ImageGlass

ApplicationDuong Dieu Phap

Also called image glass

Duong Dieu PhapCreative

A modern Windows image viewer. ImageGlass.exe is the process. It is not Photos.

What you need to know

ImageGlass is a modern viewer. It is not Windows Photos.

ImageGlass.exe is an open-source viewer. Photos is Microsoft. Associations can bounce between them after a Windows update.

What is it?: Modern image viewer
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If ImageGlass.exe is the process, that is ImageGlass, not Microsoft Photos. I would not hunt the Photos app to explain a missing association.

What is ImageGlass?

ImageGlass is an open-source image viewer. The Windows executable is ImageGlass.exe.

If you have never used it

ImageGlass is a modern open-source Windows viewer. ImageGlass.exe is the process. It is not the Microsoft Photos app. Download from imageglass.org. Set it as the default viewer in Settings if Photos keeps stealing associations.

What is it used for?

View

Open JPEG, PNG, GIF, and more. Photos is Microsoft. This is ImageGlass.

Slideshow

A simple slideshow. IrfanView also does this. Different exe.

Default app

Take associations back from Photos. That is a Settings choice.

Who is it for?

People replacing Photos
Users who want a modern viewer
Anyone who saw ImageGlass.exe and thought it was Photos

Current status

ImageGlass (2010) is a current modern image viewer from Duong Dieu Phap. The vendor still points Windows users at https://imageglass.org/.

How old is it?

Duong Dieu Phap shipped ImageGlass around 2010. Windows Photos has been rebuilt more than once. Current ImageGlass is the Kobe / recent line on imageglass.org.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
ImageGlass.exe	Main Windows executable

Startup components

ImageGlass does not need to start with Windows.

File locations

Common ImageGlass locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\ImageGlass\

File formats

JPEGPNGGIFWEBP

Common problems

Photos stole the default again

Settings > Apps > Default apps. This is a Windows habit, not malware.

HEIC missing

Install a codec pack Windows or ImageGlass documents. IrfanView uses plugins instead.

Getting unstuck

Confirm ImageGlass.exe

Program Files\ImageGlass is the app. Photos is a Store package.

Install from imageglass.org

GitHub releases are also official. Random ImageGlass.exe hosts are not.

Reset ImageGlass settings

The docs name the config folder. This is not Photos reset.

Alternatives

IrfanView, XnView MP, and Photos overlap. Photos does not replace ImageGlass as a default viewer by quality. It just ships with Windows.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	imageglass.org/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	imageglass.org/docs Vendor support
Official site	imageglass.org/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Any current Windows 10 or 11 PC runs it.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

ImageGlass official site · Vendor product page
ImageGlass help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.