Fix Class not registered error when opening photos in Windows 11/10

This article lists the possible solutions to fix the error message “Class not registered” while opening pictures or photos on Windows 11/10 computer. According to the users, this error message prevents them from opening images on their systems, no matter what the extension of the images is – be it JPG, PNG, etc. If such a thing happens to you, the solutions in this article may help you fix it.

What does it mean when it says Class not registered?

When you see the Class not registered message on your Windows 11/10 computer, it means that some of your system files may be corrupted. The error can occur on different apps or software installed on your system. Hence, there could be several causes of this error. One possible cause of this problem is unregistered DLL files.

Class not registered error when opening pictures

If you see the “Class not registered” error message when you open a photo on your Windows 11/10 computer, try the following fixes:

1. Run Windows Store Apps troubleshooter
2. Run SFC scan
3. Check your default app to view photos
4. Re-register or reinstall the Photos app via Windows PowerShell

Let’s see all these solutions in detail.

1] Run Windows Store Apps troubleshooter

Windows 11/10 comes with built-in automated troubleshooting tools. By running these tools, you can fix many issues occurring on your system. Run Windows Store Apps troubleshooter and see if it fixes the problem. You can launch this tool from Windows 11/10 Settings.

2] Run SFC scan

One possible cause of the problem occurring on your system is the corruption in system files. System File Checker is a tool from Microsoft that scans the user’s computer for system file corruption and fixes the issue. Run an SFC scan and see if it fixes the problem.

3] Check your default app to view photos

Some third-party programs change the default apps in Windows 11/10. This sometimes causes problems on a Windows computer. Check your default app to view photos. The process to change the default app is different in Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. We have explained the process below for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users.

Windows 11

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go to “Apps > Default apps.”
3. Scroll down the list and select the Photos app.
4. After clicking on the Photos app, you will see all the file extensions, including JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, etc. If any of these image extensions have a default app other than the Photos app, change it. For this, click on the app that is currently set as default in place of the Photos app and select the Photos app from the list.
5. Click OK.

If that does not help, you may scroll down and click on the Reset all default apps button.

That should work!

Windows 10

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go to “Apps > Default apps.”
3. Scroll down the Default apps page and click on the Choose default apps by file type link. You will see different file extensions and their default apps.
4. Now, scroll down the list and check which app is set as default to all image file extensions. If you find an app other than the Windows default Photos app, change it to Photos.
5. Click OK.

Alternatively, both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users can change their default app from File Explorer. For this, launch File Explorer and right-click on the photo with a particular extension, say PNG. Now, go to “Open with > Choose another app.” Select the Photos app from the list and enable the checkbox that says Always use this app to open PNG files. Click OK. Follow the same procedure to set the Photos app as default for other image file extensions.

4] Re-register or reinstall the Photos app via Windows PowerShell

If none of the above solutions fix your issue, you can try re-registering or reinstalling the Photos app via Windows PowerShell. Re-registering or reinstalling the Windows Store apps is helpful if the apps refuse to launch or show several errors.

Alternatively, you may try to Repair or Reset the Photos app via Settings and see if that helps.

Read next: Windows Photo Viewer can’t display this picture.

How do I fix Class not registered error?

The Class not registered error can occur on different Windows 11/10 programs, like Outlook, Chrome, Explorer, Photos, etc. Hence, the solution to this issue is different for different programs or apps. If you receive this error message while opening images or photos on your computer, you can try the solutions explained above in this article.

Hope this helps.