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Remove Windows default Image Viewer in Windows ME/XP

Posted August 2002 by Steve Sinchak

This tweak works in Windows ME/XP, I have not try this tweak in Windows 2000 and NT yet becuase i don't have that OS. You can try it if you have.

*This tweak doesn't work in Windows 95/98

To remove the Windows Image Viewer, first:

  1. Open Start menu.
  2. Select Run.
  3. type "cmd", (for Windows ME, tpye "command")
  4. Then type "regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll" to unregister this dll files. This will stop it from previewing any image's format that it support such as JPEG, Bitmap, GIF ...

*Before perform this tweak, make sure you have the alternative Image Viewer e.g. ACDsee, FireGraphic, Ulead Photo Explorer... Because once you do this tweak without that application installed, you can't open and view your image anymore! So, type "regsvr32 shimgvw.dll" in command prompt to undo this tweak.

Windows Image Viewer is not an advanced Image Viewer application if compare to the others. So i decide to remove it and replace it with ACDSee...! Seems like i am advertising ACDSee! haha!!

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