It’s a normal operation to open and use Microsoft Photos app for image viewing & editing on a Windows computer. However, you may not always succeed in using the Photos app on Windows 11. Please refer to the fixes mentioned on this page to solve the problem and visit the home page to get suitable tools for improving Windows 11 security & performance.

The Photos app has always been the default image viewer in Windows systems (Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.). Users don’t need to download third-party image viewer on a Windows PC for viewing their pictures, images, and photos. Besides, Microsoft Photos can also be used as raster graphics editor, image organizer, photo sharing app, and even video clip editor. Therefore, you also don’t need to download Windows 11 photo editor manually except that you have special editing needs which can’t be satisfied by Windows 11 Photos app.

Microsoft Released The New Photos App In Windows 11
Microsoft Released The New Photos App In Windows 11

Microsoft rolled out the redesigned Photos app for Windows 11 and this page will introduce it to you in brief and shows you how to use it.

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Windows 11 Photos App Is Not Working Properly, How to Fix

But the problem is many users complained the same issue online: Windows 11 Photos app not working. Problems occur while users open Photos app or use it on a Windows 11 (or Windows 10) computer: Windows Photos won’t open, Windows Photos slow, Photos app keeps crashing, etc.

Photo App Crashing On Windows 10, How To Fix?

Tip: Here is a wonderful data recovery tool that can be used on Windows 11 and other Windows systems (Windows 10/8/7) to help users recover lost and deleted data in simple steps.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

The following sections display some effective ways to deal with Windows Photos app not working; they work for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices. I only show you how to fix Windows 11 Photos app not working; as for Windows 10 Photos app not working, the fixes and steps are similar.

Fix 1: Restart the Photos App

The first thing to do when you find your Windows Photos not working is to restart it on Windows 11.

  1. Open Task Manager. The most direct way is to press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  2. Click More details to expand the window if necessary.
  3. Go to the Apps section under the Processes tab.
  4. Select Photos.
  5. Click on the End task button in the lower right corner or select End task from the context menu.

If this method didn’t work, you can also try to restart your computer.

What if Windows Photo Viewer is missing on Windows 10?

How To Restore The Missing Windows Photo Viewer Windows 10
How To Restore The Missing Windows Photo Viewer Windows 10

Many users are wondering whether they can restore the Windows Photo Viewer missing from their Windows 10 computers.

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Fix 2: Repair or Reset Microsoft Photos

Here’s how to repair or reset Microsoft Photos via Settings to fix Photos app not working.

  1. Access Settings from Start menu or by pressing Windows + I.
  2. Select Apps in the left side panel.
  3. Click Apps & features in the right panel.
  4. Search for Photos from the apps list.
  5. Click on the three vertical dots icon after Microsoft Photos.
  6. Select Advanced options.
  7. Look for the Reset section.
  8. Click on the Repair or Reset button.
  9. Follow the instructions to continue.

You can also use this way to reset Windows Store when necessary.

Repair or Reset Microsoft Photos

Fix 3: Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

There’s a built-in troubleshooter for Windows apps. How to use it:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select System in the left panel.
  3. Click Troubleshoot in the right panel.
  4. Select Other troubleshooters.
  5. Look for Windows Store Apps.
  6. Click on the Run button next to it and wait.

Run troubleshooter for Windows apps

Fix 4: Set Photos as the Default Viewer

You can set Photos app as the default viewer for certain image file formats.

  1. Go to Settings -> Apps.
  2. Click Default apps.
  3. Click Photos.
  4. Look for the certain image file format.
  5. Set Photos as the default app to view it.
[Solved] Windows Photo Viewer Can't Open This Picture Error
[Solved] Windows Photo Viewer Can't Open This Picture Error

You may receive Windows Photo Viewer can't open this picture error message when opening a picture file on your device. Finding resolutions in this post.

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Fix 5: Disable OneDrive Cloud-Only Content

  1. Open Photos.
  2. Click on the three dots icon.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Go to the Microsoft OneDrive section.
  5. Turn off Show my cloud-only content from OneDrive.

Disable Show my cloud-only content from OneDrive

Fix 6: Uninstall Microsoft Photos

  1. Press Windows + S.
  2. Type Windows PowerShell.
  3. Select Run as administrator under Windows PowerShell.
  4. Type get-appxpackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | remove-appxpackage and press Enter.
  5. Close the Windows PowerShell window.
  6. Open Microsoft Store.
  7. Search for Microsoft Photos.
  8. Click Get to reinstall the Photos app on your computer.

Uninstall Microsoft Photos

How To Run A Program As Administrator In Windows 11?

Fix 7: Run DISM & SFC Scan

  1. Run Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.
  3. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

If all the above fixes failed, you can still try these solutions to Windows Photos not working.

  • Provide all permissions to Program Files & Windows folders
  • Update Microsoft Photos app
  • Update Windows 11 system

Solved: Windows 10 Photo Viewer Is Slow To Open Or Not Working.

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About The Author

Sarah

Position: Columnist

Sarah has been working as an editor at MiniTool since she graduated from university. Sarah aims at helping users with their computer problems such as disk errors and data loss. She feels a sense of accomplishment to see that users get their issues fixed relying on her articles. Besides, she likes to make friends and listen to music after work.