How to change which file types Windows Photo Viewer show when navigating to Previous or Next

If you open a photo in Windows Photo Viewer and press the right arrow, it will move to the next photo in the folder. However, it will skip any non-photo file types (e.g. txt, doc, xls). It will include image types (jpg, png, tif, etc.)

Where can I control which types are included? The aim is to ~~include~~ exclude raw files from my camera (.orf) which are currently being included. (Note that orf files are not currently associated to be opened by Photo Viewer)

EDIT: the reason for doing this is that I take pictures with my camera in Raw+JPEG mode and both end up in the same folder, but when browsing with Windows Photo Viewer I don't want to see every photo twice.

windows-photo-viewer

Laurent

Posted 2015-08-17T15:33:16.560

Reputation: 1 059

I'm guessing that OP meant "excluded". If so, why not just associate the file type? – MC10 – 2015-08-17T16:12:53.573

To have them included will probably require a "coded" for the file type (there is one such for Nikon NEF files). – Hannu – 2015-08-17T18:02:23.103

@Hannu You mean "codec" (damn you autocorrect, etc.). – David Richerby – 2015-08-17T20:56:07.443

Answers

Uninstall Microsoft Camera Codec Pack to make Windows Photo Viewer skip RAW file types just like it skips non-image file types

Windows Photo Viewer cannot read RAW files unless you install Codecs.

EDIT : If you have not installed Microsoft Camera Codec Pack but installed a third party program that allows viewing RAW files, you would need to uninstall it

pun

Posted 2015-08-17T15:33:16.560

Reputation: 5 311

I never installed the Camera Codec Pack. I just checked in Control Panel, Uninstall a program, and it does not appear in the list. I'm using Windows 8.1 Pro. – Laurent – 2015-08-18T13:07:48.163

Ok, I found the culprit. I had FastPictureViewer Pro installed on my PC, and apparently that was supplying the codecs (which didn't actually work, as Windows Photo Viewer was displaying an error message "can't display file" anyway). After I uninstalled FastPictureViewer, the orf files stopped being included by Windows Photo Viewer. – Laurent – 2015-08-18T14:16:18.000

Ahh this was almost starting to get on my nerves :/ I have picassa installed on my computer but it doesn't cause the kind of behavior as with FastPictureViewer – pun – 2015-08-18T15:25:29.207

You must install Microsoft Camera Codec Pack

This will allow you to view/preview Olympus Raw Format (.orf files) in Windows Photo Viewer

Note : You might also need to associate .orf file type with Windows Photo Viewer

You can refer to this for the instructions

pun

Posted 2015-08-17T15:33:16.560

Reputation: 5 311

Sorry, fixed the typo. I am trying to exclude raw files. – Laurent – 2015-08-18T00:37:54.140

Hmm is it because .orf files don't open in window's photo viewer ? I will try post another answer after some hair snatching though – pun – 2015-08-18T01:06:41.840

Thanks. Actually it's because I shoot RAW+JPEG but I only want to see Jpegs because I don't want to see every photo twice. (And can't move them to a different folder due to the way I manage the files in Adobe Lightroom) – Laurent – 2015-08-18T05:04:09.140

@Laurent, just started to stumble upon your question, and just by uninstalling Microsoft Camera Codec Pack i can skip .CR2 file types. You should be able to skip .orf file types too – pun – 2015-08-18T07:45:33.503