (fresh Windows 10 or Windows 11 install), several alternatives provide equivalent or better functionality.

Built-in option — Microsoft Photos app:

The Photos app is the Windows 10/11 default. It supports all common image formats plus HEIC (iPhone photos) and RAW files with the appropriate codecs. It is slower to open than Photo Viewer but has more features.

Recommended third-party alternatives:

🗣️ r/software user: "IrfanView is what Photo Viewer should have been — opens instantly, handles every format, and has basic editing too. Been using it for 20 years and nothing has replaced it for me."

Part 5. Fix the Photos App If It Is Not Working Either

If both Windows Photo Viewer and the Photos app are not working, the issue may be with the Photos app itself — a common occurrence after Windows updates.

Reset the Photos app:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps (or Apps & features in Windows 10)
2. Search for Microsoft Photos
3. Click the three-dot menu → Advanced options
4. Scroll down → click Reset
5. Confirm → wait for the reset to complete

Repair the Photos app (Windows 11):

On the same page, click Repair before Reset — this preserves app data and may fix the issue without a full reset.

Reinstall Photos app via PowerShell:

Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage

Then reinstall from the Microsoft Store.

💡 Tip: If the Photos app crashes immediately after the Windows update, run sfc /scannow in an elevated Command Prompt to repair corrupted system files — a broken system file can prevent apps from running correctly.

Part 6. Recover Missing or Corrupted Photo Files

If photos are not opening because the files themselves are corrupted, damaged, or missing — rather than a viewer problem — Ritridata can recover deleted or corrupted image files from your drive.

Recovery steps:

1. Install Ritridata on a different drive or USB — never on the drive containing the lost photos
2. Run a Deep Scan on the drive where photos were stored
3. Filter by image types: JPEG, PNG, RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW), BMP, GIF, TIFF, HEIC
4. Preview recoverable files
5. Recover to a safe separate location

For photos that open but appear corrupted (checkerboard patterns, color distortion, partial images), Stellar Repair for Photo can repair damaged JPEG and RAW files.

FAQ

Q: Why was Windows Photo Viewer removed from Windows 10? Microsoft replaced Windows Photo Viewer with the Photos app as part of the UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app transition — Photos syncs with OneDrive, supports touch input, and handles modern formats like HEIC. Windows Photo Viewer remained available but was not registered by default.

Q: Will the registry fix work on Windows 11? The registry fix may partially work on Windows 11, but Microsoft removed the underlying PhotoViewer.dll from clean Windows 11 installations in most cases. Windows 11 users are better served by IrfanView or XnView MP as Photo Viewer alternatives.

Q: Is IrfanView safe to download? Yes — IrfanView is a long-established, reputable free image viewer. Download only from the official irfanview.com website. It is completely free for non-commercial use and has been continuously maintained since 1996.

Q: Why does the Photos app take so long to open images compared to Photo Viewer? The Photos app launches as a UWP process each time it opens, which involves more startup overhead than the legacy Win32 Photo Viewer. On slower HDDs, this can mean 3–5 seconds per launch. IrfanView and FastStone are Win32 apps that open in under 1 second.

Q: Can Windows Photo Viewer open RAW camera files? Windows Photo Viewer does not natively support RAW formats. For RAW file viewing, use the Photos app with Microsoft's Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store, or use IrfanView with its RAW plugin package.

Q: What file formats does Windows Photo Viewer support? Windows Photo Viewer natively supports BMP, JPEG, JPEG XR (HD Photo), PNG, GIF, TIFF, and WMF. It does not support HEIC, WebP, RAW formats, or newer formats added after Windows 7. For broader format support, use IrfanView, XnView MP, or the Photos app with codec extensions.

References

• Microsoft Support — Change which apps are defaults in Windows
• Microsoft Photos app — Microsoft Store
• IrfanView — Official Website
• Microsoft Raw Image Extension
• Ritridata — Data Recovery Software