XnView Software

Does XnViewMP (or XnView) contain a program that could be used as a substitute for Windows Photo Viewer (WPV). By substitute I mean can be launched from Windows Explorer (WE) when a file is double clicked. In that, specified as the program to be used to open files with the associated file extension. While this is obviously helpful for raw files that WPV cannot display it should also be a big help for all photos because WPV is such a bad viewer. Apparently, Windows also depends on such software for the purpose of displaying thumbnails within WE. While that might be expecting a lot it would be great if it could also do that.

In Windows go to default programs and select XnView as your photo viewer. If there are some that still do not call XnView, right click them in windows explorer and choose XnView to open that file type making sure you tick the box to ALWAYS open with Xnview

You can even CONTROL + left click from within XnView and you will see the open with menu

That has the affect of starting XnViewMP (XnView) which is a lot more than a substitute for Windows Photo Viewer. For example, I'd like a simple window with the photo displayed and a button for closing directly. That would be kind of like the window that XnView displays when you say open with a file selected in its' file explorer. If I did this multiple time I don't want to keep starting the file explorer (the whole xnview) multiple times.

I really like XnView and use it a lot but this is a case of looking for the simplied/lightweight/quick way to just see the picture.

Then get sage thumbs. It adds to the right click menu and can give you a quick view of a graphic from there
I have to ask; are you seeing the thumbnails in XnView? that should be doing exactly what you wish

OK, will look into it.

Yes! The thumbnail views in XnView/MP are excellent! I'm just wanting to improve some of what is bad about Windows