How set set .gif files to open with windows photo viewer?

I have Installed Windows 7, which now opens .png and .jpg files with Windows Photo Viewer, but .gif files are opened with Paint. Also, in the Open With context menu it doesn't suggest Windows Photo Viewer as one of the programs to open the file with. I understand the Windows Photo Viewer is not a stand-alone executable that I can select using the Browse button in the Open With menu. So my question is, how to I set windows to open .gif files with Windows Photo Viewer?

Solution 1:

To open a picture with the Windows Photo Viewer, the following command is used:

rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen "%1"

where %1 is the picture you want to open, so if you want your picture to open you need to adjust

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\giffile\shell\Open\Command\(Default)

to the above command and remove any other subkeys.

As this is not an executable and you seem to have somehow removed the open with entry which must be at

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif\OpenWithList\*

or somewhere else I'm yet unaware of for the Windows Photo Viewer to not appear for you.

Solution 2:

Did you try to hit the little arrow on the bottom right where it says other programs? It expands the list and you can see windows photo viewer. As you can see in the screen shot mine is set to Internet Explorer (which I never use) and the photo viewer shows up after hitting the arrow.