Windows photo viewer

facade

So this morning, I click on the first jpeg in a folder, and now photoviewer has this annoying filmstrip affair covering up part of the picture.

To get rid of it, I have to left click the picture and wait a few seconds. Or I can full-screen it with another extra click. there is no setting to disable the new "feature"

This is extremely annoying, and over a dozen or so folders wastes a fair bit of time.

I can only assume that photoviewer has "updated" to become "better" and "more functional" when what I want is to double click the first jpeg to start viewer (which open up full height anyway as that is the setting I use) and then use the arrow keys to scroll through the pictures in sequence, like I have for years without complaint or trouble.

Thanks for nothing, Microsoft!

Does anyone know a way to fix this? Microsoft don't, and don't care about the complaints.

km1500

yes -don't use photo viewer to view jpegs, use sourceforge's jpegview

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km1500 said:

yes -don't use photo viewer to view jpegs, use sourceforge's jpegview

That seems to have fixed it, I hope file manager crashing was a one-off co-incidence.....

Newcad

I would recommend taking a look at Irfanview https://www.irfanview.com/

It's highly regarded, and what's better It's Free.

It has been my default image viewer/editor for the past 15 years and does everything I need and more.

facade

I've tested both out.

I actually use it to read manga I have downloaded into a folder of jpgs, so I want maximum height to be able to read the text, and page with arrow keys,

So, I wave the mouse and click to find the folder, then double click the first jpeg, photos bursts into life and I get a full height view of the page with a thin menu bar at the very top

 if I keep hold of the mouse I flick to the right centre and click on an easily found arrow, keep hovering over that arrow and keep clicking to read, then flick straight up to the X and click to close the window.

If it is a long chapter, or I get up or something, I might use the arrow keys on the keyboard to page backwards & forwards.

On the laptop use it full screen portrait and tap the edge of the screen to page. (It is a convertible and I read in tablet mode)

I've tried dedicated manga readers, but they are all a great deal more trouble, with flashy cover views and things, file manager is minimalist and far faster.

Results

Irfan view: works, arrow keys advance, and if I'm holding the mouse there is an arrow to hover over and click on the menu bar, BUT: the menu bars and status bar are absolutely huge and make the page short and the text small , no doubt you can hide them but then where could I click to page? It doesn't work with tap the edge to page on the laptop. I can tap the exact place where the arrow will appear twice to call it up and select it, but that either means I have to flail about or my hand is in the way!

jpegviewer: works. Arrow keys advance, no thick menu bars, but nowhere to click to advance, I have to wave over the bottom of the image and a translucent bar pops up to click the arrow. Keeping the pointer there keeps the bar and pointer in the way. It doesn't work with tap to page on the laptop. (I can tap the arrow)

Photos was just brilliant for me, it used to do exactly what I wanted with minimal fuss.

Curse you Microsoft!!!

There are a fair few image viewers about, but I don't like installing & removing software to test it out, it tends to leave junk that makes windows slow down or fall over.

km1500

one thing you can do is uninstall the updates so things are back to the way you like them. 

then copy off the photo application executables - that is likely to be an exe file and maybe a DLL you will have to experiment or look it up on the internet.

put them in a folder somewhere for example c:\myoldphotoviewer

you can then rename the exe file and associate it with opening jpg files and it will never change

if you can't uninstall the update you will have to find another way of getting the executables - for example find someone else who has got a PC that hasn't been updated or even reinstall from your installation media on a spare PC to get access to the executables that have not been updated

facade

It isn't a proper executable, it is one of those stupid system "apps" that is available through Microsoft store.

I found a folder called 

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2023.11090.12017.0_x64__8xxxxxxxxxx

dated 22/9/23 (when everything went wrong.....)

Jumping through a pageful of hoops to snatch ownership from the Evil TrustedInstaller I can get into the folder and access a file called PhotosApp.exe, but clicking it just makes the springs fly out of the back of the computer......

Strange, but my update history has nothing for the 22 Sept, in fact nothing has been installed since the last "cumulative update" on 13/9/23

I have already jumped through the hoops at the feedback hub to complain, and suggest a simple settings option to disable the offending filmstrip forever......

bob_a_builder

Not sure if the one I have is a later version ( and this option has just been added) but how about this option in  Photos ?  ( under settings )  

My version number is : 2023.11090.12017.0

But  it seems you do have to stop and restart the App for the change to take effect 

Newcad

I think your problem is that you had things set up in a particular way. So now it'schanged you need to set the viewer, any viewer, up again to do just what you want it to do.

Whether that is Windows updated viewer or an alternative viewer then you should be able to achieve that, but it will take some trial and error to get things how you want/llike.

And yes, it sucks when they change things from what you are used to doing.

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bob_a_builder said:

Not sure if the one I have is a later version ( and this option has just been added) but how about this option in  Photos ?  ( under settings )  

My version number is : 2023.11090.12017.0

But  it seems you do have to stop and restart the App for the change to take effect 

Brilliant! That has fixed it.

Thanks.

For anyone else who may follow, you have to open the photos app by itself with nothing in it to get at the settings cogwheel.

If you do what I always do- open it with a picture there is no settings cogwheel. (although you can find it if you are determined enough and click around at random)

Mark this one solved

bob_a_builder

I found the Cog wheel from the top menu as show below - after starting it by clicking on a photo
But yes, as you say if you start the app from the Start menu you will see the Cog more prominently on the top bar of app