Issues with "XnView" and "paint.net".

Hello,

For my part, I open jpg files by default with my default browser (Firefox): doing it through a third-party software (XnView or FastStone Image Viewer, much simpler for the same effect) is only interesting for displaying "thumbnails" of different images in a folder before making a choice in a way different from what the explorer does, but everyone does as they wish.

To get back to the point, if I right-click on a jpg, open with, I will be presented in the top menu with all the applications that have already been used on my PC to open jpg files, and in the bottom one "Search in the Microsoft Store" or "Choose another application".

I make the latter choice, the window tells me "Continue using this application" (the one currently set as default) or "more options".

If what I want (XnView) is already in this second choice, I click on it, check at the bottom "always use this app", and confirm by OK.

If XnView is not already there, I have to click on "More apps" which, even if it requires using the scrollbar on the right, may suggest more options but may still not include the right one; if it is there, of course, I click on it, check and confirm as previously.

If that is not the case, I add another layer: by bringing the scrollbar all the way down, I click on "Look for an app on this PC"; the machine, being well-mannered, defaults to searching in the Programs folder, which is the default folder for 64-bit programs: I look for the XnView folder, click on the corresponding exe, again "always use" and OK.

If for some obscure reason the program was installed in 32-bit, it will be in Programs (x86), I have to click on the small arrow up at the top in the previous search menu and make that choice (the same if for another reason XnView installation was customized on another partition; in doubt, I right-click on the shortcut used to launch it, properties, which gives me the target).

It was pointless to change the installation folder; when a program is written in 32 bits, it is theoretically installed in Program Files (x86), and in 64 bits in Program Files: it only changes where you have to look for Xnview.exe.

To add another layer, some software has an option in their settings that allows them to be associated with a specific file type: this is not the case with Paint.net, I just checked; I don’t know about Xnview, I no longer use it.

There is another way to proceed that I haven’t mentioned because, in the new versions of Windows, we are forced to search in the Microsoft Store and not on the disk, but you never know; Settings-Apps-Default, scroll down to the bottom to By file type: for each desired type (bmp, jpg...), click on the item to the right (which should say Paint.net), check if Xnview is offered in the list (then click on it) or if under Search in Microsoft Store there’s an option to Search for another app.

We then return to the initial situation: if you right-click, open with, on, let’s say, a jpg file, you do get the path Choose another app, More apps, then all the way down, Search for another app on this PC?

It will then be, if I understand correctly, a direct opening by Xnview and, to edit, right-click, open with, Paint.net, obviously do not check "Always".

You can also, plan C, enforce this through the registry, but it should be avoided initially, not very user-friendly...

It’s still not clear.

In the menu that appears when you open with, do you have neither Xnview nor Paint.net?

You need to do things in two steps; for now, when you left-click, it's Xnview that opens? If not, and it's in the list, select it, check "always" at the bottom, OK.

I understand that Paint.net doesn’t appear in the list in question. To make it appear, you need to do as I specified: Open with, Choose another app, More apps, scroll down with the scrollbar on the right to the bottom, Find another app on this PC.

The window automatically opens in the Programs folder: go to the paint.net folder, open it, click on PaintDotNet.exe, DO NOT confirm with "always" and OK: the very fact that you have chosen this program once to open with will make it appear for future instances in the Open with icons.

Hello,

it works for me, I just tested it; the hypotheses are:

-Paint.net version not up to date (but well, I'm using 4.2.15 which I've never updated and it doesn't have this problem)

-Windows 10 version not up to date.
If that's the case, do both updates and try again.

More insidiously, Paint.net might have also been installed as an app from the Microsoft Store, meaning there would be a copy called from the WindowsApps folder in Programs, making our tweaks to the Paint.net folder itself in Programs ineffective: go to Settings, Apps and Features, search for Paint.net, if found, click on it and uninstall.

We can try to enforce the functionality through the registry; open a new text file on your desktop, copy the following:

 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Open with Paint.net] "Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\paint.net\\paintdotnet.exe" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Open with Paint.net\Command] @="C:\\Program Files\\paint.net\\paintdotnet.exe \"%1\""

Save, close, right-click on it, rename, whatever I want as long as it ends with .reg, for example paint.reg, confirm by yes.

Right-click on this new reg file, choose Merge.

These tweaks would be ineffective: the way to uninstall the application should be followed, but if you say you have only downloaded the program, it is useless.

So the only thing left to do is to see if it works with the registry modification script I mentioned, and if not, try uninstalling and then reinstalling Paint.net to see what happens.

I have no other solution but to acknowledge that it works for me...