EOS R7 photos won't show up in Windows Explorer

[Dgibbs]

I have had Canon cameras for several years. I plug the camera in and the picture thumbnails appear on Windows Explorer. I choose which files I want and download. Simple. 

I have done this with my new R7 several times. Now all of a sudden it saves in a HIF format for no reason and I can't open my pictures. It requires me to download specific software? Is this an "update" that Canon has messed up my camera? Why has it set up this rogue format? 

Why would Canon do this? A simple survey of the pictures in Windows Explorer previously worked fine. Now I have tries to download Canon software which isn't working and I can't view my pictures? 

Is there any way of by passing this ridiculous HIF format issue? 

[deebatman316]

Is the camera set to JPEG. If not your computer may not be able to open the HEIF file type. The same goes for RAW. You need a special program to view RAW files. A RAW file IS NOT viewable alone it must be converted to another format to view it.

[rs-eos]

Are you doing HDR capture? If so, you can have the camera convert those images from HEIF to JPEG (see page 627 in User Manual). 

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

I think what the guys are trying to say is... You need to check the format the camera is saving in.  Canon hasn't done anything or changed the way your camera operates.  I'm sure there's a simple explanation.  See the KB article below for more information.

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART182521