Standard Windows 7 image viewer. What programs are there for viewing pictures and photos?

We have analyzed the most popular free “viewers” with options for editing, cataloging graphic files, and their paid analogues. We gave each a fair assessment and looked at typical situations and the ease of using different software for specific purposes. The conclusions suggest themselves.

If all you need is to watch photos and pictures downloaded from the Internet in full screen, install one of the trinity IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, Universal Viewer. This software is absolutely free, instantly opens files, and conveniently scales. In addition, FastStone Image Viewer supports batch renaming, file conversion, the advantage of IrfanView in creating photo albums, Universal Viewer also supports playback of audio, video, screenshots in any format.

In the category of the best photo viewer for the home, FastStone Image Viewer and XnView are confidently in the lead. They support a large number of formats and have all the simple editing and conversion functions. Well, if you are the proud owner of the Windows 10 operating system and don’t even need basic image editing on your computer, the built-in Windows image and photo file viewer will help out.

In fact, two applications suitable for semi-professional use are XnView and Picasa. The latter will especially please administrators of groups on social networks, because it allows you to easily create collages and can synchronize photos on different devices using a Google account. The only serious contender for the title of professional software in our selection is ACDSee. There is cataloging, processing, cloud synchronization between different copies of the application and other options for specialists, but the price of a licensed copy is steep.

STDU Viewer stands apart because it is used for reading e-books and edit-protected documentation in PDF, Djvu and other similar formats. The choice is yours, and the download link can always be found above. Also, the review did not include quite interesting applications Zoner Photo Studio and Ashampoo Photo Commander Free. The fact is that their functionality goes significantly beyond the scope of a standard weaver and includes, for example, tools for capturing the screen (taking screenshots), adding watermarks, and creating slideshows. Read our other reviews, you will probably be interested

Now let's see what to use to view images on a computer, and choose the best photo viewers for Windows. The best photo viewer is a subjective concept, so in this article I will offer several applications that can be used to open popular graphic formats for viewing and processing images.

Any user, when working on a computer, inevitably encounters pictures, images, photographs. In any case, graphic format files will end up on your computer, so you will need a program to open and view them. Therefore, you need a photo viewer on your computer to easily view digital images.

Windows 10 has a built-in Photos application, with which you can open a graphic file, create an album, make the necessary changes to a photo, etc. In previous versions of Windows, the Windows Image Viewer application was used. The user can install Windows Picture Viewer in Windows 10, in addition to the Photos program, read more about this.

There is a free Photo Gallery application included with the core components of Windows Live. The photo album supports opening and editing photos. The program must be installed on your computer (it is not included in the OS). Read more about Windows Live Photo Album in this article.

In addition to Microsoft applications, a large number of third-party programs have been created for viewing and editing images. In this article we will look at the best free image viewer programs that have many additional built-in tools for working with graphic file formats.

Third-party photo viewers (viewers) can be used on your computer as an alternative to standard Windows tools. As the best free image viewer programs, I recommend paying attention to the following programs: FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView, Ashampoo Photo Commander Free, Honeyview. These programs run in Russian on the Windows operating system.

These applications, in addition to basic functions, have tools for image editing. For more serious picture editing, you will need another program - an image editor (photo).

The best photo viewers, in addition to the viewing function, have additional features necessary for working with images on a computer. The programs have built-in tools to perform various operations with digital photographs or any other images: rotate, resize, remove red-eye, swatch, color correction, convert to other formats, send for printing, etc.

The free Picasa program (which would have been included in this review) was left out of the scope of this review due to the fact that Google stopped developing and supporting the application in 2016.

FastStone Image Viewer

FastStone Image Viewer is a powerful free program for viewing and processing images with a simple, intuitive interface. Built-in tools will help the user solve certain problems with photography: remove red-eye, change image size, apply color correction, convert files, etc.

A regular version of FastStone Image Viewer or a portable version of the program that does not require installation on a computer is available for download.

Key features of FastStone Image Viewer:

Opening graphic files of major formats.
Editing digital photos and graphic files.
A large number of built-in tools for working with images.
Batch file processing.
Batch conversion to another format.
Creating a slide show with transitions and effects.
Preview function.

