Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Has Taken Over

Once again, Microsoft isn't following their own rules. The Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is set as the default image viewer for all sorts of file types in Windows XP. Unfortunately, choosing a new program as the default in the File Types window won't change this, and there's no option in the Windows interface that can disable this component. It's a really stupid design, and it takes a Registry change to fix it:

Solution #1:

Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE).
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ SystemFileAssociations\ image\ ShellEx\ ContextMenuHandlers.
Delete the ShellImagePreview key.
Close the Registry Editor when you're done; the change will take effect immediately.

Solution #2:

Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE).
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ CLSID\ {e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}\ shellex.
Delete the MayChangeDefaultMenu key.
Close the Registry Editor when you're done; the change will take effect immediately.

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Last modified: 23 April 2007