Help, I use Windows 11 and my photos have all changed to PDF.

[LizzieW]

I've used Windows 11 for some months but over the last few days, when I open a photo saved in jpeg, it scrolls through my recent pdf files before opening.  I've tried the suggestions on Google, i.e Settings>Apps>Default Apps and changed the default to photos rather than pdf (why had it changed to pdf anyway), but the only thing that has happened is that the photos now open as a small photo  in the middle of a black screen (not the whole of my screen).  Today I received a photo attachment from someone and when I tried to open that, it scrolled through pdf first.  When I opened the photo attachment I received today on my 'phone it opened normally. 

It's so annoying, what can I do?  I thought maybe it was the latest Windows 11 update, but some of the queries on Google suggest it's been happening for some time.

PS.  Just checked on my husband's tablet and although his photos don't scroll through a pdf file first, they do now open in the middle of a black screen.  Obviously, it must be something to do with a Windows 11 update, but which one?

[greenrig]

.."it scrolls through my recent pdf files before opening"  .  How does opening a file cause anything to scroll through a list of files. What is "it"?  Sorry that I don't understand what you are saying here.
That is not normal Windows behavior. 

Check Settings/Apps/Default Apps/ and ensure that the program for "*.jpg" is set to "Photos". Do the same for any other file extension that is an image (like png, or tiff....).  Also, check the defaults for Acrobat or any other PDF reader and ensure no photo extension type is set for that.

[LizzieW]

Thank you, I've done that, but no idea why they changed from jpeg to pdf in the first place, unless it was an update, the same thing has happened on my husband's tablet.

When I say the laptop scrolled through pdf files before eventually opening photos, I meant it opened all pdf files I'd recently used before opening the photo.  In fact it still does that even when I open a new pdf file.  I have no idea why as I always close each file after I've finished with it. 

[greenrig]

 You say "Windows 11" and then talk about a tablet. Are you running W11 on a tablet? What kind of tablet ?  What device are you running W11 on? What program do you use to view PDF files ? What program do you use to view Photos? 

"....no idea why they changed from jpeg to pdf in the first place...." - what is THEY in this sentence - a file, a setting ?  I'm sorry, but finding your description hard to follow. 

You talk about a recent update - do you know which update (they have numbers beginning KB....), you can find this in your Windows Update History Settings.   If you feel it was a bad update, you can often remove it.   If this was a general problem with a bad update I feel many others would have same symptoms.

[Gan Yam]

I'm not really sure what you mean about scrolling through pdf before you open your photos.  I'm assuming that your photos remain jpegs aren't converted to pdfs?

I do know that when I got my new laptop with Windows 11 last year, the default was to save everything to the "cloud" and not on the hard drive, with a charge after the initial free space was filled. (I do have free version of office 365 which is cloud based and files on there can only be opened via the cloud) Maybe this has something to do with what is happening to your photo files.  I changed this so that nothing is saved to the "cloud" and everything is saved into an appropriate file of my choosing on the hard drive.   I then just use "file explorer" to find the folder and open the file.  The screen, depending on how its set up, just shows lists of files/folders and/or thumbnails.

With regard to opening photos - mine also open as a small photo on a black screen but you can change the zoom size at the bottom of the photo and also expand to the full screen using the slanted arrow.

I also found that Windows 11 has a default setting that does not allow you to download any programmes/apps which are not approved by Microsoft.  I had to turn this setting off (no going back after its turned off and something that Microsoft does not wants you to do) but this then allowed to download the programmes I wanted to use my laptop for.  I was a bit annoyed about this because although I had told the sales staff what I wanted a new laptop for, noone mentioned that Microsoft had restricted what could be downloaded and it took me quite a bit of googling why I was being stopped from downloading the programmes I wanted and how to turn it off!!

