Tech: Windows Photos

Subject: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Sep 24 - 05:23 PM

With my latest Windows 11 update, the default photo viewer changed radically. The old photo viewer had an "edit" function that allowed me to crop photos easily and adjust brightness - and I could do it very quickly. Now there's a link that opens the photo in something called "Microsoft Designer," which is far more complicated and really doesn't seem to do the basic photo editing I wanted.
There used to be a photo app with Microsoft Windows that was good for photo display and editing and cropping, but that's gone, too.

Google tells me that I can download Windows Photos Legacy, and that's the old photo utility that I liked so much. I had to do some calisthenics to download it and choose it as my default photo viewer, but I've got it working now until Microsoft interferes again. It seems to be the same as the Windows Photos program I used previously, but it opens with a nifty indexing function that I hadn't seen before. It appears that Windows Designer may be helpful for more advanced photo editing.

So, what other free utility can I use for viewing and editing photos?

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Helen
Date: 03 Sep 24 - 05:59 PM

Hi Joe,

I've been using Paint Shop Pro for a long, long time and I love it. The version I have is Paint Shop Pro 5 which was free, as far as I remember.

It is simple, easy to use, very effective, fun, clever, everything I wanted. I can't vouch for the latest versions, but I would pay for it if I had to because it's a keeper!

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 24 - 08:19 PM

Indexing? That's useful!

I still use Win10 and I was having trouble getting that default photo program to do what I wanted to so I downloaded IrfanView. It is a powerful (and sometimes quirky) program that does a lot. The usual proviso for open source software - it downloads via various mirror sites or from known sources, but always look to see what else they're trying to push along with it.

https://www.irfanview.net/faq.htm

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Sep 24 - 04:41 AM

When I was taking photos in raw format I found RawTherapee very useful but it may be a bit of overkill for standard stuff. Worth a look though?

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 Sep 24 - 05:45 PM

Joe,
I'm on windows 11. I find that double clicking on a photo opens it up in a page with a black background. Top left of that page is a blue 'Edit' button which immediately gives you cropping and other options.
Cheers

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Sep 24 - 08:04 PM

Hi, Nigel - I think I lost that with the last Windows Update. So I'm glad Windows Photos Legacy is available, but it was a hassle to find and install it.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: DaveRo
Date: 05 Sep 24 - 06:54 AM

I recently acquired a refurbished PC with Win 11 Pro installed. Apart from letting it update to the latest version - which was 23H2 (i.e. 2nd half of 2023) I've not used it. Photos behaves as Nigel described.

But there is a version 24H1 and also, I think, a 24H2. I guess the change Joe experiences was in 24H1. I suppose that what version you have and what it updates to depends on your PC - when and where it came from. And 'AI capable' machines get extra AI features.

You can also voluntarily install 'Previews' of the next update - another 23H2 in my case. I don't do that.

My version says (in Settings, System, About):
Experience: Windows Feature Experience Pack
which seems to mean that it bombards me with popups encouraging me to subscribe to Microsoft services. Opening Photos gave me half a dozen.

(Irfanview is not Open Source, btw, but it is free for individuals.)

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Sep 24 - 04:29 PM

Yes..Irfanview or
Faststone
or
Photofiltre

There are others...

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 24 - 09:15 PM

Photofiltre doesn't appear to have been updated since 2012.

Did you ever use Google's Picasa? While it existed it was a great tool to index all of the photos all over the computer. I miss it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: DaveRo
Date: 06 Sep 24 - 07:06 AM

DaveRo wrote: there is a [Win 11] version 24H1 and also, I think, a 24H2. I guess the change Joe experiences was in 24H1.

My guess was wrong. The latest version of Win 11 is 23H2, as I wrote.

Windows 11, version 23H2
Press 'show' on the green bar to see the new features.

Later versions are all opt-in previews, beta, or 'insider builds'. There is/was no 24H1 - there is a 24H2.
Windows 11, version 24H2

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 10:59 AM

I think I briefly looked at Picasa, but I have tried a number of editing programs, so never did much with it. I find Irfanview does 90% of what I need.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 12:53 PM

Of course, there is always Gimp
Steep learning curve..but free

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows Photos
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 02:33 PM

Not only free, but Free*. Sadly, the learning curve was for me so vertiginous that it was an overhang, but it was a short lesson on a bad day. The main downside for some is the fact that it's not instantly and bug-for-bug compatible with Photoshop, and for others the unfortunate connotations of the name.

* GNU Copyleft: all rights reversed.