XnView

XnView is a free program (for non-commercial use) for viewing images, multimedia files, and converting files to other formats. This is a high-quality program for managing photos on your computer. Thanks to the support of a large number of formats, in XnView, in addition to working with graphic files, for example, you can watch movies or listen to music.

The program has a simple interface, a large number of built-in tools, XnView will do an excellent job of processing and editing photos on a computer.

The user can download the regular or portable version of the application to the computer from the official XnView website.

Features of the XnView program:

Supports more than 500 formats.
Photo editing.
Applying filters and effects.
Screen capture.
Batch conversion.
Editing metadata.
Convert files to 70 file formats.
Supports viewing video and audio files, archives, documents.
Creating a slide show.
Plugins are supported to expand the program's capabilities.

Details about the XnView program are written on my website.

IrfanView

IrfanView is a fast, free image viewer that consumes minimal computer resources. The program is one of the leaders in the number of downloads in the world for programs of this class. This indirect information tells us about the quality of the application, which is rated by users.

Download the IrfanView program from the official website. You can download the regular installation version of the application or the portable version of the program to your computer. To Russify the application, you will need to additionally download the Russian language file.

Main features of the IrfanView program:

Basic image editing functions.
Play audio and video files (using plugins).
Opening some text formats.
Taking screenshots (screenshots).
Batch renaming and converting files.
Creating a slideshow.
Support for plugins that significantly expand the functionality of the application.
Supports keyboard and command line operation.

Read a detailed article about the program on my website.

Ashampoo Photo Commander Free

Ashampoo Photo Commander Free is a free version of the Ashampoo Photo Commander program for viewing, editing and organizing photo storage on your computer. This is a powerful photo application with good functionality. With Ashampoo Photo Commander Free you can bring order to your digital photo collection.

Download Ashampoo Photo Commander Free from the official website to install on your computer.

Key features of Ashampoo Photo Commander Free:

Supports a large number of formats.
Organizing photo collections.
Creation of virtual photo albums.
Create slideshows with effects and transitions.
Record slide shows or photos to CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc.
Batch image processing.
Creation of collages, calendars, postcards.
Play video and audio files using the built-in player.

Honeyview is a free image viewer with a simple and intuitive interface. The program quickly opens graphic files, the application has tools for photo editing.

You can download it from the official website of the developer, as an installation file or as a portable version.

Honeyview program features:

Supports a large number of graphic formats.
RAW format support.
View images in archives.
View photos in slideshow mode.
Bookmark for favorite photos.
Support for GPS data on photos.

Conclusions of the article

The user can choose the best photo viewer running on Windows for their computer. Free programs: FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView, Ashampoo Photo Commander Free, Honeyview, are among the best image viewers in this class of programs, they cope well with tasks for viewing and processing images.

What is the best photo viewer? The built-in Windows tool is not an option if you have tried anything more interesting. But among the numerous alternatives, it is difficult to choose the ideal one for yourself, unless, of course, you spend time testing everything. Therefore, we offer you a description of the best programs for viewing photos.

We fundamentally decided to consider only free software. The programs offered are, of course, not ideal, but neither are commercial ones. All applications in question have general set of advantages:

Compatible with Windows 10 and other current versions, up to Windows 7
A richer set of functions than the standard “peeper” offers
Individual “superpower” for every decision

FastStone Image Viewer

At the end of the 2010s, this program’s popularity can only be compared with ACDSee in the early 2000s. The difference is that ACDSee was mostly hacked among post-Soviet users, but there is no need to hack FastStone. Based on user reviews and the positive/negative ratio, FastStone is the best photo viewer these days.

The program works quickly, has a built-in editor, and can convert photos in batch mode. Note the unusual interface design: in full-screen mode, just move the cursor over the edge of the display to access various menu sections.

FastStone supports a variety of image formats, from mainstream to professional. The only thing missing is built-in support for .webp, but soon this format, invented by Google programmers, will be supported in Windows at the system level.

Advantages:

Decent Russification
Contains a built-in editor with a wide range of functions

Flaws:

Unusual editor logic
Minor bugs in the batch conversion function

Another super hit of the market of free photo viewing programs. From the very beginning of the installation, a rich history is visible: in the list of plugins that are proposed to be installed, there is even a plugin for writing pictures to disk in Nero (who remembers this dinosaur?)

