Windows picture and fax viewer mia

[Frog]

I've found a few sites which supposedly help restore this program but even when following the directions I get totally lost.
I don't know what happended to the program and the only time I can see it is if I right click a pic and 'open with' gives me the option to open it with it.
At times I want to use it to download photos.
Anyone have an idea with clear directions for the technically challenged that will restore it?

[Grandpaw]

Frog are you using XP or Vista? XP is not the same as Vista.

This is for Vista, Jeff
In the list of programs for your computer it will be listed as WINDOW PHOTO GALLERY (new name in Vista)

Also if you want to make it your default viewer, then right click on a picture go down to OPEN WITH then CHOOSE DEFAULT PROGRAM choose which program you want to open the photos up and make sure you have ALWAYS USE THE SELECTED PROGRAM TO OPEN THIS TYPE OF FILE checked then click OK

[Frog]

Thanks, Jeff but I have XP and mostly I want it for downloading pics from camera card,

[freygr]

Got to Control panel, select software add/remove, then look under the tab "add/Remove windows components", it's on the left side. Make sure you have the windows install CD. Then remove the program and reinstall. Removing the program gets rid any bad components of the "Windows picture and fax viewer" and deletes the reg. entries also.

But before reinstalling I would 1) empty the trash, 2) preform a disk clean up, and 3) run the disk defragmenter. After all that then I would reinstall "Windows picture and fax viewer"

[Frog]

Thanks freygr, but it isn't there. What I'm getting from googling is that its part of explorer and the name is not what we call it.
Its just strange that I can use it to open pics but can't find it.
I'll keep plugging at it though. Its become a cause for me.

[mn shutterbug]

I didn't realize it was there for anything more than viewing photos. I learn something new every day.