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Microsoft Photos

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Dem still dey call am photos app, windows photos

Microsoft CorporationSystem

Di Windows photo viewer and light editor. Di process na Photos.exe. E no be IrfanView and e no be Paint.

Wetin you need know

Photos na di Windows gallery. IrfanView and Paint na different apps.

Microsoft Photos na di in-box viewer and light editor. Get updates from di Store listing. E no be IrfanView and e no be mspaint.exe.

Wetin e be?
Di Windows photo viewer
Same as IrfanView?
No. IrfanView na third-party
Same thing as Paint?
No. Paint na mspaint.exe
Feex tok say
If JPEG open for Photos and person dey look for mspaint, I dey point am to Photos.exe. Paint na different editor. IrfanView na third-party viewer wey you dey install yourself.

Wetin be Microsoft Photos?

Photos.exe na Microsoft Photos under WindowsApps. E dey show libraries and do light edits. mspaint.exe na Paint. IrfanView na i_view64.exe from different vendor.

If you never use am before

If JPEG open for gallery instead of Paint, Microsoft Photos na di Windows viewer. E dey ship as Store app. Light edits, albums, and video import dey here. E no be IrfanView, e no be Paint (mspaint.exe), and e no be di old Windows Photo Viewer from Windows 7.

Wetin dem dey use am for?

View folder of pictures

Di gallery na di everyday job. IrfanView na faster single-file viewer for plenty people. Paint na editor, no be gallery.

Light crop, filters, and video import

Edits dey stay for Photos. Heavy retouch still na Paint, Paint.NET, or another editor.

OneDrive and library views

Cloud libraries fit make Photos dey wait for network. Dat one no be IrfanView local folder walk.

Na who e dey for?

  • People wey dey double-click JPEG for current Windows
  • Anybody wey want di old Windows Photo Viewer back
  • Users wey dey compare dis one to IrfanView or Paint

Current status

Microsoft Photos (2015) na current photo viewer and light editor from Microsoft Corporation. Di vendor still dey point Windows users go https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4.

How old e be?

Microsoft Photos arrive with Windows 10 for 2015. E replace di older Photo Viewer for plenty associations. IrfanView na third-party viewer from di 1990s. Current Photos na di Store package, no be di 2009 Windows Photo Viewer.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers no dey all verified here.

Microsoft Photos Store app

System requirements

Values dey follow wetin di publisher release publicly. Workload still dey change di real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system Dey ship with supported Windows 10 and Windows 11
RAM E reach for Windows plus dis app. Heavy projects go want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand
E dey rise during import or large RAW file
RAM demand
E dey follow di open library
GPU demand
Viewer acceleration

Installed processes

Dese executables belong to dis product when e dey installed.

Installed processes
Photos.exe Photos gallery and viewer

Startup components

Photos dey start when you open picture. Startup shortcut no common at all.

File locations

Common Microsoft Photos locations
Typical install C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_*\

File formats

JPEGPNGGIFHEIF (with extensions)plenty camera formats wey Photos dey list

Common wahala dem

Default app fight with Paint or third-party viewer

Settings > Apps > Default apps dey pick Photos or IrfanView per file type. Dem no be di same process.

Blank gallery for OneDrive library

Dat one na cloud index, no be Paint. Check network, then repair Photos for Apps.

How to get unstuck

Open file location for di row wey dey busy

WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos na Photos. PaintApp\mspaint.exe na Paint. IrfanView dey under Program Files if you install am.

Repair Photos for Settings > Apps if di gallery blank

No download Photos.exe from filename site.

If you want small fast viewer, install IrfanView from di vendor site, no be "Photos replacement" ad

Photos remain di in-box gallery. IrfanView na optional.

Alternatives

IrfanView for fast third-party viewer. Paint for pixel drawing. Windows Photo Viewer for older Windows if e still dey.

Official help and downloads

Start with di vendor. Random exe sites no be support channel.

Official contacts
Download apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4 Official installer or vendor page
Help support.microsoft.com/windows/photos Vendor support
Official site apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4 Start here, no be random exe host

Related hardware

Huge RAW or large OneDrive library go need RAM and working GPU for di viewer.

Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers dey change. Dis article no pin down any build.

Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. How we dey do research.

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