Change the Default Photo Display Program in Windows XP

Have you ever gone to view a photo on your computer, only to click on it and have an annoying program that you don't like open it for you? Sometimes programs hijack your extensions, taking over the default viewer status for your pictures. Or, maybe you've downloaded a photo viewer program you like better than whatever came with your computer. In any case, it's easy to change your default photo display program on Windows XP. This will change your settings so that, whenever you click on an image file, it will be opened with the program of your choice.

Steps

  1. Go to your start menu and open the control panel.
  2. Look for an icon called Folder Options and open it. If you don't see this icon, on the left bar below where it says Control Panel, look for the words "Switch to Classic View" and click on it.
  3. Select the third tab, labeled File Types.
  4. Scroll down to JPG, the most common photo file type (you may want to change GIF as well), and highlight it. Below, it will say what program the file opens with, and offer a button called Change.
  5. Click on Change, and you will be presented with a list of options to choose from. You may want to experiment with what you like. Many people prefer Windows Picture and Fax Viewer as a convenient option.
  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with extensions JPEG and JPE, two alternate designations for the same type of photo.
  7. Select OK to close the window.

Alternative Method

  1. Right click on the picture file, select "Open With..." select the desired program and toggle the "Always use this" checkbox.

Tips

  • An administrative profile will be needed to change the file association via Folder Options.
  • An alternate method is to right click an jpg or gif and select open with -> choose program, and choose the program you want. Be sure to select the checkbox that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" to make the change permanent.
  • Often Dell PCs start with the JASC Paint program as the default viewer, which many people find inconvenient.

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Change_the_Default_Photo_Display_Program_in_Windows_XP&oldid=298106"