Setting Windows Photo Viewer as Default App on Windows 10 during OSD with ConfigMgr

Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft included an App called ‘Microsoft Photos’, which is the Default Viewer for the most common Image file types (jpg, png, bmp, etc.). I recently discovered that the traditional ‘Windows Photo Viewer’ is still present in Windows 10 and in fact, is still the Default Viewer for .tif and .tiff file types.

In this blog post, we will set Windows Photo Viewer as Default Viewer for all common Image file types. This may be necessary if you’re thinking about removing the Microsoft Photos App in your Windows 10 Image.

Composing the Package

First, you need a Windows 10 Reference Machine to generate some Data for the Package.

For this to work, we first need to create the Associations in the Windows Registry. Without those Associations, you are unable to select the Windows Photo Viewer in the Settings App, as seen below.

When removing Microsoft Photos, the User has by default no other choice than to use Paint to open Images.

Copy the below Registry Export, save it as ‘WindowsPhotoViewerAppAssocations.reg’ and run it on the Reference Machine.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
".bmp"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap"
".dib"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap"
".gif"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif"
".jfif"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF"
".jpe"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".jpeg"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".jpg"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg"
".jxr"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp"
".png"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png"
".wdp"="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap]
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,\
  00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,\
  65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,36,00,00,00
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-70"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Bitmap\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif]
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,\
  00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,\
  65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,37,00,00,00
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-83"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Gif\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF]
"EditFlags"=dword:00010000
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,\
  00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,\
  65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,35,00,00,00
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-72"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF\shell\open]
"MuiVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\
  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,\
  00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,\
  77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,70,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,76,00,69,00,65,00,77,\
  00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,34,00,33,00,\
  00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.JFIF\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg]
"EditFlags"=dword:00010000
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,\
  00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,\
  65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,35,00,00,00
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-72"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg\shell\open]
"MuiVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\
  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,\
  00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,\
  77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,70,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,76,00,69,00,65,00,77,\
  00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,34,00,33,00,\
  00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Jpeg\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png]
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,\
  00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,\
  65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,37,00,00,00
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-71"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Png\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp]
"EditFlags"=dword:00010000
"ImageOptionFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\imageres.dll,-70"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp\shell\open]
"MuiVerb"=hex(2):40,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,\
  6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,\
  00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,\
  77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,70,00,68,00,6f,00,74,00,6f,00,76,00,69,00,65,00,77,\
  00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,34,00,33,00,\
  00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,\
  6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,\
  00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,50,00,68,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,6f,00,20,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,50,00,68,00,\
  6f,00,74,00,6f,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,22,00,2c,00,20,00,49,00,6d,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,56,00,69,00,65,00,77,00,\
  5f,00,46,00,75,00,6c,00,6c,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,25,\
  00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Wdp\shell\open\DropTarget]
"Clsid"="{FFE2A43C-56B9-4bf5-9A79-CC6D4285608A}"

As soon as the above Registry Settings have been added, you should be able to select the Windows Photo Viewer on your Reference Machine.

Set the Windows Photo Viewer as Default App for Photos on your Reference Machine.

Run the below Script to export the Default App Associations. Make sure that the Folder Structure (C:\Temp) exists, before running the command

Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:C:\Temp\Win10_DefaultAppAssociations.xml

Save the exported XML file to the same path, were you stored the Registry (.reg) file.

Creating the Package in ConfigMgr

Copy both files to a path, which is accessible by ConfigMgr.

Create a new Package, which points to the above Files.

Do not create a program for this Package and complete the Wizard.

Distribute the created Package to your Distribution Point (Groups).

Modifying the Task Sequence

Open your Windows 10 Task Sequence and create a new “Run Command Line” Step somewhere after the “Setup Windows and Configuration Manager”.

Specify the following Command line:

regedit.exe /S WindowsPhotoViewerAppAssocations.reg

Enable the “Disable 64-bit file system redirection” Checkbox and specify the created Package via Browse.

Add another “Run Command line” Step right below the previously created Step.

Specify the following Command line:

Dism.exe /online /Import-DefaultAppAssociations:Win10_DefaultAppAssociations.xml

Enable the “Disable 64-bit file system redirection” checkbox and specify the created Package via Browse.

Result

When launching the modified Task Sequence, you should now end up with the ‘Windows Photo Viewer’ as default Application for Images.

Notes: The above Registry Export is based on the following blog post. Restoring “Windows Photo Viewer” as Default in Windows 10