Windows 7: color management?

hi, i'm frustated, when i view PNG files on windows photo viewer, the color is off. but in windows explorer, the color is correct. i don't want to have any differences when viewing files, how to make them look the same?

The only thing I can think of here is IE now uses hardware acceleration and the photo viewer just uses regular software to show images.
Have you set color options in your graphics card settings?
Those changes may only affect certain apps and programs.
If you want color management to apply to everything you need to run the color calibration tool from within windows after resetting the graphics color management.

thank you for the response.
it's windows explorer (file explorer), not internet explorer (browser). and my explorer displays the color correctly, it's my windows photo viewer (default picture viewer from windows seven) that displays the color wrong.

i did calibrate my monitor though, and it's only setting black level and white level, no color calibration. i went through color management, and i'm confused, what should i choose? the tutorial here only covers black/white level.

Open Color management in Control Panel and click on the Devices tab. In the list of ICC profiles if there is more than one, try each until photos appear properly. If there is only one click on Add to add a few more from the list and try them as well.

yeah you can just type calibrate display color in search box and hit enter
Just follow the directions it gives from there.

The problem is some applications are color managed, others are not.
I don't know if Picture Viewer is color is color managed, but i doubt Windows Explorer is.

Try opening a .png file in Firefox, it's color managed for the sRGB color space.

I would use .jpg files saved with the sRGB color space, it's what is standard on the web and when you send files out for prints.

If you don't have a hardware color calibrated monitor, you don't know what you really have!

Take a look at this link concerning managed color.

WEB BROWSER COLOR MANAGEMENT Tutorial - Test Page FireFox Safari Chrome Internet Explorer IE 9- FILES have embedded ICC profiles Photoshop ColorManagement