Question about viewing photos on my computer

[LesF]

I have set Irfanview on my computer as the default viewer for JPEG photos. The JPEG's display with an Irfanview icon (in List or Details mode), and open in Irfanview when I double-click the icon.

However, when I connect my Canon SX260 HS to my computer via the USB cable, navigate to the camera folder with my photos, and double-click on a photo, it opens in Windows Photo Viewer (although the icons of the photos in the camera still show as Irfanview icons in when viewed in List or Details mode). Why is this happening, and how can I stop it? It's interesting to note that if I right-click the photo and choose Open from the menu, the photo will open in Irfanview.

[Tim]

Hello LesF,

If you have set the default viewer to Irfanview within the control panel, then that's what your computer should use for an image type, eg, JPEG.  There is nothing in the camera that makes a similar adjustment.  The only other method that we are aware of would be to right click an image, go to properties and then select the program you want to use to open the file.  There should be a check box that you'd click which says something to the effect of, always use this program for files of this type. 

Anything other than that and you're in territory that is not supported by Canon.  An issue of the type you describe sounds like there may be an issue with the computer you're currently using.  If you have access to another, I'd try a different machine to see if this issue persists.

[LesF]

Tim, thanks for the reply.

I've tried two computers (desktop and laptop, both running Win 7 Pro), and two Canon cameras on the desktop, and in all cases the problem exists. So we can rule out computer issues, and since double-clicking opens JPEGs with Irfanview in all other cases, we can probably rule out Win 7 issues.

I also think that there's nothing wrong with the cameras, but I suspect it has to do with the Canon software that came with the camera probably taking over the photo display functions from Windows and overriding the Windows settings. Can't prove that, of course, but perhaps you can look into that.