How to Activate Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10

Microsoft improved Windows 10. Specifically, they replaced the regular picture viewer with Windows Photo Viewer.

In this article, you will learn how to restore the old photo viewer. Specifically, this viewer resembles the one from Windows 10.

How to Enable Windows Photo Viewer Instead of Photos App with Regedit File in Simple Steps?

Microsoft kindly returned the classic photo viewer. Many people liked it in Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Now, in Windows 10, you can enjoy using this classic app again.

When you open PNG, JPEG, or GIF pictures, the new photo app shows them. This might make older computers with specific hardware feel slower.

Moreover, your PC may enable only the admin account. Then you might see this error: This app cannot be activated by the Built-in Administrator. This error appears when you use specific programs.

Using the old Windows 10 Photo Viewer is a good idea. If your account has Admin group privileges, you can easily use the new app. Moreover, you will face no problems.

We have tested it ourselves. The older photo app opens and shows pictures well. Moreover, it is faster and makes the images look better.

Photo Viewer and Windows 10 Versions

Microsoft kindly added the viewer app to Windows 10 at launch. This was Version 1507. They smoothly put the beloved Windows 7 or 8 image viewer into the new operating system.

But later Windows 10 versions had more features and updates. They did not include this app as the default viewer anymore.

Instead, the “Photos” app took its place. Nonetheless, in Windows 10 Version 1511, you needed to intervene manually to use the old app.

Later, the default photo software became Photos in the Windows 10 Creators Update (Version 1703). But you can change the PC’s settings to use the older one.

The company now employs the “Photos” app in all recent Windows 10 iterations. So, you need a subtle registry modification to revert to the old version.

You can easily activate the old photo viewer with a registry file. In fact, a single click does the job smoothly.

• Version 20H2
• Version 21H2
• Version 1803 (OS build 17134)
• Version 1709 (OS build 16299)
• Version 1703 (OS build 15063)
• Version 1607 (OS build 14393)
• Version 1511 (OS build 10586)
• Version 1507 (RTM) (OS build 10240)

Besides these system versions, reinstate classic photo software in Windows 11. Furthermore, it’s compatible with 21H2 and 22H2 builds.

How to Restore the Old Photo Viewer

If you’re here, your Windows 10 PC has an up-to-date version. Use the following steps. Then, you will activate the old Windows Photo Viewer instead of the Photos app.

Steps:

Step 1

First and most importantly, protect your Windows PC from possible mistakes. You can do this by using System Restore as a precaution.

After taking safety measures, please return to our article and start with Step 1. Then, click below to download the carefully prepared Regedit (Reg) file.

Step 2

You obtained a Zip file. WinRAR compressed it. To extract it, right-click and select “Extract to folder” meticulously.

Subsequently, right-click the reg file, then proceed to click the Merge option.

Step 3

When you pick Merge, the Registry Editor opens. It makes the system settings accessible. Just click Yes when asked.

Step 4

An information window will confirm the system settings change if the process is successful. Now, click OK to conclude the procedure.

Step 5

Now, right-click the photo you want, and then click Open With. After that, choose Choose Another App.

Step 6

You will see the image’s file extension in the opened window. For instance, use the vintage viewer for PNG files. Mark “Always use this app to open .png files.”

Proceed by choosing the Windows Photo Viewer and confirming your selection with OK. The old viewer will seamlessly handle all .png images on your PC. This simple process completes the setup.

The desired file opens instantly upon clicking OK and features the old Photo Viewer.

FAQ About Windows Photo Viewer

Conclusion

You may opt for third-party apps on Microsoft’s Windows for your photos. Even so, many users still prefer the old application. They do not frequently edit images.

You can make things better by changing the photo viewer app on your Windows device. Similarly, you can fix screen brightness problems on your system. Just follow easy steps.

For example, we can fix it by going back to the classic Windows Photo Viewer. Also, check our guide if your screen brightness is not correct. In short, our article shares simple tips. These tips help you get your screen back to normal.