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Cannot open JPG files on desktop using Windows Picture and Fax viewerWhen I double click an image file, i.e. a .jpg or .png file, on the Desktop, I see the Picture and Fax viewer flash open and instantaneously close. If I select Office Viewer (or any other picture program) as the default viewer, no problem - the picture stays open until I close it. But if I re select the Win Fax viewer again as the default viewer, the picture just flashes open and immediately closes. Very frustrating. If I right click on the JPG file and select Picture and Fax viewer, the image opens no problem. It is when I have selected picture and fax viewer as the default and just double click on the jpg that I have this problem. If I try to open (double click) this same file in a different folder, it opens and stays open just fine! That is, I can open any of these files in any other folder no problem using Picture and Fax viewer as the default, but on the desktop as I said, the viewer just flashes open and closes instantly. I am on XP Pro SP3. This problem started about two weeks ago and unfortunately, I did a lot of things back then so I can't pin down what created the problem. I have googled this and discovered a few Vista users have had a similar problem. They solved it by removing some desktop shortcuts - that had nothing to do with image files! That solution doesn't work for me. I am pretty frustrated. I like to download images to my desktop and view them before sending them to a different folder. Any suggestions? |
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WinFax?
Thu, 2009-10-29 09:11 by admin
Do you mean the third-party program WinFax or the Fax function that is built into Windows?
In any case it may be difficult to pin down the precise problem, particularly from far. One standard recommendation is to
In the case of a Windows component you can do that through Control Panel, Add/remove programs. It has an icon for Windows components on the left side. If you install components that had not been installed before, it may ask you for the Windows install CD.
Deleting a shortcut worked for me
Tue, 2010-08-31 19:51 by incidentflux
Went through the deal of re-registering the DLL, restarting, un-installing some apps, all that didn't work.
What did work was deleting this shortcut...
"C:\Documents and Settings\(USER)\Desktop"
All's well now :-D
Clarification
Tue, 2010-08-31 23:43 by incidentflux
Just to clarify I deleted that shortcut from the desktop.
Can't be
Tue, 2010-08-31 21:09 by admin
Deleting a shortcut has no effect on any program, unless it looks specifically for that shortcut, which no program normally does.
Must have been something else.
problem can be re-created
Tue, 2010-08-31 23:59 by incidentflux
You may be right... but I managed to recreate the problem on a completely different WinXP computer.
I recreated the shortcut manually again, the shortcut wasn't even modified, just what's created by default, and the problem came back. Windows Picture and Fax viewer would flash and then close when opening images straight from the desktop.
The app works fine if the image file is within a folder on the same desktop.
In that case ...
Wed, 2010-09-01 07:00 by admin
It's really strange. The only explanation I can imagine is the one I had already written—the program looks specifically for that shortcut.
It remains strange though, because I can't think of any explanation why it should do that.
Anyway, congratulations, you've solved the problem. I wouldn't even have thought of trying that solution.
It is the windows picture and fax viewer
Thu, 2009-10-29 23:23 by Flyingwriter
Thanks for reading my problem and the reply. It is in fact, the built in "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer." I have edited the head line to make it clearer.
I went to control panel and selected "windows components" to see if I could remove then re install this service but it is not listed separately.
I will point out however that it is be working perfectly everywhere else in the windows environment. If I double click on any jpg file in any other folder that the desktop, the image opens fine and stays open. The problem is that when I double click on that same file (a copy) on the desktop it opens for a brief flash, then closes. I don't think these is anything wrong with the Picture and Fax Viewer. The problem is that something is telling it to immediately close after it has opened, when a file is selected on the desktop.
Access rights?
Fri, 2009-10-30 07:17 by admin
I'm only poking around in the dark, as I don't know this particular symptom, but a lack of access rights could conceivably cause this problem.
You can find the desktop folder in your profile, i.e. in:
Documents and Settings\your_username\desktop
At least you should have full access to the desktop.
Check also the access rights to one of the problem files. This problem can occur when you move a file to the desktop, rather than copying it, and you did not originally have sufficient access rights to it.
Well, this is interesting
Fri, 2009-10-30 12:31 by Flyingwriter
I went to Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop. I clicked on one of the JPG files and it opened up (and stayed open) perfectly! That same file, if opened on my "regular" desktop flashed closed as I have described previously.
A tantalizing clue but I can't make sense of it!
Not access rights, anyway
Fri, 2009-10-30 16:26 by admin
No bell rings here either, but at least this proves that the cause is not a lack of access rights.
A useful test could be to temporarily associate the file type with a different program, like some image viewer (IrfanView or similar), then try again. If the same problem shows up, then it is a problem with the Windows desktop. If not, the problem is in the Fax viewer.
Yeah, already done that
Sat, 2009-10-31 01:18 by Flyingwriter
I currently have the jpg and png files associated to Office Viewer and they open (and stay open) fine if I double click on them. Also, if I use the "open with" command and specify Picture and Fax viewer they open (and stay open) no problem.
So I agree, the problem is somehow related to the normal windows desktop - not with Picture and Fax viewer.
Empty the desktop
Sat, 2009-10-31 15:17 by admin
Have you tried emptying the desktop entirely before testing. You mentioned something like that in your original message. Particularly offending could be icons that point to a web site.
If not, that could be a quick and simple test. You could create a new folder on the desktop and shift all desktop icons into that temporarily for a test. The folder should not cause any problems.
Done that too
Sun, 2009-11-01 21:58 by Flyingwriter
I appreciate the interest and help from you. Yep, I tried that yesterday. I created a folder on the desktop and moved all the desktop folders and icons into it. Then tried again - same result. That procedure by the way was what helped some VISTA users solve the same problem. They were able to isolate an offending desktop shortcut using that technique. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
I think this all started when I used a live online service by Norton to remove a Trojan horse from my computer at a cost of $140.00. He removed the Trojan Horse and that went well. Then he did a so called "performance enhancement" in which operating my computer remotely he removed a lot of stuff. This included several useful utilities I have used for years with a warning "not to use free software found on the net." When he deleted those programs he did not do a proper uninstall, he just deleted the executables! It annoyed the crap out of me and made a real mess out of some of the functions of my computer. I suspect the problem discussed here was a result of his hatchet job.
If anyone needs a Trojan Horse or virus removed that they cannot get out themselves, I recommend Norton's service but BY NO MEANS have them do the additional "performance enhancement."
So, perhaps someone who has this problem and finds a solution will discover this thread and put the fix here. By the way, how do I arrange to be notified when someone replies to this thread?
Thanks - Bruce
Norton
Mon, 2009-11-02 07:31 by admin
My opinion of Symantec/Norton is very low, and I keep recommending against using anything that bears the label Norton. There are other threads on this web site that help people to recover from other kinds of damage done by Symantec/Norton software.
I would try a repair installation now. This may or may not help, but it does not usually do any heavy damage.
This web site does not have any email notification, so you have to keep checking from time to time.