# What .EXE is the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exe-is-the-windows-picture-and-fax-viewer/192986 "2003-08-04T22:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exe-is-the-windows-picture-and-fax-viewer/192986/1 "2003-08-04T22:29:20Z")
First a GQ rant. Why does MS make it so hard to associate file types and applications? With every new release of their OS I expect to see a completely new approach to this big stinkin’ mess they’ve got, but nothing so far. Anyway, I installed a new graphics program and - surprise, surprise :eek: - it grabbed all my graphics extensions and held them hostage. OK, fine, I’ve come to expect this. So now I want to reassociate .JPG, .GIF, etc. with “Windows Picture and Fax Viewer” but I’ll be dammed if I can figure out what .EXE it actually is. Windows task manager makes it appear to be part of EXPLORER.EXE, but that doesn’t seem right. Any help folks? Technical stuff: Running Windows XP Home Edition on a Dell something. ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exe-is-the-windows-picture-and-fax-viewer/192986/2 "2003-08-04T22:41:53Z")
It’s actually a DLL rather than an executable. Here’re the settings I find on my XP Pro system for viewing a TIF: rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView\_Fullscreen %1 Use DDE: checked Application: shimgvw Topic: System Hope this helps!