The interface of the program resembles the classic approach of ACDSee or the same FastStone: a browser with photo thumbnails, a more detailed view of the selected image in the same window, and a full-screen view by double click.

However, there is an interesting feature - working with tabs. On each tab, you can open a separate folder or photo and switch between them.

Advantages:

Small size
Fast work
Supports a wide range of formats
Good Russification

Flaws:

Slightly outdated style
Inconvenient keyboard controls

A classic program that Bosnian developer Irfan Skilyan created back in 1996 and named after himself. The program is in demand even more than two decades after its creation. Installers for 32- and 64-bit versions are available separately. This way you can choose the one that is more suitable for your system.

The program is loved because there is nothing superfluous in it - only viewing and basic photo editing. For other needs, the photo can be sent to third-party editors directly from full-screen viewing.

Advantages:

Supports multiple image formats
Required Editing Capabilities
Integration with external editors
Adobe BF8 plugin support
Ability to create panoramic photos
Batch Converter

Flaws:

No own file manager
Outdated interface (for example, it is impossible to download an additional language pack through the program itself)

A relatively little-known player on the market, DIMIN View has its trump cards. Probably the most interesting feature compared to analogues is the ability to create playlists from photos, a sort of simplified analogue of presentations. The playlist can be organized, compiled from pictures located in different folders, and played in slide show mode.

DIMIN View is a unique attempt to bring the logic of the iTunes library into the photo viewer. You do not need to transfer image files to organize them into a group: just add them to a special playlist.

Advantages:

Supports plugins
Allows you to create photo collections that can be viewed like a music playlist

Flaws:

Unusual interface logic
Incorrect Russification (there is a translation, but we haven’t seen such problems with displaying the Cyrillic alphabet since Windows XP, so it’s better to use English, please!)

By the standards of its simple and small analogues, this program is a corroded giant. WildBit has a wild appetite and requires more than 100 MB for installation. However, these megabytes are not wasted: the program has something to show.

Advantages:

Many formats supported
Beautiful slideshow with a variety of effects
Separate implementation for 32- and 64-bit systems
Working with multiple monitors simultaneously
Built-in powerful editor

Flaws:

Big size
Redundancy of functions if you just need to view

The program with the sweetest name suggests that viewing photos through it is like eating honey - you will stick and will not come off. Indeed, the developers have produced a good product that rightfully takes its place on the list.

One of the most interesting features of HoneyView that competitors do not have is integration with Google maps. If the EXIF data of a photo contains the coordinates of the place where it was taken, then you can go to this place on Google Maps in one click, view a street panorama (if available) and use all other functions of the service.

Just click on the “GPS” button, and the program opens the coordinates from the photo data using the web version of Google Maps.

Among other things, it is a simple and easy way to view photos on your computer. Convenient navigation using keys, a built-in browser with thumbnail display, basic editing and conversion functions - perhaps this is the best choice for lovers of travel.

Advantages:

Easy viewing of EXIF data and its integration with Google Maps
Support for rare formats (for example, .webp)
Successful integration into the Windows context menu
Menu in Russian

Flaws:

Somewhat overloaded interface

An absolute masterpiece of minimalism. The program does not require installation and is distributed in the form of a single executable file xlideit.exe. When launched, the application is integrated into the system automatically and generates configuration files, so it is better to immediately create a separate folder for it.

Since installation is not necessary, the program can be kept on a flash drive. This is convenient in many respects: for example, it allows you to view photos without launching the main program on the PC (you never know what the owner used it to look at last time).

For a file smaller than 3MB, Xlideit's capabilities are astounding. It opens different file formats, contains a built-in file manager and a set of tools for basic processing - what more could you want from such a midget?

Advantages:

Minimum size
Works from anywhere on your computer, including removable media
Rich options

Flaws:

Interface is in English only
Stutters when opening uncompressed photos
Sometimes it works unstably

Which of the proposed viewers is considered the best is a matter of taste. Each one has some kind of unique “trick” - perhaps you will find room on your computer for two or three at once. Thus, the author of the review believes that FastStone (as a universal viewer and editor) and HoneyView (as a tool for working with metadata) will make a good combination. There is always room for Xlideit on a flash drive with photos. However, each user has different needs, so you may choose a different program or set of them.