[greenrig]

I had an idea.  My theory is that your photos have a PDF extension, but you cannot see that because of File Explorer settings. Go to Windows File Explorer. Select your photos folder.  On the top line select "Options" - you may have to expand the three dots to see this.    Select "View".   Look for an option called "hide extensions for known file types".   Make sure this is NOT ticked.  Then look at your photos folder.  Do the file names now end in jpg or pdf ?

[LizzieW]

Thank you both for your help.

Greenrig - I have a laptop, my husband has a tablet and the same thing happened to him too, which is why I thought it must have been a Windows 11 update.  However, when I googled the problem I saw some people had this problem (photos opening in pdf) a few years ago before Windows 11.  My laptop is a Lenovo as is my husband's tablet.  "They" in the sentence about them changing from jpg to pdf are the photos.  I've done what you suggested and unticked  "hide extensions for known file types".  The photos do show jpg now.

Gan Yam - now I've changed the settings for photos to jpg they open, but as you say. the photos open small on black screen, but that's not how they used to open either.  Previously, when I clicked on a saved photo to open it, it just opened on the screen without anything around it.  I don't like the way it opens now and I don't see the point.  I could always enlarge the photos if I wanted to and I prefer to open them a normal size, not a small size and then have to enlarge them.  You say

I also found that Windows 11 has a default setting that does not allow you to download any programmes/apps which are not approved by Microsoft.  I had to turn this setting off (no going back after its turned off and something that Microsoft does not wants you to do) but this then allowed to download the programmes I wanted to use my laptop for.

  How do you do that?

I have Windows 11 because something happened to my laptop last year and everything was wiped from the hard drive.  The computer engineer said I must have done something but all I did was close down the laptop before I went to bed and in the morning nothing would open.  Sadly, the exterior hard drive wasn't programmed properly (a previous computer engineer thought OneDrive was enough - obviously not in my case), so I only had everything backed up to 2021.  Fortunately, I've managed to retrieve all important programs/files and folders from copies I'd sent to other people.  Anyway the computer engineer installed Windows 11 and everything is still saved to OneDrive.  I have made sure the exterior hard drive is set to back up weekly too.  I know I would have had to move to Windows 11 eventually but I'm not particularly happy with it.  As someone said all the upgrades etc. seem to be just to suit programmers not ordinary people who use the computers. 

[Biggles50]

A previous computer engineer thought OneDrive was enough - obviously not in my case.
.
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In nobody’s case is One Drive the way to go.

First thing I do is to disable the spawn of the Devil and that is One Drive.

Backup all your files to two External Hard drives, ideally each of different make.

Same thing with your Online Family Tree, always have a sync’d copy in an App on your Laptop and the App’s Backups on each of the hard drives.

Belt n Braces.

[Gan Yam]

I also found that Windows 11 has a default setting that does not allow you to download any programmes/apps which are not approved by Microsoft.  I had to turn this setting off (no going back after its turned off and something that Microsoft does not wants you to do) but this then allowed to download the programmes I wanted to use my laptop for.

  How do you do that?

It took me a whole afternoon and a load of pulled out hair to find out why I couldn't just download programes I wanted, and the solution to it. All I wanted to do was install a craft programme that operates my craft cutting machine. I think this is how I did it -  Setting - privacy and security - windows security - apps and turned it off.

A previous computer engineer thought OneDrive was enough - obviously not in my case.
In nobody’s case is One Drive the way to go.

First thing I do is to disable the spawn of the Devil and that is One Drive.

That's what I did with One Drive (your post reminded me what its called). Can't remember how I did it though!   I wanted to be able to save files where I wanted to and not to where Microsoft wanted.

I don't like the way it opens now and I don't see the point.  I could always enlarge the photos if I wanted to and I prefer to open them a normal size, not a small size and then have to enlarge them. 

I know what you mean, there is an icon next to the resize drop down menu, a rectangle with lines inside called "zoom to fit" that will resize the photo to the full screen size with one click, but can't find a way to make this the default settings!