Windows provides several methods for opening an image file. The steps you must take to open an image file depend largely on the type of file you are trying to open and the application you are using. The following sections will provide step-by-step instructions on how to open an image file on a Windows computer using various different applications.
1. Opening an Image File with Windows Photo Viewer
Windows Photo Viewer is a default application that comes pre-installed on most Windows computers, and is used to view image files such as JPG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
• Launch Windows Photo Viewer. You can do so by searching for “Photo Viewer” in the Start menu or by going to the Start Menu > Photos > Photos (Windows 10).
• In the File Explorer window, navigate to the folder containing the image file you wish to open.
• Once the image file appears in the window, double-click on it to open it with Windows Photo Viewer.
2. Opening an Image File with Paint
Paint is a Microsoft Office program that allows you to open image files such as JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF.
•Launch Paint. You can do so by searching for “Paint” in the Start menu or by going to the Start Menu > All Apps > Paint (Windows 10).
•In the File Explorer window, navigate to the folder containing the image file you wish to open.
• Once the image file appears in the window, double-click on it to open it with Paint.
3. Opening an Image File with Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer can be used to open image files in both JPG and GIF formats.
• Launch Internet Explorer. You can do so by searching for “Internet Explorer” in the Start menu or by going to the Start Menu > All Apps > Internet Explorer (Windows 10).
• In the File Explorer window, navigate to the folder containing the image file you wish to open.
• Once the image file appears in the window, right click on it and select “Open With”.
• Select “Internet Explorer” from the list of available programs and your image file will open in Internet Explorer.
4. Opening an Image File with Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a powerful editing tool specifically designed for working with image files. It supports all common image formats, including JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF and more.
• Launch Adobe Photoshop. You can do so by searching for “Photoshop” in the Start menu or by going to the Start Menu > All Apps > Adobe Photoshop (Windows 10).
• In the File Explorer window, navigate to the folder containing the image file you wish to open.
• Once the image file appears in the window, double-click on it to open it with Adobe Photoshop.
5. Opening an Image File with IrfanView
IrfanView is a free image viewer and editor for Windows. It is capable of opening image files in a range of formats, including JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and more.
• Launch IrfanView. You can do so by searching for “IrfanView” in the Start menu or by going to the Start Menu > All Apps > IrfanView (Windows 10).
• In the File Explorer window, navigate to the folder containing the image file you wish to open.
• Once the image file appears in the window, double-click on it to open it with IrfanView.
These five methods should cover the basics of how to open an image file on a Windows computer. If you are still having difficulty opening image files, there may be additional methods available depending on the files you are trying to open and the application you are using.