# Microsoft Photos

Application: Microsoft Corporation

Dem still dey call am photos app, windows photos

Microsoft Corporation, System

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

| 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.

| Photos.exe | Photos gallery and viewer |
| ---------- | ------------------------- |

## Startup components

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

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos\_\*\\ |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |

## File formats

JPEG, PNG, GIF, HEIF (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.

| Download      | [apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4 ](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Help          | [support.microsoft.com/windows/photos ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/photos)Vendor support                        |
| Official site | [apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4 ](https://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.

## Related

Dis entities connect to dis article. Type dey show for every link.

[Photos.exe: Application Process](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/process/photos.exe/)[Microsoft Paint: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/software/microsoft-paint/)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager/)

## Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. [How we dey do research](https://feex.it/wiki/research/).

- [Microsoft Photos official site ](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4)· Vendor product page
- [Microsoft Photos help ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/photos)· Vendor support
- [Microsoft Support: Photos ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/view-edit-and-share-photos)· End-user Photos help
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on top Windows PCs. No be lab benchmark.

## Dis article make sense to you?

Yes or no dey enough. Choose reason if you want, or add short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of dis page. Specs, sources, and the full story still dey inside the article.

- **Developer**: Microsoft Corporation

  **Category**: Photo viewer and light editor

  **Process**: [Photos.exe](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/process/photos.exe/)

  **License**: Dey follow Windows come

  **First released**: 2015

  **Official site**: [apps.microsoft.com/photos](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4)

  **Feex map am**: Dem see am on top Windows PCs for Foxhole

Recorded source status: Feex Reviewed: Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification.

---

Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/software/microsoft-photos/)

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