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You try to open your saved JPG files in your system, but for some reason you can’t open them. Whether it’s your personal images or they’re work related, not being able to access your images can be really frustrating and may even cause workflow problems. In this guide, you’ll get to know some quick fixes to resolve can’t open JPG files in Windows 10 error. Advanced solutions for severe JPG corruption will also be talked about for easy and efficient photo recovery.
For many common queries related to issues where users are unable to open their JPEG files on Windows 10 systems, we have drafted a help blog with some feasible solutions. Find here both manual and automated fixes.
Why Can’t you Open JPG Files in Windows 10?
JPG files can become inaccessible if there’s a system error or if there’s an issue with the image file itself. Knowing the exact cause behind this error will help in choosing the best way to repair JPG files.
- Issues with Photos app– Your Microsoft Photos app may be having some issues in displaying JPG files, or it may need an update. This can result in the JPG Invalid Image error.
- Corrupt storage devices: Bad sectors in storage drives can corrupt the JPG files stored in it.
- Incorrect file extension: Manually naming a PNG file as JPG without actually converting can cause issues with the JPG file, making it inaccessible.
- Damaged image header: There’s a chance that JPG file is not opening in Windows 10 because your JPG file’s header is corrupt or broken. This usually happens because of the sudden system crashes.
- Corrupt JPG file: Your JPG file is corrupt maybe due to a virus/malware attack or wasn’t downloaded properly.
- Outdated Windows OS: Maybe you’ve missed an update of your Windows system that’s creating issues like the JPG not opening error.
How to Fix Can’t Open JPG Files in Windows 10 error?
There are several easy fixes available that even beginners can perform to try fix their corrupt JPG files and resolve the JPG file opening issues in Windows 10.
#1. Rename JPEG File and Open it
Copy your JPEG file. Then, right-click on the file and select the Rename option or select it and press the F2 key. Provide a new name to the JPEG file with a similar .jpeg file extension. Open the renamed JPEG file and see if it opens without error.
#2. Set your Photo Viewer App as Default
Make sure the Photo Viewer you are using to open your JPEG file is set as default. Follow these steps.
- Open the Control Panel on your system.
- Click on the Default Programs option.

- Then click on the Associate a file type or protocol with a program link to open it.

- Select the existing Photo Viewer App in the default programs and then select the desired one to set it as default.

- Try reopening the JPEG file.
#3. Reset your Photo Viewer App
If the Photo Viewer app is already set as default, then the other recommendation is resetting it or restoring it to its original settings. To reset the Photo Viewer App, use these steps.
- Open the Settings of your Windows system.
- Click on App to open the App Settings.

- Select the Apps & Features option.
- Reach the Photos app section by scrolling and clicking Advanced options under it.

- Now, click on the Reset option to reset the Photo settings.

- A pop-up will come next; click Reset to continue the reset process.
#4. Reinstall your Photo Viewer App
You can try reinstalling your Photo Viewer app if you wish to continue using that. Go to the Control Panel, select your Photo Viewer App under the Programs and Features, and click on Uninstall. Once the uninstallation is completed, install the latest version of your Photo Viewer App and then try opening your JPEG file with it.
#5. Open JPEG file with a Photo Editing Tool
Sometimes JPEG file gets accessible when we open it using a Photo Editing tool like Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office Picture Manager, etc. Just, right-click on the JPEG file, select the Open With option and then select the installed photo editing tool on your system. If the file gets opened, click on Save As to save it to another folder destination.
#6. Switch to another Photo Viewer App
There may be an issue with the current Photo Viewer App on your system. So, you can shift to another Viewer App like Windows Photo Viewer, Picasa, etc., and check if the JPEG file is accessible with it.
#7. Update your App
If you have installed any latest update on your Windows and then this issue of inaccessibility of JPEG file has occurred, then it is suggested to uninstall that update first and then try to access the file. If it is still in error, then update your Windows 10 system with the latest available updates. Follow this process.
- Navigate to Settings>Update & Security.

- On the right side, click on Check for Updates option under Windows Update.

- If updates are available for your Photo App, click on the Install Updates option to install the update for your application.
- Let the updates to be completed.
- Restart the system and use the updated app to view JPEG files.
Advanced fixes to resolve the JPG file not opening in Windows 10 issue
If the given easy fixes are unable to resolve the JPG not opening issue, try running an SFC scan or the CHKDSK command to fix this error.
#1. Run SFC Scan in Command Prompt
SFC (System File Checker) Scan is a command-line tool developed by Windows to scan files for corruption and damage. Follow the steps below to run this command:
- Press Win + Q on your keyboard and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator option.
- Enter sfc/scannow command in the Command Prompt and hit Enter.
- All your data will be analyzed and the SFC tool will list and start fixing all the files that are corrupt.
- Once the process is completed, restart your system and check if you your JPG files are opening in Windows 10 or not.
#2. Run CHKDSK in Command Prompt
CHKDSK command scans the storage devices where JPG files are stored and fixes the bad sectors on the drives promptly. Follow the given steps to run this command:
- Press Win + Q on your keyboard and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator
- Type in chkdsk/f command to fix all the errors and corruptions on the storage disk.
- Restart your computer and try to open JPEG files again.
Repair JPEG File with Photo Repair tool
When there is significant corruption in your JPG files, chances are quite low that these methods will resolve the error, “Can’t open JPG files in Windows 10.” Apart from these solutions, use a reliable Photo Repair tool that repairs corrupt JPG files with guaranteed precision. With the help of such advanced tools, you can resolve the issue and restore the JPG picture in its original quality.
Kernel Photo Repair tool is an advanced software that fixes damaged, corrupt, pixelated, and inaccessible images of various formats like JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc. with 100% accuracy. Add multiple files to the tool and repair them at once without compromising with the original image quality.
Wrapping Up
You might face issues while trying to open JPG files, but you can fix these issues using the right methods depending on your situation and requirements. However, when the issue is severe, there are chances that it won’t get fixed even with these manual solutions. In such cases, try Kernel Photo Repair tool that performs easy and efficient recovery of your images.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, then choose Microsoft Photos. Then click on Advanced Options and select Reset to clear accumulated cache and reset the app. Try opening JPEG files again to see if it works properly or not.
A. This can be a reason if you can’t open JPG files in Windows 10. Usually, a corrupt header prevents JPG files from opening properly.
A. Online tools might help in repairing minor JPG corruption, but they’re generally not safe and have the risk of data leak and data loss.
