Download the restore-windows-photo-viewer.reg Registry file hosted at BleepingComputer and save it to your desktop.If you'd like to fix this on a fresh install of Windows 10 and restore Windows Photo Viewer, you can do it by editing the Registry: This works only if you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8, and you never did a fresh install or system reset.įor Windows 10 users who performed a clean install of the operating system, we instead need to use a Registry hack to get it back as described below. To do this, open the Windows 10 Settings > System > Default apps and select the Windows Photo Viewer as the desired option under the 'Photo viewer' section.Įxit the Settings menu, and you can now access the photos in Windows Photo Viewer. The good news, is if you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8, it's easy to get the old Windows Photo Viewer back as you only have to change the default apps. Unlike the Photos app, Windows Photo Viewer works faster and makes it easy for you to view the photos stored in the local drives. While Windows Photo Viewer has been retired, it is still easy to use and lightweight program to access your digital photos on your PC. Instead, you'll be switched to the new Microsoft Photos, which is plagued with performance and reliability issues. Starting with Windows 10, when you open an image file, the image would no longer be viewed in the Windows Photo Viewer.