Greetings to all!

Perhaps not everyone will agree with me, but viewing pictures in Windows is not very convenient, for example, not all formats are supported, you cannot view photos in the archive, there is a problem with converting from one format to another, etc.

I think this is why many people prefer to use alternative programs for viewing photos and pictures (and I am no exception here).

Actually, in this article I want to recommend several viewers (this is the name of the program for viewing images) , which will greatly simplify viewing media files (note: many viewers allow you to easily view video files!) .

I will add that all the programs presented in the article support the Russian language and are compatible with all new Windows 7/8/10 operating systems.

What is the best way to replace the standard image viewer?

ACDSee

The most powerful organizer and browser of photo and video files! Allows you to view hundreds of different graphics formats: BMP, PCX, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, WMF and much more.

ACDSee has a built-in image editor: so that you can easily trim edges, add arrows, ovals and other elements, convert photos from one format to another, etc. You can easily create your own slide show. Supports work with scanners and digital cameras.

I will also note that the program can view the contents of archives without extracting them (very convenient!). And one more plus: ACDSee by default caches all previews from the folders you are viewing. This allows you to instantly show you a preview the next time you view the same folder, rather than creating it again (as other programs do). Thanks to this, the speed of work is an order of magnitude higher!

IrfanView

Very compact and fast viewer. Despite its modest size (only a few megabytes), it allows you to perform hundreds of different functions: viewing a bunch of different graphic formats (there are more than a hundred of them!), converting pictures (including in multi-mode), editing photos (cropping, writing, changing shades etc.) etc.

By the way, IrfanView was the first graphics editor in Windows that supported animated GIF files, multi-page TIFF and ICO files.

Key Features:

support for hundreds of graphic formats (JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, ICO, etc.);
support for Russian and all popular versions of Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (32 and 64 bit);
filter support for Adobe Photoshop;
creating and burning slide shows to discs;
Unicode support;
It is possible to draw and edit pictures;
ability to extract graphics from EXE/DLL/ICLs;
A HUGE number of different plugins (add-ons) for the program can seriously expand its capabilities;
support for scanners, digital cameras, and much more!

XnView

XnView - a simple and convenient photo and video viewer

A very popular viewer and direct competitor to ACDSee. It also allows you to view hundreds of different formats of photo and video files, convert from one format to another, change brightness, gamma, contrast, etc. All such operations can be done on hundreds of files at once, which is a definite plus for the program.

Key Features:

support for a huge number of formats (more than 400!);
convenient and powerful photo/picture processing: red-eye removal, edge trimming, changing resolution, converting to another format, adding watermarks, lightening/darkening and much more;
support for extensions (and there are quite a lot of them released);
working with scanners, printers and cameras;
support for creating screenshots;
the ability to use a portable version (which does not require installation);
the ability to automatically create lists of all files located in folders;
convenient work with previews (they can be configured as you like: make them large, small, put descriptions next to them, etc.).

FastStone Image Viewer

A simple and free program for viewing and processing photos. The functionality of the program is quite extensive and supports the Russian language in full. You can create postcards, banners, business cards, process photos, etc.

All in all, pretty good for a free product!

Key Features:

the ability to open photos/pictures in a variety of formats (including large photos in RAW format);
image editing and processing: trimming jagged edges, improving sharpness, increasing detail, adjusting gamma, brightness, red-eye removal, etc.;
conversion from one format to another;
applying watermarks, stamps and other protection;
import images from a scanner, photo and video camera;
batch multi-photo processing, and much more.

Zoner Photo Studio

Zoner Photo Studio - main program window

A very powerful program for working with pictures and photos (both for viewing and editing them). The program allows you to copy photos directly from your phone or camera, and edit pictures on the fly (remove red-eye, adjust contrast, brightness, etc.). In addition, you can immediately create your own slide show, gallery, calendar or panorama. And then, the resulting “creation” can be published on the Internet or sent to someone by email.

