Windows 10 brought a wide selection of changes and features that made the OS better. Sadly, some of the most appreciated apps disappeared when the new OS was released. One of them was the old but reliable Windows Photo Viewer.
The program was easy to use and delivered a slim but reliable selection of features that satisfied many users. Windows 10 does feature a reworked Photos App but it feels a little sluggish in comparison to the Windows Photo Viewer.
Those that are looking for reliable alternatives will find a comprehensive list below, mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
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FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone is a great photo viewer for the average user. The program is compatible with all the popular image formats and packs basic editing tools. It is also optimized for older PCs and delivers many useful features like red-eye removal, screen capture and support for the RAW format.
Disadvantages: When there are several images in a folder thumbnail generation will take a while.
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Irfan View
This one is for the users that enjoy additional functionalities besides the basic features like cropping, red-eye removal and resizing. The software is also compatible with previous versions of Windows. It is also light-weight and consumes a minimum of resources.
Disadvantages:
The interface is a bit hard to use and it could be more intuitive.
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XnView
This software was initially released for UNIX and Windows platforms but support for the former has been dropped. If features essential editing tools and allows user to rename images in bulk.
Disadvantages: You can use it for commercial purposes.
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HoneyView
HoneyView is perfect for those that only wish to watch pictures, rotate them or resize them in order to look at smaller details. It was very similar to the Windows Photos Viewer and easy to use.
Disadvantages: It doesn’t feature any editing tools.
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Nomacs
Nomacs is compatible with several operating systems. Users can adjust several settings like gamma, hue and saturation in order to enhance the images. Other features like metadata, thumbnails and editing tools are also available.
Disadvantages: Some say it may be a bit slow on older systems.
Frances might be just at the beginning of her career, but after attending a technical school, she has a fresh perspective on today’s technology. She contributes to the site with tech news.