# Is there any way to 'shuffle' a collection of .jpgs or other images? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978 "2023-01-29T01:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/1 "2023-01-29T01:28:10Z")
The question is pretty much there in the topic - whether I’m talking about a slideshow or manually advancing through them, is there any way to show a collection of photos in random order? Preferably so that it can repeat in a different order with each time it plays all the way through the list. Using Windows 10, and I’ve no idea what the standard photo browser is actually called. I’m open to installing other free or inexpensive software if it will give me what I need. It’s very strange to me that shuffling through an album or a playlist is a standard feature of music software, even though an album has been very carefully ordered by the producer to produce an optimum experience, but this doesn’t seem to have occurred to anyone as a photo feature. Yes, I can change the order from ‘by name’ to ‘by date’, but that’s still going to play in that order over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/2 "2023-01-29T01:49:25Z")
You can easily create a slideshow in Windows 10 using ‘Picture Tools / Slideshow’. And ‘shuffle’ is one of the options for displaying the pictures. As for manually clicking through the images in a folder, I don’t know if there’s a way to randomize the next picture. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/3 "2023-01-29T02:06:20Z")
Searching ‘Picture Tools’ on the Start bar is taking me to Office/Microsoft 365 - is that what you meant? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/4 "2023-01-29T02:08:26Z")
Here is a step-by-step guide: > **[How to Play a Photo Slideshow in Windows 10 from File Explorer](https://www.groovypost.com/howto/play-photo-slideshow-windows-10-file-explorer/)** > > While it's not the same as previous versions, in Windows 10 you can still play an image slideshow from within File Explorer. Here’s how. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/5 "2023-01-29T02:13:37Z")
There we go - that got it! Thank you for your help, Railer13! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/6 "2023-01-29T02:17:40Z")
You are quite welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Fortyfold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@Fortyfold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fortyfold)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-shuffle-a-collection-of-jpgs-or-other-images/978978/7 "2023-01-29T23:29:26Z")
I’ve used Irfanview for years for basic image manipulation, that will do slideshows like that among many other things. A highly recommended program, very useful and worth looking at.