Windows
Microsoft Photos error dialog when opening image files
Opening image files in Microsoft Photos showed a consistent error dialog. The technician reinstalled Microsoft Photos, then tested sample images and confirmed they opened without the error.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2026-04-21.
Affects
Apps
- Microsoft Photos
What you see
- A consistent error dialog appears every time an image file is opened in Microsoft Photos.
Why it happens
Suspected Suspected problem with the Microsoft Photos installation.
When it shows up
Image files consistently fail to open in Microsoft Photos and show the same error dialog instead of the picture.
You are in this case if:
- Microsoft Photos is the app used to open the file.
- The failure happens every time an image file is opened.
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
The steps are behind a quick check
There are two ways in and both take a few seconds. Signing in opens the steps on every bug page; so does reading the picture.
Or answer this
Drawing a picture for you.
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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2026-04-21. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.