I recently did a re-install of Windows XP (on a cleanly formatted partition), and soon I noticed double-clicking image files (JPG, GIF, TIF, etc) opened an Open With dialog without the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (WPFV) in it.

The context menu does offer a Preview option, which opens the files in WPFV, so the application is functioning okay. The Open With submenu on the context menu showed both WPFV and Paint, and selecting WPFV from there also worked great. But just double-clicking the file didn't open WPFV, it only opened the Open With dialog, where WPFV is not available.

I've tried re-registering WPFV using "regsvr32 /i shimgvw.dll" and "regsvr32 shimgvw.dll", which said registration was successful, but that didn't change anything. I've re-installed Windows XP in a virtual machine, there everything worked as it should, and I compared the registry entries on .jpg, jpegfile and various other key points, and couldn't find any differences.

In the process of getting WPFV to be opened on double-click, I've first made Paint the default application (through the properties dialog) and after the Internet Explorer. Now my images open fine in IE when I double-click them, but I can't get them to open in WPFV by default. The Preview option is still in the context menu (and works properly), but WPFV is now missing from the Open With submenu also.

I haven't installed or performed any hacks or other weird things, as far as I know.

Okay, I know there are much better options than WPFV. I guess this whole thing turned into a more principal things, I want to find out how to fix this mistery, and learn a bit more about Windows on the way... ;-)

Does anybody want to help?

Thanks, Peter

you need to associate those types of files with picture and fax viewer. to do so, when prompted to "open with..." say chose program (picture and fax viewer in your case) and tick the box that says "always use this program to open this type of files".

I know, that is how it should be. However (I may not have been clear enough about this), the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer item is missing from the Open With dialog. So, I can't select it. Also, since WPFV is not a stand-alone program, I cannot browse for it.

Does anybody know how this list is populated? Because WPFV does seem to be properly installed, at least it is opens when I choose Preview.

Edited April 29, 200620 yr by pbb