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SawyerGage's avatar
SawyerGage
Iron Contributor
Nov 03, 2025

Explorer right-click on image and select Preview is gone

Previously when right-clicking on an image in explorer you could choose to open it in Photos but I preferred the Preview option. It opened a window that was a simple preview image viewer. It had a fe...
pmnmpr's avatar
pmnmpr
Copper Contributor
Nov 03, 2025

This is a common point of confusion after a Windows update, as Microsoft has been consolidating its image viewing options. The "Windows Photo Viewer" from Windows 7/8.1 was gradually phased out in favor of the modern "Photos" app.

The good news is that the classic "Windows Photo Viewer" is almost certainly still on your system, just not set as the default. You have a couple of ways to get that simple, fast preview functionality back.

Re-enable Windows Photo Viewer (The "Preview" You Remember)

This is the most likely solution. The legacy Windows Photo Viewer is hidden but can be easily re-enabled.

  1. Open Settings: Press `Win + I` and go to Apps > Default apps.
  2. Search by File Type: Scroll down and click on "Choose default apps by file type".
  3. Find Your Image Format: This will open a long list of file extensions. Find a common image type, like .jpg or .png.
  4. Change the App: Click on the current default app (it will likely say "Photos"). A small pop-up menu will appear.
  5. Select the Old Viewer: If it's available, you will see "Windows Photo Viewer" in the list. Click on it.
  6. Repeat: Do this for other common image formats you use (e.g., .jpeg, .bmp, .tiff, .png).

Once you do this, right-clicking on an image and selecting "Open with" should now show Windows Photo Viewer as the primary option. You can also just double-click to open images with it.

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