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Microsoft Photos is the built-in software for viewing images on Windows operating systems. We all use this app daily without thinking about what it does and how helpful it is. Sadly, many people start thinking about it once they encounter issues.
Microsoft Photos is generally a robust tool and doesn’t have many issues. It’s a simple photo viewer with some basic editing features, but it does well. One of the issues users can encounter when trying to view an image using Photos is the “Invalid value for registry” error message.
This error can be displayed when opening any image file, but it commonly happens with PNG, JPEG, and JPG images. Today, we’ll help you learn about this error and share the best methods for fixing it.
What Is the ‘Invalid Value for Registry’ JPEG Error?
Windows registry contains various databases that store settings and information about software programs, user preferences, hardware devices, etc. In general, an invalid value for a registry means that there’s something wrong with your registry entries.
Even though the “Invalid value for registry” message isn’t that common with Microsoft Photos, these errors are common with other operating system issues. As the name implies, it’s a registry error that can easily be fixed.
Don’t worry. Today, we’ll share several simple methods you can easily go through to fix the problem, but before we get to that, let’s look at the causes of this registry error.
Causes of the JPG Invalid Value for Registry Error
It’s fair to say this is an uncommon error, but it could be annoying. People who usually get the “Invalid value for registry” error have downloaded the latest Windows build. What happens is that the Microsoft Photos software gets left behind to an outdated version incompatible with the new systems.
When you update your Windows apps or upgrade the PC, and the registry entries for Microsoft Photos aren’t updated, this leads to various conflicts within system processes. That’s why you can’t open any of your photos using Photos.
However, even though this is the most common reason, it’s not the only one. Here are some other causes of the “Invalid value for registry” error:
- Misconfigured or damaged registry settings;
- Corrupted system files;
- Corrupted or damaged Microsoft Photos app;
- Outdated graphics drivers.
Best Methods for Fixing the ‘Invalid Value for Registry’ JPEG Error
Change Registry Settings
One of the most effective methods is to delete outdated Photos app entries. Here’s how:
Step 1: Click on Start, type “regedit,” and click on the first result.
Step 2: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\LocalSettings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Families.
Step 3: Find the Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2022.31060.30005.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe entry, right-click it and click Permissions.
Step 4: Click Advanced and Change in the next window.
Step 5: Click Advanced again and then Find Now. Select your user account from the list and click OK.
Step 6: Click Apply, then OK.
Step 7: Right-click Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2022.31060.30005.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe again and click Permissions again.
Step 8: After selecting the username, click Allow for Full Control.
Step 9: Click Apply, then OK.
Step 10: Right-click the same entry and click Delete. Click Yes, and reboot your device to see if the error remains.
Update Your Graphics Drivers
Since drivers can be one of the causes of this issue, it’s important to make sure your graphics drivers are up to date. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Click Start, type Device Manager, and click on the first result.
Step 2: Expand Display Adapters, find your graphics card, right-click it, and click Update driver.
Step 3: Windows will ask you how you want to search for drivers. Click Search automatically for updated driver software and wait until the program finds the missing drivers or tells you your drivers are up to date.
Step 4: After installing new drivers, reboot your computer and try opening an image.
Repair Your Photo
Sometimes, the issue isn’t the registry or graphics drivers; the problem is the photo file itself. Suppose your other images are usually opening, and you’re only having trouble with a single file or a handful of images stored in the exact location. In that case, chances are the files are corrupt.
Luckily, you can use tools like Wondershare Repairit to repair damaged, corrupt, or broken images and make them usable again. Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Launch Wondershare Repairit, select Photo Repair on the left side, click + Add, and select the photo you want to repair.
Step 2: Once you’ve added all the files you want to repair, click Repair in the bottom right corner.
Step 3: After the process is complete, you can click Preview to see if the files are working and click Save All on the bottom right of the screen to save them to your device.
Reset Your Photos App
You can delete all cached data and settings by resetting the Photos app. You can fix the registry error if the issue is somewhere in there. Here’s how to reset your Photos App:
Step 1: Click Start, type “Settings,” and click on the first result.
Step 2: Click on Apps.
Step 3: Search for Microsoft Photos in the search bar, click the icon, and click Advanced options.
Step 4: Click Reset and wait until the process is complete. Restart your computer.
Step 5: If this doesn’t work, you can also try the Repair option above with the same steps.
Update Windows Photo Viewer
Software updates often have bugs, errors, or glitches, leading to various issues. Your Microsoft Photo Viewer might need to be updated correctly, or the update may have failed completely. That’s why it’s generally a good idea to try updating the app to see if this is the problem.
Follow these steps for updating Photo Viewer:
Step 1: Click Start, type “Settings,” and click on the first result.
Step 2: Click Update & Security.
Step 3: Click on Windows Update and then Check for updates on the right side.
Step 4: Wait until the system looks for updates. If there are any, click Install Now.
Do a SFC Scan
If there are any file system errors, it can be difficult to detect them and repair them manually. Luckily, Windows has various tools and mechanisms used for self-diagnosis and repair. In this case, you can use Systems File Checker, a Windows utility tool that can scan all Windows system files for any corruption and restore them.
Here’s how:
Step 1: Click Start, type “CMD,” and click on the first result.
Step 2: When the command prompt window opens, type “sfc /scannow,” and press Enter.
Step 3: Wait until the process is complete, and if the tool has found corrupted files, reboot and try opening a photo.
Clear Windows Store Cache
Windows Store has its own cache that could get cluttered over time, leading to various conflicts and errors. That’s why clearing the Windows Store Cache periodically is generally a good idea. Doing this will clear all caches and remove any existing conflicts.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Click Start, type “Run,” and click on the first result.
Step 2: Type WSReset.exe in the run box and click OK.
Step 3: Once you’ve done this, the Windows Store will start, and after some time, it will display a message indicating that the store’s cache has been cleared.
Step 4: Reboot your computer and try opening the image.
Run Troubleshooter
If you still can’t open your photos, try using the Windows troubleshooter to discover and fix problems. In this case, you should troubleshoot all Windows Store apps for any issues to check if they’re working properly.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Click Start, type Settings, and click on the first result.
Step 2: Click on Update & Security.
Step 3: Once you’ve entered the window, click Troubleshoot and then Additional Troubleshooters.
Step 4: Find the Windows Store Apps option, click on it, and click on Run the troubleshooter.
Step 5: The troubleshooter will run for a while to discover problems. You can fix issues individually after the process is completed.
Step 6: Restart your device after you’ve finished troubleshooting.
Conclusion
The “Invalid Value for Registry” JPEG error can be exhausting, but luckily, you can use these methods to fix the problem.
Start by changing registry settings, then move to other methods like updating graphics drivers, repairing the photos, updating the Windows Store, resetting the Photos app, doing an SFC scan, clearing the Windows Store cache, and running the Windows Troubleshooter.
We guarantee one of these methods will help you fix the problem. Take the time to follow these steps carefully since they’re simple, and anyone can do them. Good luck!
