Once upon a time I found a way to change the default action for images to "Open" instead of "Preview" without actually disabling the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. This allowed me to open image files in the editor of my choice by simply clicking on them, while still letting me preview them in the built-in viewer from the context menu.

Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of what I did, and now SP1 has very kindly "fixed" this for me. (Gee, thanks, Bill!) Does anyone know how to do this?

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Right-click on the image file, highlight Open With, and select Choose Program from the bottom of the context menu. Highlight your preferred viewing program and check the box for Always use the selected program to open this kind of file.

JSS3rd@earthlink.net

Once upon a time I found a way to change the default action for images to "Open" instead of "Preview" without actually disabling the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. This allowed me to open image files in the editor of my choice by simply clicking on them, while still letting me preview them in the built-in viewer from the context menu.

Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of what I did, and now SP1 has very kindly "fixed" this for me. (Gee, thanks, Bill!) Does anyone know how to do this?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Disable Image Preview (Windows XP) 
When you open an image file in Windows XP the default action is to "Preview" it
using the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. This tweak can be used to disable the Preview 
image option.


Open your registry and find the key below. 

 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\ShellEx\
ContextMenuHandlers\ShellImagePreview]

Set the value of "(Default)" to blank to disable the default preview option.
Set the Value to "{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}" to restore the action.

The change should take effect immediately. 

This will only remove the preview as default action if the image format is associated 
with another 
application. Filetypes still associated with the windows "Picture and Fax Viewer" 
application will still show
the preview option as default action.

All it took was some googling ;)

--ksh--

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Hm, my default action is "Open." I checked this reg key and the correct value is there. When I blank the value, the "Preview" option disappears from the context menu. When I replace the value, the "Preview" option reappears but the default is still "Open." Anyone know how to make "Preview" the default?


On Sunday, August 8, 2004 at 7:42 pm, ksh wrote:
>Disable Image Preview (Windows XP)
>When you open an image file in Windows XP the default action is to "Preview" it
>using the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. This tweak can be used to disable the Preview
>image option.
>
>
>Open your registry and find the key below.
>
> [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\ShellEx\
>ContextMenuHandlers\ShellImagePreview]
>
>Set the value of "(Default)" to blank to disable the default preview option.
>Set the Value to "{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}" to restore the action.
>
>The change should take effect immediately.
>
>This will only remove the preview as default action if the image format is associated
>with another
>application. Filetypes still associated with the windows "Picture and Fax Viewer"
>application will still show
>the preview option as default action.
>
>All it took was some googling ;)
>
>--ksh--

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Unfortunately, this does not work in XP PRo.


On Monday, October 7, 2002 at 3:04 pm, Jim Swearingen wrote:
>

>Right-click on the image file, highlight Open With, and select Choose
>Program from the bottom of the context menu. Highlight your preferred
>viewing program and check the box for Always use the selected program to open
>this kind of file.
>
>
>

>

>JSS3rd@earthlink.net

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Easist way to disable Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Posted 8/12/2002 by TweakXP Member Right Click On image file. Choose "open with", then "choose program" Select your favorite image viewer program. Check the "always use selected program" box Click OK. It's just that simple.


On Monday, October 7, 2002 at 1:51 pm, John wrote:
>Once upon a time I found a way to change the default action for images to "Open"
>instead of "Preview" without actually disabling the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.
> This allowed me to open image files in the editor of my choice by simply clicking
>on them, while still letting me preview them in the built-in viewer from the context
>menu.

>
>Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of what I did, and now SP1 has very kindly "fixed"
>this for me. (Gee, thanks, Bill!) Does anyone know how to do this?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I tried everything and it still opens the BS windows viewer. Anybody else got a guess


On Friday, March 16, 2007 at 6:52 am, tweak wrote:
>Easist way to disable Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
>Posted 8/12/2002 by TweakXP Member
>Right Click On image file.
>Choose "open with", then "choose program"
>Select your favorite image viewer program.
>Check the "always use selected program" box
>Click OK.
>It's just that simple.
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

None of your methods worked. This did. Hkey_classes_root....tifimage.document.....shell....open...droptarget...clsid (delete value).. go to folder options....file options.....tif (hit restore button) tif will now open in the programs you have chosen.


On Monday, October 7, 2002 at 1:51 pm, John wrote:
>Once upon a time I found a way to change the default action for images to "Open"
>instead of "Preview" without actually disabling the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.
> This allowed me to open image files in the editor of my choice by simply clicking
>on them, while still letting me preview them in the built-in viewer from the context
>menu.

>
>Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of what I did, and now SP1 has very kindly "fixed"
>this for me. (Gee, thanks, Bill!) Does anyone know how to do this?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Barry,

I needed to change the default program used to open, preview, edit, print TIF files. 
I tried many of these suggested Registry entry changes and they simply do not work 
in Windows XP Pro!

However ,I found that the following steps actually did the trick without all of the 
potentially risky changes to the Registry…

Go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Folder Options/File Types. Click on any image 
extension type that you want to change (.tif, .jpg, .gif, etc.) Click the Advanced 
button - New button - inside the Action box type "preview" (without quotes) – Select 
the Browse button and select the Program Application that you want to use for the 
preview function. You can do this for other actions that you might want to do with 
the file type, such as "open," “edit,”,“print,” etc. if you don’t like the default 
program that the system has currently assigned to that action. If you change your 
mind and want to get it back, simply remove the above actions you have made.  If 
there is already an action shown in the box, you can choose the Edit button and make 
the change to the program used via the Browse button as above. Hope this helps?




Boxing is like ballet, except that the dancers don't wear skirts and they hit 
each other.




On Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 3:19 pm, barry wrote:

>I tried everything and it still opens the BS windows viewer. Anybody else got a 
guess

>

>

> 

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