Picture viewer as default

[racertim]

Hi,
I recently installed Image Composer and now when I try to
open pictures or faxes XP chooses Image Composer as the
default program. I want to set Picture Viewer as the
default program but cant find how to do this anywhere.
Help please!

 

[John Inzer]

Try this...open an image folder and right click one
of your image files...choose..."Open With"..on the
menu that pops up...select "Choose Program".

Make your choice from the list or Browse to the
correct program if it is not in the list. Once you
make your selection...be sure to check the box
that says: "Always use the selected program to
open this kind of file". (you will need to do this
for each format....jpg, .tif, .gif...etc.)

Also...in WinXP, you can go to...My Computer /
Tools / Folder Options / File Types tab...

 

[John Inzer]

OK, I did that and it worked to open Picture viewer but
when I closed the viewer with the "close viewer and open
for editing" it then defaults to Paint instead of Image
Composer.

===========================================
Now you're discussing a different function. That's
the default...it's supposed to do that.

If you want to change the default Editor, you have to
edit your registry.

Here's your solution:

IMPORTANT: This message contains information
about modifying the registry. Before you modify the
registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem
occurs. For information about how to back up, restore,
and edit the registry, click the following link to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

(256986) Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986


OK...go to...Start / Run and type in..."regedit" without
the quotes. Then click OK or press...Enter.

In the Registry Editor...drill down to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\shell\edit\command

In the Data column you should see the following string:

"%systemroot%\system32\mspaint.exe" "%1"

(where you see *mspaint* in the example....you will see
your current default)

Replace the string with the path to the program that will
be your default image editor. I wanted Picture It! 7 so
the following is what I changed to.

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Picture It! 7\pip.exe" "%1"

Now, my images still open in the Picture and Fax viewer
but if I click the Edit button...Picture It! 7 opens.

Good luck.

 

[Jim Goldthorp]

Now you're discussing a different function. That's
the default...it's supposed to do that.

If you want to change the default Editor, you have to
edit your registry.

Here's your solution:

IMPORTANT: This message contains information
about modifying the registry. Before you modify the
registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem
occurs. For information about how to back up, restore,
and edit the registry, click the following link to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

(256986) Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN- US;256986


OK...go to...Start / Run and type in..."regedit" without
the quotes. Then click OK or press...Enter.

In the Registry Editor...drill down to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\shell\edit \command

In the Data column you should see the following string:

"%systemroot%\system32\mspaint.exe" "%1"

(where you see *mspaint* in the example....you will see
your current default)

Replace the string with the path to the program that will
be your default image editor. I wanted Picture It! 7 so
the following is what I changed to.

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Picture It! 7\pip.exe" "%1"

Now, my images still open in the Picture and Fax viewer
but if I click the Edit button...Picture It! 7 opens.

Good luck.


--

John Inzer
Picture It! MVP
return e-mail disabled


.

John,

I followed your instructions as to changing the default
photo editor. From within Microsoft Windows and Fax
Viewer, when I click on the icon for Editing the picture,
the photo viewer shuts down and does not open the photo
editor. Before I changed it to what I wanted, it didn't
open "Paint.exe" either. Do you know how to fix this?

Jim Goldthorp
(please respond to (e-mail address removed))

 

[John Inzer]

I followed your instructions as to changing the default
photo editor. From within Microsoft Windows and Fax
Viewer, when I click on the icon for Editing the picture,
the photo viewer shuts down and does not open the photo
editor. Before I changed it to what I wanted, it didn't
open "Paint.exe" either. Do you know how to fix this?

=============================================
Can you launch MS Paint if you go to...Start / All Programs /
Accessories / Paint?

 

[Jim Goldthorp]

John,

I thought that that might be a problem so I did test the
ability of Paint.exe to open. It opens fine. So does
Microsoft Photo Editor. Both work fine independently of
the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

Jim