Image browsers - file associations?

[Terry Pinnell]

I'd appreciate some help in getting my mind around this issue please.
Why do some programs but not others need to have specific file types
associated with them in order to display thumbnail images? My current
favourite image browser, IrfanView 3.98, unfortunately appears to be
one of them. Yet, for example, I have *no* file types associated with
FastStone Image Viewer, yet its browser cheerfully shows thumbnails
for JPG, GIF, PNG, etc.

 

[Al Klein]

I'd appreciate some help in getting my mind around this issue please.
Why do some programs but not others need to have specific file types
associated with them in order to display thumbnail images? My current
favourite image browser, IrfanView 3.98, unfortunately appears to be
one of them. Yet, for example, I have *no* file types associated with
FastStone Image Viewer, yet its browser cheerfully shows thumbnails
for JPG, GIF, PNG, etc.

Simple answer - because the programs are written to work that way.

 

[Seamaiden]

Simple answer - because the programs are written to work that way.

If IrfanView is like XnView, you have to go into IrfanView itself if you
want to assign file associations to it. Going to Folder Options does not
work. The associations don't stick that way. They only stick when
assigned through the XnView program. It may be the same for IrvanView.

 

[Seamaiden]

Simple answer - because the programs are written to work that way.

You could also try a utility like Associate This, but it's not free.

 

[Helen]

If IrfanView is like XnView, you have to go into IrfanView itself if you
want to assign file associations to it. Going to Folder Options does not
work. The associations don't stick that way. They only stick when
assigned through the XnView program. It may be the same for IrvanView.

With IrfanView you can set them when you install the program or you can
change them individually later, but yes, one must go into the program to do so.

Helen
--
It has always been the policy of the
advocates of error, when unable to
sustain themselves by sophistry, specious
reasoning and false logic, to stigmatize
the advocates of truth.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

You could also try a utility like Associate This, but it's not free.

Thanks for the various replies.

Happily, things appear to be back to normal now. I don't know exactly
how, but since my earlier post I did these things, not necessarily in
this order:
- Reverted back to previous IV settings, i.e. with PSP not checked
under Associations (and reinstated under Explorer settings).
- Uninstalled and re-installed the program 'PSP Thumbnail Handler',
which is supposed to make PSP thumbnails displayable in
Explorer. (May have no bearing on this issue.)
- Rebooted
- Fiddled around for a while, and restarted IV once or twice in its
Thumbnails mode, for a variety of folders.

IV Thumbnail Browser is now correctly showing *all* the PSP and
PSPimage files as thumbnails.