The program itself consists of four main modules: a module for importing photos; manager for managing archives of photographs and pictures on a PC; image editor; and an image viewer.

Before processing, and after processing in ZPS (improved brightness, color rendition, sharpness)

Key Features:

convenient and fast model for viewing pictures;
high-quality editing and improvement of the quality of “raw” photos: improving brightness, contrast, changing the color scheme, removing red-eye, etc.). Notice the wasp example above;
the ability to apply quick filters to dozens of pictures at once;
creating slide shows, calendars, and other photo collections;
there is a special tool: cloning stamp (allows you to remove objects from the photo that you do not need);
the ability to add frames to photos;
creating panoramas;
creating HDR images;
creating 3D images without special equipment. cameras for their projection, and much more.

Minuses: the program is free only for 30 days, then it really starts to get annoying...

Overall, Zoner Photo Studio leaves a very positive impression. Personal resume: more suitable for those who edit and process photos (there are many tools designed for quick and easy image processing (much faster than poking around in Photoshop)).

How to set the default program to open pictures in Windows 10

In Windows 10, for your installed program to become the main one and be used by default when viewing pictures, installing it alone is not enough. To do this you need to go to control Panel Windows in the "Programs" section - click on the link there "Default programs".

I note that in addition to the viewer, you can specify a player, a browser, etc. here.

That's all I have for now.

The program for viewing images in Windows 7 is installed along with the system and does not require additional configuration. To start viewing an image, you just double-click the left mouse button on the photo icon. An application window will open in front of you and the desired picture will be shown.

The program window contains basic tools that allow you to manage settings and set basic parameters for the image.

If you wish, you can enlarge or reduce the size of the photo using the mouse wheel or the magnifying glass icon at the bottom left of the screen. Click on the zoom icon and left-click the area you want to zoom in on. To reduce, click on the arrow next to the magnifying glass icon and select “Reduce”, then select the desired area in the same way with the left mouse button.

To move to the next picture in the images folder, click on the right arrow. To view the previous picture, click on the left arrow. The central button allows you to start playing a slideshow from the images available in the catalog in full screen. To print a picture, use the “Print” button at the top of the program window. If you want to delete a picture, use the cross button in the lower right part of the program window. Confirm the deletion operation by clicking on the “Yes” button in the dialog box that appears.

Opening through alternative programs

You can view Windows 7 photos through alternative photo viewing apps. Their advantage is the ability to use a wider range of tools when viewing and editing. Among the most multifunctional programs are Picasa, ACDSee, FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView.

The programs can scan the file system for photos, and then sort them into categories, apply filters, change colors and create small slideshows.

Study the proposed programs and download them to your computer by visiting the official website of the developer. Run the file received for installation. Complete the installation by following the application instructions. After completing the procedure, right-click on the photo you want to view, and then click “Open with”. Select the program you installed from the list, and then click “Ok.” You can start viewing and editing the image.

Video on the topic

Sources:

Picasa
ACDSee
FastStone Image Viewer
XnView
InfranView

There are several types of programs designed to work with images. The first group allows you to view photographs and drawings, but at the same time it is almost impossible to change anything in the image; using programs from the second group you can edit graphic documents.

You will need

-Program for viewing images;
-graphics editor.

Instructions

To open and view an image in the Microsoft Windows operating system, use the Image and Fax Viewer. This is a standard program that is installed with the system. With its help, you can not only open and view an image, but also transfer photos from digital cameras or a scanner to your computer.

To open an image using an image and fax viewer, right-click on the graphic file. From the drop-down menu, select “Open with”, then left-click once in the submenu on “Image and Fax Viewer”.

You can also independently install any of the image “viewers” from the disk or download it from the Internet. For example, the FS Viewer program allows you to open an image with one click and view it in full screen mode. All such programs have a magnifying glass tool that allows you to zoom in on the details of the image. Zooming in or out of details does not affect the size of the image itself.

To open an image not only for viewing, but also for editing, install a graphics editor on your computer. On Windows, the graphic image editor Paint is quite primitive. It is suitable only for minor adjustments to drawings and photographs, but it is impossible to achieve special effects with it.