FastPictureViewer & FastRawViewer (and RAW-thumbnails problem on Windows 8.1)

[cjoliprsf]

Here's a thought for you:
Why not upgrade the XP box to Windows 7?

Or, better, to Linux... That is what I am doing.
I don't want to go to Win 10, and my last Windows machine which still runs Win 8.1, as soon as it gets klunky, will get a Linux installed. But for the moment it still runs fine with 8.1, so I leave it as is.
As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The nice thing with virtual machines is that the base OS of the computer may be anything (Windows, Linux or MacOS) and you can still run your favorite applications inside the virtual machine with any OS you like - may it be MS-DOS, Windows 95, XP or 7...

 

[retiredfromlife]

Or, better, to Linux... That is what I am doing.
I don't want to go to Win 10, and my last Windows machine which still runs Win 8.1, as soon as it gets klunky, will get a Linux installed. But for the moment it still runs fine with 8.1, so I leave it as is.
As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The nice thing with virtual machines is that the base OS of the computer may be anything (Windows, Linux or MacOS) and you can still run your favorite applications inside the virtual machine with any OS you like - may it be MS-DOS, Windows 95, XP or 7...

How is the direct X working in modern virtual machines.
when I looked into this years ago the direct x implementation was not so good and posed problems for anyone who wanted to play a game or similar. I seem to remember joysticks etc had problems.

I must admit I have thought of converting some of my older PC's to Linux just for the sake of doing it. just wish there was more photo centric apps for it. but I am out of date now so that may have changed

 

[cjoliprsf]

How is the direct X working in modern virtual machines.
when I looked into this years ago the direct x implementation was not so good and posed problems for anyone who wanted to play a game or similar. I seem to remember joysticks etc had problems.

I must admit that I don't know - I don't play games with my computers... But it should be fine, these VM have considerably evolved.

 

[JLGF1]

Does anyone else have problems with RAW-thumbnails on Explorer? Is this issue solved on Windows 10?

Update: Maybe. None of my Win-10 installations display raws by default (see example Win-10 dir below). However, there is an extension you can download from the Microsoft store that may show them in Explorer, depending on how new your camera is.

Q: is culling by Raw a significant advantage?

In theory, yes. In practice, not so much (for me).

Q: Why hasn't FastPictureViewer been updated since 2017?

Word on the street is that author took a developer job with a company that doesn't want FPV competing with their software. In any event, author is no longer updating it. His codec purportedly will show Raw thumbnails if you can get it working.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[RS86]

Nope, not be default anyway (see below).

Q: is culling by Raw a significant advantage?

In theory, yes. In practice, not so much (for me).

Q: Why hasn't FastPictureViewer been updated since 2017?

Word on the street is that author took a developer job with a company that doesn't want FPV competing with their software. In any event, author is no longer updating it. His codec purportedly will show Raw thumbnails if you can get it working. I found that the effort wasn't really worth it (for me).


View attachment 861107

The significant advantage to me would be to get a lot more backup space available as I would be able to delete all the .jpeg's.

 

[cjoliprsf]

The significant advantage to me would be to get a lot more backup space available as I would be able to delete all the .jpeg's.

Not really, the viewer doesn't use the jpg file, but an embedded jpg image that is inside the raw file - not the same thing.
Hence, in all raw files, there is:
- the raw data
- an embedded jpg image
- a thumbnail miniature (not 100% sure for this one but I think so)

The problem is that Windows file explorer doesn't know how to find the thumbnail in some raw formats - it would need the proper "codecs" which is a sort of code or key that permits to retrieve the information from the raw file.

Q: Why hasn't FastPictureViewer been updated since 2017?

Checked and last version (7.5) is dated March 2020. So not too sure where this information is from.
See https://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

 

[gwydionjhr]

Windows 10 DOES show .raw thumbnails.

RAW Format support coming to Windows 10 | Mu-43 (mu-43.com)

 

[Erich_H]

The significant advantage to me would be to get a lot more backup space available as I would be able to delete all the .jpeg's.

A simple Google search could give you this:




Update for Microsoft Camera Codec Pack for Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (KB2859675)



https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40310

"Much ado about nothing"

 

[cjoliprsf]

A simple Google search could give you this:
Update for Microsoft Camera Codec Pack for Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (KB2859675)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40310

These work for older Canon CR2 files, but not for Panasonis RW2 files (at least the last time I checked).
If you go the the page and look at details, you will find that this update was published in 2013 - hence won't support any modern cameras!

 

[RS86]

A simple Google search could give you this:




Update for Microsoft Camera Codec Pack for Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (KB2859675)



https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40310

"Much ado about nothing"

You can be sure I have googled about this problem. Like cjoliprsf said that is from 2013-2014 and all my cameras are newer.

And that file didn't even allow me to install it.

Interesting thing is that Windows 8.1 gets updates until 2023, but not RAW codecs it seems.

While I learned that it's possible to update to Windows 10 for free, but I'll do it by 2023 methinks.

