Last Updated on May 6, 2026
If you upgraded to Windows 10 or Windows 11 from an older operating system like Windows 7, you likely noticed that many of your favorite built-in programs are gone. Microsoft replaced the classic desktop programs with modern “apps,” and the default way to view images is now the modern Windows Photos app. A good example of a great program that is now missing from Windows is WordPad. It is possible however to add WordPad back to Windows if needed.
While the new Photos app offers extra editing features, many users find it slow, clunky, or simply overcomplicated. It pales in comparison to the lightning-fast original Windows Photo Viewer. Sometimes it feels like Microsoft changes things that work perfectly fine just for the sake of making changes.
The good news is that the classic Windows Photo Viewer was never actually removed from Windows 10 or Windows 11. The core files are still sitting right there on your hard drive. Microsoft just hid the registry keys that allow you to select it as your default program. Bringing it back requires a quick tweak to the Windows Registry. Once we add the correct instructions back into your system, you can ditch the modern Photos app and go back to using the classic viewer.
Create or Download the Registry Fix
To get the classic Windows Photo Viewer back, we need to inject the missing information into the Windows Registry. You have two options here. You can safely download the premade registry file using the link below, or you can create it yourself using Notepad.
1. Download the Premade File
You can save time and download the premade registry file here. This file contains all the necessary code to restore the classic viewer instantly. Save it directly to your desktop for easy access.
2. Open a Blank Notepad Document
You can create the file manually if you prefer to see exactly what goes into your system registry. Open the standard Notepad application on your computer. You will use this blank canvas to build the registry file from scratch.
3. Copy and Paste the Registry Code
Copy the text below exactly as it appears in this tutorial. Paste the text directly into your blank Notepad document. Make sure you do not add any extra spaces or characters to the code.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open]
“MuiVerb”=”@photoviewer.dll,-3043”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open\command]
*@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,*
*00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,*
*6e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,*
*00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,*
*25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,*
*00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,*
*6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,*
*00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,*
*5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,*
00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\open\DropTarget]
“Clsid”=”{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print\command]
*@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,*
*00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,*
*6e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,*
*00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,*
*25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,*
*00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,*
*6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,*
*00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,*
*5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,*
00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\photoviewer.dll\shell\print\DropTarget]
“Clsid”=”{60fd46de-f830-4894-a628-6fa81bc0190d}”
4. Save the Custom Registry File
Click File at the top of the Notepad window and then choose Save As. Name the file photos.reg in the file name box. Make absolutely sure you type the .reg extension, otherwise Notepad will save it as a standard .txt text file.
Merge the Registry File
1. Locate the Registry File
Locate the photos.reg file you just downloaded or created. It should be sitting right on your desktop. Double check the file extension to ensure it shows up as a registry entry and not a text document.
2. Merge the Code into Windows
Right-click on the file and select Merge from the context menu. Windows User Account Control will immediately prompt you for permission. Click Yes to allow the registry editor to make changes to your device.
3. Accept the Registry Warning
A standard Registry Editor warning will appear on your screen. This advises you that adding information can change or delete system values. Click Yes to confirm you want to add the information into the registry safely.
4. Reboot Your Computer
The registry editor will confirm the values were successfully added to the system. Reboot your computer to ensure all background services recognize the new registry keys. Your computer is now ready to use the classic viewer.
Change Your Default File Associations
Now that the classic Windows Photo Viewer is actively registered in your operating system, you need to tell Windows to actually use it.
1. Open the File Properties Menu
Right-click on any image file on your computer to start the association process. A standard JPEG photo works perfectly for this step. Hover over Open with in the context menu and then click on Choose another app.
2. Locate the Classic Viewer
A menu will appear asking “How do you want to open this file?” Look carefully for Windows Photo Viewer in the visible list. Click on More apps at the bottom of that list and scroll down if you do not see it immediately.
3. Set the Default Application
Click on Windows Photo Viewer to highlight it in blue. Check the box at the bottom that says Always use this app to open .jpg files. Click OK to save your brand new default application settings.
Pro Technician Tips and FAQ
1. Fix Blurry Photo Issues
The classic viewer was built before 4K monitors and high DPI scaling became common. The old viewer can sometimes look a bit soft if you have your Windows scaling set to 150% or 200%. You can right-click your desktop, go to Display Settings, and try lowering your scaling to fix this. Most people find the lightning speed of the app is worth the slight trade-off in sharpness.
2. Understand Registry Permanence
This registry edit is completely permanent. It will stay active unless a major Windows update resets your default app associations. You do not need to run the registry fix again if that happens. Just go back into the Open With menu and re-select the viewer.
3. Revert to the Modern Photos App
You can easily switch back if you actually want the modern Photos app back. Just right-click a photo, go to Open With, and click Choose another app. Pick the modern Photos app and make sure to check the “Always use this app” box to make it the default again.
4. Use on Fresh Windows 11 Installs
You can absolutely use this trick on a completely fresh install of Windows 11. The legacy files for the Photo Viewer are still present in the system folders on the newest versions of Windows. This reliable fix will work perfectly for the foreseeable future.
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