Why can i no longer open image files saved on my desktop using Windows picture and fax viewer??

Question

I always used to be able to open all sorts of image files (JPEG, JPG, BITMAP....etc) which are saved on my desktop using Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. However a week ago I dicovered that i cannot do this anymore and i can only open them using MS-Paint which doesnt have slideshow capability.
The strange thing is all other image files saved anywhere else other than the desktop open easily with Windows Picture and Fax viewer!! does anyone have an explanation? solution?

i tried using "open with" option via right clicking and choosing the "windows viewer" programme but it still doesnt open!

Answer 1

I dont know why this has happened - possibly some sort of corruption with your desktop or account profile. However, you say that pictures stored in a location other than your desktop open ok with Picture and Fax viewer - so move these pictures from your desktop to another folder and see if that works. Its not an association problem as images with the same extension open from other folders, so the association is working ok. Gets around your problem without getting to the root cause but a fix is a fix ! My money is still on a corruption though . . . .

Answer 2

Try right clicking on your My Pictures folder and then click on Open with.... in the window that opens search the list for windows picture and fax viewer and click on it, before you do though make sure there is a tick in the box "always use this for this type of file" (or something similar as I can't remember the exact wording) and then click on open... this should reset the picture and fax viewer as the default application.

Answer 3

You File Association settings have changed.

Right-click on an offending image file, and choose Open With and choose "Choose Program..."

Then select Windows picture and fax viewer and check the "Always use this program..." box and click OK.

Works every time, until another program changes them again!!!

Answer 4

For some reason the association for those image types has changed. You can correct this by selecting "folder options" under the tools menu in My Computer. After, select file types. You'll see a list of known file types there and will be able to change the default application they open in.

You could also right click the image file and select a program from your "open with" list.

Answer 5

right click the picture you want to open and select properties then change the open with program to windows picture and fax veiwer