Viewing .jpg files on a CD w/IrfanView

[shadow365]

I have IrfanView set as the default program to read all .jpg files.

When I insert a cd with .jpg files on it in my dvd drive after the files are read, all the images flash quickly but then revert to the 'red cat' icon.
If I copy the files to my hard drive into a folder when I select that folder I get a preview of each pic and I can change the size of the images using the 'views' option button. I don't know why when reading from the disc that the files are not viewable as if on my hard drive.

The only way I can see all the .jpg files on the disc is to right click and
choose open with IrfanView -- I never had to do that before. I have a number of discs with pictures that I want to review. This began happening about eight months ago, I've made no changes to my pc.

Any ideas why this is happening. Thanks.

[Laurent]

Hi shadow365,

I an not sure I understand you well:

The only way I can see all the .jpg files on the disc is to right click and
choose open with IrfanView -- I never had to do that before.

What did you do before to see .jpg files and that works no more?

Laurent

[Mij]

In Windows Explorer with the CD folder open go to Tools> Folder options> View tab and make sure that Always show icons never thumbnails is not checked.

[shadow365]

I tried this -- nothing has changed.

[shadow365]

If the .jpg files are on my hard drive they appear in the viewing area just fine. It's when I read files on a cd in my dvd drive that the pictures will flash briefly then return to the 'red cat' icon --- before they would appear as if they were on my hard drive. I'm trying to see all the pictures on the cd at once as soon as it is read. I never had to right click on the dvd drive letter and then open with irfanview, it was all done immediately. does that help explain the situation.

[Laurent]

Hi shadow365,

If the .jpg files are on my hard drive they appear in the viewing area just fine. It's when I read files on a cd in my dvd drive that the pictures will flash briefly then return to the 'red cat' icon --- before they would appear as if they were on my hard drive.

Difficult to guess what you really mean by "when I read files on a cd". Looks like as if the "viewing area" you are speaking of is Windows Explorer. I never saw the "red cat" in IrfanView window (neither the main window nor the thumbnails viewer). In this case, I fear I can't help because I'm not skilled with Vista. I just can say that with XP there is an option in Windows Explorer: in French it is "Affichage" -> "Miniatures" (free translation: Display -> Thumbnails).

I'm trying to see all the pictures on the cd at once as soon as it is read. I never had to right click on the dvd drive letter and then open with irfanview, it was all done immediately. does that help explain the situation.

Here it looks like you hope to autorun a CD. It is possible but again this isn't a feature of IrfanView. You have to build your CD/DVD with an autorun file.

If this isn't what you want, please describe precisely what you did (program launch, clics).

Sorry if I misunderstand.

Laurent

[shadow365]

Hi Laurent

Thx. for your reply. I am thinking now that it is a problem with Vista.
I was using XP before and had no difficulty reading .jpg files on a CD in my DVD drive -- they would appear/preview in any size. I will do some research on Windows Vista. It is frustrating and I did not want to
copy all the .jpg files on my cd's back onto my hard drive so that I could see them quickly/easily. If u think of anything else, let me know.

[Laurent]

Hi shadow365,

onto my hard drive so that I could see them quickly/easily. If u think of anything else, let me know.

Use IrfanView Thumbnails viewer

Laurent

[shadow365]

Hi Laurent

Thx --- using the thumbnail viewer does work but I never had to use it before to see my pic's on a cd and it is not as "convenient". I'm still researching a possible fix with Vista. I might be missing a driver file of some sort, but I am hesitant of downloading files I am not familiar with.
To me it is just very "odd" that the way I was able to do something before just stops working in the same manner. Another strange thing is that if it is a Vista 'problem' other people have not encountered the same problem. I'll check back on this post - I can live with the situation but always like to find a reason and/or a solution.

[Mij]

Thx. for your reply. I am thinking now that it is a problem with Vista.

I do have Vista and I have no problem viewing image files in Windows Explorer on a CD/DVD as thumbnails.
I suspect that the option I told you to uncheck is the Vista equivalent of the XP option that Laurent spoke of.

I see just the opposite of what you do. When I first save the image to the DVD it appears briefly as a red cat. As soon as Vista has indexed it, it changes to a thumbnail.

[shadow365]

Hello Mij

I'm going to list the steps I take to view pictures to perhaps make things a bit clearer:
1.) On my desktop I have a shorcut that when doubled clicked it opens up windows explorer and goes to a folder on my hard drive called photo's, I expand that folder to list sub-folders labeled for different occasions, when I click on any of these 'occasion folders' on the right hand side of my screen I see thumbnails of all the .jpg files - I can then
change the thumbnail size using the view button - if I want to see one of
the files in its true size I double click it and its shown in IrfanView - not
IrfanView Thumbnails - I never needed to use that when viewing or working with my .jpg files.
2.) Before when I inserted a cd into my dvd drive I would already have windows explorer open, then click on the drive letter and the thumbnails would automatically appear just like if I clicked on one of my already existing photo folders on my hard drive.
3.) Now when I click on the dvd drive, thumbnails flash quickly but return to the red cat icon -- this never happened before. I do have that box unchecked under tools/folder options. I have to double click each cat icon to see what the picture is.
4.) If I create a new "picture folder" on my hard drive and copy the cd .jpg files to the hard drive, then click on it, then the thumbnails show up just fine.

I know that their are settings, preferences and file associations with the
IrfanView program but I believe they are OK. Again, this is more of a convenience thing - just the way it all worked before. Sorry about the long detail.

[cwb3106]

Two possible fixes

I noticed that my system (Vista x64 SP2) did the same thing. I found two fixes that might help you.

I'd recommend trying this fix first:
http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/702036.htm describes an Windows Explorer setting that can cause this: Tools -> Folder Options -> View Tab -> "Always show icons, never thumbnails" check box (the first checkbox in the list).

If that doesn't work, look at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928572 describes how to clear the Thumbnail cache if it becomes corrupted.

[Mij]

Hello Shadow365

I followed all your steps and still see thumbnails OK on a DVD.
AFAIK nothing you can set in Irfanview can make any difference to how you view things in Windows Explorer except of course that when Explorer does choose to display a file icon then it is the Irfanview icon that is displayed for file types associated with Irfanview.

You may find something in those links that cwb3106 posted. Clearly though, in your case, there are thumbnails available for the images on the DVD since you see them briefly displayed before Explorer decides to show you the icons instead. Also you do have thumbnails displayed of images on the hard drive.

I cannot think of anything else to try though.

[shadow365]

To Mij and others

I've tried most of the suggestions posted, not the ones that were quite too technical for me. I also changed my .jpg viewer program twice, once for windows photo's gallery and FastStone -- the same problem occurs when reading from the cd in my dvd drive. I tried contacting HP support, my pc brand, and it won't accept my e-mail question.

Both IrfanView Thumbnails and FastStone will read & display the .jpg files in thumbnails on my cd's but it's not the 'way' I'd like to do it, extra steps involved. At the moment the only good news is that I have not lost any of my pictures either on the hard drive or the cd's.

I believe I'll give this a rest for a few days -- my brain working too much and my frustration level is low. Thanks for all your help/idea's.

[matera]

Maybe check out this in Windows Explorer Folder Options

Click the View tab, and then clear the Remember each folder's view settings check box.

That should reset folder views to default. Might help, might not. I never use Windows Explorer if I can help it. Its attitude toward folder views bugs me, I always want a consistent view unless I choose to switch temporarily for some reason.