Reported Browse with Irfanview - Can't read file header

[Damian]

When right clicking any folder and selecting "Browse with Irfanview" the error box comes up "Folder xxx: Can't read file header !" etc.
After clicking OK Thumbnails opens in the root directory of the drive. Pretty annouying.
Somewhere I read (and can no longer find) of a registry fix - [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shel l\Browse with &IrfanView\command].
As installed it is "C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" "%1 /thumbs" but is missing the " after the 1. It should be "C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" "%1" /thumbs"

Love Irfanview and have made a few small donations so reporting this as still occurred even after on new install.
New install of Win 10 Pro x 64.
Irfanview 4.42 32 bit.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I have not used it before. I just added it and it works as expected. I checked the Windows Registry entry, which is:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" "%1" /thumbs (with no " after thumbs)

This is on Windows 7 64-bit

[MarkRH]

I was using the 32bit version 4.42 in Windows 7 Pro 64bit and was getting this error. I downloaded and installed version 4.44 but that did not fix it (a complete new install would probably work). Anyway, I made the above registry change and it works now.

[Mij]

As I understand it, the safest form to use is "C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" ""%1" /thumbs"

You need parenthesis (quote marks) around the %1 because it is expanded by Windows into the full image path and file name before sending it to Irfanview. The parenthesis holds the path/name together even if there are space characters in it. Putting a further parenthesis around everything after the Irfanview program name ensures that it is all sent to Irfanview as a single parameter, which is less likely to confuse that program.
Going the other way, from Irfanview to Windows when used as an External viewer, it always needs that double parenthesis.

[Damian]

Thanks for responses. For some reason "Browse with Irfanview" stopped working again on my Win 7 computer so put registry back as per Bhikkhu suggestion and working again.
I tried Mij's suggestion and it did not work.
When I install updates on my Win 7 or Win 10 computers I still have to go back and do this registry change manually. Have now exported the correct registry entry so I just import it again each time.