How to Restore or Undo Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10/11

How to Restore or Remove Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10/11

Windows Photo Viewer was the default image viewer in Windows 7 and 8. Later, in Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft replaced it with a different photo viewer app. This is mainly because Windows Photo Viewer was unable to open certain image formats. For example, images received from apps like WeChat and Telegram are not supported. However, because of its simplicity, fast performance, and clean interface, many users still prefer the classic Windows Photo Viewer. So, if you would still like to use Windows Photo Viewer, you can download from this blogpost and use for free.

Note: The registry file to activate Windows Photo Viewer works on both Windows 10 and 11. If you're not sure, you back up your registry before applying any changes. But don’t worry, it’s safe. If it causes any issues, you can download another registry file that can undo all the changes.

Restore Windows Photo Viewer

Download and Apply Registry File

Download the registry file to restore Windows Photo Viewer:

Follow the instructions below:

1. 1. Click the download button above, which is labeled "Restore the Windows Photo Viewer file".
2. 2. After downloading, double-click the registry file to apply the changes.
3. 3. Click "Yes" when prompted by User Account Control
4. 4. Click "Yes" to confirm you want to add the information to the registry
5. 5. Click "OK" when you see the success message
6. 6. Restart your computer for changes to take full effect

How to Set Windows Photo Viewer as Default

After applying the registry changes:

1. ➣ Right-click any image file and select "Open with" > "Choose another app"
2. ➣ Select "Windows Photo Viewer"
3. ➣ Check the box that says "Always use this app to open .jpg files" (or whatever file type you're opening)
4. ➣ Click "OK"

Undo Windows Photo Viewer (Remove It)

If you want to remove Windows Photo Viewer and revert to the default Photos app, follow these steps:

Option A: Download and Apply Registry File (Recommended)

Download the registry file to remove Windows Photo Viewer:

1. Click the download button above to get the registry file
2. Save the file to your computer
3. Double-click the downloaded .reg file
4. Click "Yes" when prompted by User Account Control
5. Click "Yes" to confirm you want to add the information to the registry
6. Click "OK" when you see the success message
7. Restart your computer for changes to take full effect

Troubleshooting

If Windows Photo Viewer doesn't appear after applying the registry changes:

• Make sure you restarted your computer
• Try right-clicking an image file, select "Open with" > "Choose another app" and look for Windows Photo Viewer in the list
• If you don't see it, browse to C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer and select PhotoViewer.dll
• Some Windows 11 builds may require additional steps - try running the registry file again after a reboot

If you get errors when running the registry files:

• Make sure you're logged in as an administrator
• Right-click the .reg file and select "Run as administrator"
• Check if your antivirus is blocking registry changes

Conclusion

Last but not least, I still use Windows Photo Viewer because it is very user-friendly and my favorite app for viewing images. So the two registry files above are very important: one is used to activate Windows Photo Viewer, and the other is used to undo the changes in Windows 10 and 11. Please note that Microsoft may completely remove Windows Photo Viewer in the future, so nothing is guaranteed. While it’s uncertain what will happen later, for now, at least in Windows 10 and 11, we can still use Windows Photo Viewer, and we’re quite lucky, actually.

Credits: This guide and registry files were created by Sey8. Visit our homepage at https://sey8.blogspot.com for more Windows tips and tricks.

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