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Microsoft Photos is the free viewer and editor built into Windows 10 and 11, now carrying AI tools like Generative Erase that once meant paying for Photoshop, and opening HEIC, RAW and AVIF once the right Windows extensions are added.
You copy photos off an iPhone, open the folder, and every thumbnail is blank.
The files are fine.
Windows just cannot read them yet.
Microsoft Photos handles that once you add one small piece, and the same is true of camera RAW, WebP and AVIF.
Why Some Photos Will Not Open
Photos opens JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF and TIFF straight out of the box. Anything newer needs a Windows extension installed first, and until it is there the file simply will not display.
A blank or greyed-out thumbnail is almost always that missing extension rather than a damaged file. Nothing is wrong with your photos.
| Format | What you need | Install it when |
|---|---|---|
| HEIC from iPhone or iPad | HEIF Image Extensions plus an HEVC extension - see below | You move photos off an Apple device |
| Camera RAW - CR3, NEF, ARW and the rest | Raw Image Extension | You shoot RAW and want Explorer thumbnails |
| WebP | WebP Image Extensions | You save images from the web |
| AVIF | AV1 Codec, which covers AVIF stills too | You are seeing .avif files from newer sites |
| JPEG XL - .jxl | JPEG XL Image Extension, on Windows 11 24H2 or newer only | Your newer iPhone captures in it |
THE HEIC GOTCHA
HEIC needs two extensions, not one, and the second one is where people get caught. HEIF Image Extensions handles the wrapper; something has to decode the image inside it. The HEVC Video Extension is a paid item in the Store, but HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer does the same job for nothing.
Take the free device-manufacturer version first and only reach for the paid HEVC Video Extension if it refuses to install on your hardware.
If the Store will not install it at all, the guide on the PowerShell fix when winget fails covers the workaround that does work.
Install the full set and Photos turns into a near-universal viewer, with File Explorer thumbnails to match.
The AI Editing Tools
The headline feature is Generative Erase. Paint over something you do not want - a stranger in the background, a bin, a power line - and the app fills the gap with matching detail.
The result usually looks like the object was never there. It runs inside the free app on Windows 11 23H2 and later, and it is the kind of edit that used to mean paying for Photoshop.
Background Blur is the other one worth trying. It picks out your subject on its own and softens everything behind them, which gets you the portrait-mode look without the lens.
Auto Enhance rounds it off, fixing brightness, contrast and colour in one tap. Between the three, most casual edits are done in seconds.
If you outgrow them and want layers and masks, GIMP is the free open-source editor in Photoshop's league. For video rather than stills, Microsoft pairs Photos with Clipchamp.
Sorting, Searching and Sync
The organisation side is better than it looks. Photos tags your library by date, location and the faces it recognises, without being asked.
The search box takes plain language too. Type "beach sunset" or "birthday party" and it finds matching shots you never labelled.
OneDrive keeps the library mirrored across everything signed into the same Microsoft account, so an edit on the PC appears on the phone. Apple users can add iCloud for Windows from the Store and browse both libraries side by side.
For the data behind a photo - exact camera settings, location tags, copyright fields - ExifTool reads and edits far more than Photos ever shows.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
The clearest tell is slideshows. Photos gives you no control over how long each image stays on screen, so if you are building a slideshow for a screen at an event, this is the wrong app and no setting will fix it.
WildBit Viewer ships 176 slideshow transitions and full timing control, which is the direct answer to that one.
Speed is the other tell. Photos is a 1 GB application that takes a moment to open; a dedicated viewer opens instantly.
- ImageGlass launches instantly and handles HEIC, AVIF and WebP without any Windows extension at all.
- JarkViewer covers the newer formats together - AVIF, HEIC, JPEG XL and Live Photos.
- XnView reads over 700 formats and converts in batches.
- FastStone Image Viewer has the best full-screen mode of the lot.
- nomacs opens the RAW and PSD files most built-in viewers refuse.
For .jxl files on anything older than Windows 11 24H2, IrfanView and PicView open them with no system extension needed.
And if you shoot RAW and want non-destructive editing with real colour grading, darktable gives you Lightroom-style processing with no subscription. For converting a pile of images in one pass, XnConvert batch-processes HEIC, RAW and a hundred-plus others.
Installing and Updating
Photos already ships with Windows 10 and Windows 11, so most people never install it deliberately. It updates itself through the Microsoft Store.
Reinstalling is only necessary if it has been removed, usually by a debloating script, or if it has stopped working and you want a clean copy.
The AI tools want Windows 11 23H2 or later and run fastest on Copilot+ hardware, though cloud processing keeps them working on older machines.
STORE ERROR 0x80073D05
This one is a Store fault rather than an app fault. Open Start, type wsreset and run it - no administrator rights needed - to clear the Store cache, then restart and try again.
If it still refuses, go to Settings, then Apps, then Microsoft Store, then Advanced options, and choose Reset before retrying.
Quick questions
Why will my iPhone photos not open?
They are HEIC files, and Windows needs two extensions to read them - HEIF Image Extensions for the wrapper and an HEVC extension for the image inside.
Do I have to pay for the HEVC extension?
No. The HEVC Video Extension is a paid Store listing, but HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer does the same job free.
Is Microsoft Photos free?
Yes, and it comes with Windows. The AI editing tools are included too, with no subscription and nothing to unlock.
Can I set how long each slide shows?
No, and that is a real limitation rather than a hidden setting. WildBit Viewer gives you timing control and a long list of transitions.
Does Generative Erase work offline?
On Copilot+ hardware it runs locally. On older machines the processing happens in the cloud, so an internet connection is needed.
I removed Photos with a debloat script. Can I get it back?
Yes, reinstall it from the Microsoft Store. If the install fails with error 0x80073D05, clear the Store cache first as described above.
The full image viewers category has the lighter alternatives if Photos turns out to be more than you need.
Download Microsoft Photos and see how it handles your library, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
KO
@Bill
You're right, Microsoft Photos is pretty basic. If you're looking for something a bit more flexible, you might want to try ImageGlass:
https://www.free-codecs.com/download/imageglass.htm
To set a slideshow timer, just go to: Settings > Image > Slideshow.
As for the second part of your comment, we actually have an article that dives into it:
https://www.free-codecs.com/news/why-microsoft-made-windows-10-free-the-real-business-strategy-behind-it.htm
And also some helpful workarounds here:
https://www.free-codecs.com/guides/windows-10-11-privacy-settings-stop-data-collection-in-5-minutes.htm
You're right, Microsoft Photos is pretty basic. If you're looking for something a bit more flexible, you might want to try ImageGlass:
https://www.free-codecs.com/download/imageglass.htm
To set a slideshow timer, just go to: Settings > Image > Slideshow.
As for the second part of your comment, we actually have an article that dives into it:
https://www.free-codecs.com/news/why-microsoft-made-windows-10-free-the-real-business-strategy-behind-it.htm
And also some helpful workarounds here:
https://www.free-codecs.com/guides/windows-10-11-privacy-settings-stop-data-collection-in-5-minutes.htm
BI
There's no speed control for preview automation, and Microsoft sells your information to a 3rd party.
MO
yes IM FINE thank you
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