Old Photo Viewer
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Recommendation
SituationalEnable it if you value fast opening and GIF animation; for editing, keep “Photos”.
The “Photos” app is not removed and remains available.
- Primary effect
- Restoring the legacy photo viewer
- FPS and memory
- See the research
What changes
Section titled “What changes”The setting restores the classic photo viewer and, as the BoosterX app itself describes it, enables it instead of the new one for all popular image formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG/JPG, PNG and similar. The classic window opens noticeably faster than the modern app and plays GIF animation.
The trade-off is features: the legacy viewer has no editing, cropping or “Photos” tools. The “Photos” app itself is not removed, so you can always return to it for editing images.
Exceptions and differences
Section titled “Exceptions and differences”The setting is not hidden in either Windows 10 or Windows 11. For formats outside the popular list, “Photos” or another app will remain. Reverting the associations does not require BoosterX: the “Open with” command on any file or the default apps page in “Settings” is enough.
How to verify the result
Section titled “How to verify the result”Double-click a .jpg file: the classic viewing window should open; an animated .gif plays in it.
How to change and revert
Section titled “How to change and revert”Open Optimization → Customization → Windows Shell → Legacy Photo Viewer and enable the setting. Click “Apply” at the bottom of the page; if “Instant apply” is enabled, a separate button is not required. To revert, disable the setting or change the app manually: right-click a file → “Open with” → “Choose another app”, or “Settings” → “Apps” → “Default apps”.
Confirmation
Section titled “Confirmation”- BoosterX shell settings research — legacy Windows shell surfaces.
Last checked: 2026-09-20.