 

[JLGF1]

Checked and last version (7.5) is dated March 2020. So not too sure where this information is from.
See https://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

FastPictureViewer and FastStone Image viewer...two different apps. FPV (mentioned above as last updated in 2017) is the one that included an OS codec that (did) allow Windows to show raw thumbnails in OS folders. The FPV advantage was back then in 2017 Win-OS didn't offer a similar codec. Now, it apparently does. In fact, rumor has it that the FPV developer now works for Microsoft. So, perhaps it is his code that is now available (circa 2019) in the Microsoft store.

 

[JLGF1]

Windows 10 DOES show .raw thumbnails.

By default, Win-10 does not show them. However, if you open a raw in Win-Photos (which won't display the raw pic) and follow the link to the Microsoft store and install the raw codec extension (I think last updated in early 2019?) it now shows my ORF and RW2 files. And presumably yours, too, unless your camera is too new.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Erich_H]

You can be sure I have googled about this problem. Like cjoliprsf said that is from 2013-2014 and all my cameras are newer.

And that file didn't even allow me to install it.

Interesting thing is that Windows 8.1 gets updates until 2023, but not RAW codecs it seems.

While I learned that it's possible to update to Windows 10 for free, but I'll do it by 2023 methinks.

These work for older Canon CR2 files, but not for Panasonis RW2 files (at least the last time I checked).
If you go the the page and look at details, you will find that this update was published in 2013 - hence won't support any modern cameras!

Haven't had any reason to look at the details.
I'm not using Windows 8.

And for me it's working admirably on Windows 10.

I just did a quick search because someone said that Windows 10 didn't display RAWs by default.

As I could not remember whether or not I had installed the M$ Camera Codec Pack on Windows 10 it was easier for me doing a Google on my phone than walk to the other side of the room to the laptop. Then I found that link.

And when you remark that it doesn't support modern cameras, it's just bringing me around to the post I made about using outdated software in a production environment.

Most of the time I don't even edit my RAW files on the computer. I do it on the phone.

Anyway, if you worry about storage space: buy a couple of 4 TB external USB drives. That should last for a day or two...

EDIT: I actually went across the room, and checked. I do have the M$ Camera Codec Pack installed. It's dated 2015.

 

[RS86]

Anyway, if you worry about storage space: buy a couple of 4 TB external USB drives. That should last for a day or two...

The idea is that I can save some money by deleting the jpeg's. Why on earth I wouldn't do it, but rather bought many more devices than I'd need otherwise?

And actually I downloaded the trial to FPV codecs and even if I didn't restart my computer yet, I can now see the thumbnails of RAW's. This costs me 10 dollars if I buy it, much less than more hard drives which I already have. 10 dollars is peanuts.

 

[gwydionjhr]

Speaking of file cleanup and storage....

My workflow is backwards to the OPs. I cull my .jpgs and then use this utility to automatically delete the matching .raw files.

I was explaining my workflow to a developer friend over a beer and he whipped up this little app to help make my life a little easier. It's free, does what it says it does, and nothing more.

Photo Cleanup Utility

 

[RS86]

Speaking of file cleanup and storage....

My workflow is backwards to the OPs. I cull my .jpgs and then use this utility to automatically delete the matching .raw files.

I was explaining my workflow to a developer friend over a beer and he whipped up this little app to help make my life a little easier. It's free, does what it says it does, and nothing more.

Photo Cleanup Utility

Hmm, wonder if that would help me in deleting the jpeg's.

Btw. Did you guys create your forum names by randomly pressing keyboard buttons? cjoliprsf & gwydionjhr? You're really not making mentioning your names easy.

 

[gwydionjhr]

Hmm, wonder if that would help me in deleting the jpeg's.

It's only designed to work one way... if there is no matching .jpg for a .raw file, the .raw file get's deleted.

Btw. Did you guys create your forum names by randomly pressing keyboard buttons? cjoliprsf & gwydionjhr? You're really not making mentioning your names easy.

"gwydion" is character in Welsh mythology, also in a book series I read as a child "The Chronicles of Prydain". JHR is my initials. I use it most places as I don't have to worry about the user name already being taken.

 

[RS86]

It's only designed to work one way... if there is no matching .jpg for a .raw file, the .raw file get's deleted.

"gwydion" is character in Welsh mythology, also in a book series I read as a child "The Chronicles of Prydain". JHR is my initials. I use it most places as I don't have to worry about the user name already being taken.

Okay, interesting! Yeah I was mostly joking. Gwydion part I thought could be from Ireland, Wales or Scotland for example.

Was just funny to see two guys with weird names commenting. I thought the first commentor changed his profile picture in between messages.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Btw. Did you guys create your forum names by randomly pressing keyboard buttons? cjoliprsf & gwydionjhr? You're really not making mentioning your names easy.

Well, simple really but it helps if you understand French...
cjoliprsf is an acronym for "C'est joli la Petite-Rivière-Saint-François". I have my apple orchard in the village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, and "cjoli" are also the first letter of my first name, and the 4 first letters of my family name.
Does it explain it satisfactorily?

 

[gwydionjhr]

Well, simple really but it helps if you understand French...
cjoliprsf is an acronym for "C'est joli la Petite-Rivière-Saint-François". I have my apple orchard in the village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, and "cjoli" are also the first letter of my first name, and the 4 first letters of my family name.
Does it explain it satisfactorily?

It must be a Canadian thing. �