I just got a notice from Microsoft about a update and let the system do it's won download.

A couple days later I noticed an issue with my computer using Windows Explorer. I like to use that program to view images I keep in folders as well as a nice way to manage the files on the system.

Anyway, here's the problem. Previously, if I click on an image in a folfer (I keep them in the folder to be displayed as thumbnails), the image used to come up in a program within Windows Exporer that showed the image with a series of icons underneath. These icons were to scroll forward or back to different images in that folder, buttons to view the image full size/fit in window, and also slide show, buttons for rotating the image clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degrees at a time, buttons to delete the image, and a button that was quite handy for printing...it had a neat little print program that would allow for very easy printing of images in the folder.

Now, since doing the automatic Microsoft upgrade (can't remember the upgrade name other than it ended with "2"), when I click on an image in a folder, it no longer opens the program described above, rather the system now opens one of my computers image editing programs. There's no longer a quick easy way to scroll through the images in that folder like before.

Any idea what the original viewing program was called within Windows Explorer and how to get it operating again???

Oh yea, any way to search my computer and find out exactly what that upgrade download consisted of?

Thanks for any input
Todd

I found the download/upgrade name somehow...its called "Windows XP Service Pack 2".

Don't know if this upgrade is related to my problem or just coincidental timing.

Probably 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer'.
Right click on a pic and select Open With
Select 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer'.
If that is the one you want then X out of it. Right click on an a pic again and select Open With
Select Choose Program
Select 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer' from the list and also check the box that says Always use the selected program to open this kind of file.
Then click ok.
You should be back in business!

Wow, you are the man...that fixed it right up!

I did figure out last night how to do half of what you described, but neglected to check the box for using that program for every file of this type. What I was doing was making that one image come up in the program, but not any others do to not checking that box.

Looks like I'm back in business.

thanks for your help!
Todd

I think I ended up with the same thing happening... I didn't fight it and now just right click on the first pic and select "Preview"

I think the service pack just left the folder settings defaulted to associations to the graphic programs installed on the PC instead of view as thumbnails.

It sounds like 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer' was the default application to open your JPG files. One easy way to change back is to use explorer to view your folder, right click on any JPG file, select 'open with...' and select 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer'. If you always want to use this application to open your JPG files by default, rather than selecting 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer', select 'Choose program...'. That in turn will bring up a list of appropriate applications; hopefully 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer' is on that list. If so, select it, making sure to check the box below that says: Always use the selected program to open this kind of file.


(Literally the command line syntax is as follows:
rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscre en %1

Rather than C:\WINDOWS it may be C:\WINNT or C:\WINNT32, depending on the file path where your root directory to your operating system is.)

Jeez, I must type slowly! When I started to answer this question there were no responses.

Originally posted by Cam:
Jeez, I must type slowly! When I started to answer this question there were no responses. Hey, at least you had the right answer! graemlins/waving.gif

you down loaded XP SP2. You probably should have read the forum here, there have been lots of warnings, Microsoft is still tweaking it.

My son does network admin in the Navy and he told me not to download it until his instructor has sorted out the software.