Using Windows XP "Pictures ans Fax Viewer" in windows 7

The method from The Tech Guy will work fine in Windows 7 x64 (64 bit) if you get a copy of shimgvw.dll from Windows XP x64 (64 bit).
It is located in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 in Windows XP x64.

I believe the version he provided a link to, is for Windows XP x86 (32 bit) and will only work with Windows 7 x86 (32 bit).

pbcopter said:

The method from The Tech Guy will work fine in Windows 7 x64 (64 bit) if you get a copy of shimgvw.dll from Windows XP x64 (64 bit).
It is located in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 in Windows XP x64.

I believe the version he provided a link to, is for Windows XP x86 (32 bit) and will only work with Windows 7 x86 (32 bit).

I have Win7 64Bit so I got the shimgvw.dll from here: Shimgvw.dll download - OriginalDLL.com , which is suppose to be the 64 Bit version.
In the Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 that he provided it shows "system32" so I tried changing every instance of "system32" to "syswow64". I placed the shimgvw.dll in the C:\Windows folder like he stated, but still got the same error message listed at start of thread.
I also tried adding the shimgvw.dll to the actual C:\Windows\syswow64 folder as well, but it showed as shimgvw.dll(2), and gave me the same error message. Maybe I need to delete the original first so there's not 2 of the same file, even though technically they are different files with the same name.

I know what that site says, but that is not the 64 bit version of shimgvw.dll.

The 64 bit version is 477 KBs in size, dated 3/29/2006 and has a HASH of:

SHA-1 7fca6cd76d3df11f2478ed787762eeb3e923603d

Also, it is not necessary to alter the procedure given by The Tech Guy.

WOW! It actually works now! I followed the original procedure given by The Tech Guy, but instead of using a 64 bit shimgvw.dll, I pulled the shimgvw.dll file from my 32 Bit version of XP, (I'm running a dual boot of XP 32 bit & Win7 64 Bit). Thanks so much to the both of you and thanks for not telling me to just use 3rd party software like so many people from this forum usually do.
P.S. One big problem though, it doesn't play the slideshow in the order of the photos in the folder.
In Xp, I go to view - arrange icons by - modified, and then I drag the photos around in the order that I want them to play. All my photos are on a separate storage drive and already in the order that I want them in. Somehow Win 7 is controlling part of the Windows XP Picture and Fax Viewer.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Yea 7 you can drag files around to sort them you'll need to ultimately rename them
You can disable auto sort but Libraries will ignore the sorting but it does make a lot easier to rename bulks of files after you drag sort them,
Windows Explorer Auto Arrange - Disable

Thanx, but there's actually an easier way for being able to drag photos where ever you want them ( Folder Options X Freeware - Trusted download and reviews from SnapFiles ) read what the second tweak does. It says (The custom sort order is applied each time you open the folder ) but hasn't been the case for me, win 7 automatically changes the arrange to sort by name, even though I don't have it selected.

I don't believe it, I spent all this time searching google and bothering people here for a way to run the XP Picture and Fax Viewer on Win 7 and still can't use it........correctly. This is a prime example, just one of many reasons why any OS after XP is actually a downgrade in so many ways. How sad is it that I have to constantly search for ways to fix what microsoft broke in Win 7. People should not have to create hacks in order to get Win 7 to do what XP has always been able to do.

I'm hoping that there is some kind of hack or tweak tool out there that will simply add the (Modified) option back to the arrange by setting.....that would be the easiest solution.