associate tiff files with photopaint X4 = no previews in Explorer , Vista 32-bit

Another weird problem since installing photopaint X4 -- if I associate TIFFs with PhotoPaint X4 in explorer (click "open with" and choose PhotoPaint X4 as the program to always open TIFFs with) I find that many TIFF files no longer will show preview images in Windows Explorer. This includes the open and import dialogue boxes of Corel too - changing details/list to thumbnails of any size and I get only a red PhotoPaint X4 icon for most, but not all, of the TIFF files on my system (vista 32-bit.)

Changing the file association back to PhotoPaint X3 for TIFF files and all the same files now show preview thumbnails fine, in explorer, and in the open and import windows of corel itself.

Of course I'd like to actually have them associated with X4 to open easier in X4 as I love the new tools such as the new tone curve and straighten.

Any ideas?

I've associated .tif with PHOTO-PAINT it still shows thumbs.....I'm thinking that it's working as if I double click on a .tif file it opens in PP.

Tonydunno 

 oh....$%@#$^%..I just noticed that you said vista and I tried on XP SP2...I"ll have to try it again tomorrow at work..sorry.

T. 

Not a real solution here, just a clarification and possible work-around
until we figure out what's going on. If, when you are in the Explorer
window, you click on Organize/Layout/Preview Pane, do the TIF files with
no thumbnails show previews in the pane if you select one of them? I've
had that happen with certain CorelDRAW files where there was no
thumbnail, but the preview in the preview pane worked just fine.
Val P.

Island wrote:
> Another weird problem since installing photopaint X4 -- if I associate
> TIFFs with PhotoPaint X4 in explorer (click "open with" and choose
> PhotoPaint X4 as the program to always open TIFFs with) I find that many
> TIFF files no longer will show preview images in Windows Explorer. This
> includes the open and import dialogue boxes of Corel too - changing
> details/list to thumbnails of any size and I get only a red PhotoPaint
> X4 icon for most, but not all, of the TIFF files on my system (vista
> 32-bit.)
>
> Changing the file association back to PhotoPaint X3 for TIFF files and
> all the same files now show preview thumbnails fine, in explorer, and in
> the open and import windows of corel itself.
>
> Of course I'd like to actually have them associated with X4 to open
> easier in X4 as I love the new tools such as the new tone curve and
> straighten.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Color Printing Forum : Print
> Directory
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://coreldraw.com/forums/p/4426/16188.aspx#16188
>

 It doesn't appear this has been resolved yet, so let me revive this thread.

I'm seeing this same problem with tif files in both Vista 32 and 64 bit versions, especially in folders with these files that have never been viewed in a thumbnail preview (icon view) mode before.  I'm seeing the same behavior in newly viewed folders that contain images in other common graphic formats like jpg, gif, and pngs.  Cpt files however will preview fine in Vista's Windows Explorer. 

This is occuring when using the Organize/Layout/Preview Pane under any of the icon views in Windows Explorer.  I can see that a thumbnail preview is attempted sometimes in folders with a large number of images, but the screen quickly redraws and replaces the thumbnails with the Corel X4 photopaint red camera icon.  It seems like some caching of older thumbnails may be coming into play here.

This problem does not occur if Vista is told the default program associated with the file type is Corel Photopaint X3, rather than X4.  Apparently, some file associations previously associated with another program MUST be changed via Vista's default program tool.  Photopaint's Tools>Options>Global Tools>Filters>Associate method does not always make the expected changes when working under Vista.  This is very different behavior than the way things had worked under Windows XP.

I've noticed one thing that I believe is of particular note when troubleshooting this problem.  Windows Explorer keeps thumbnails in cache somewhere on the hard disks.  Folders where filetypes associated with Photopaint X4 have previously displayed as previews will continue to do so, while newly created folders containing files with the same filetype will not. 

One may clear the thumbnail cache on any particular hard drive by:

Right click on the hard drive icon of choice
Selecting properties
Under the general tab, pick disk cleanup
Check the thumbnail box (uncheck the other boxes unless you want to clear out those items as well)
Select the OK button

If you return to an icon folder view after clearing the thumbnail cache, you'll see the default X4 icon and not the thumbnail preview on non Corel graphic file types that were associated with Photopaint X4.

 I don't know how many of us are having this problem, but I too suffer from this. I also am having issues with using any other applications "Open With" settings with Photo-Paint. I don't know if this is the other applications fault, but the application opens with no file passed from the other application. Example: Using Picasa or Shutterfly Studio to organize and quick-edit photos, but wanting to do advanced editing in PP - Open With>Corel Photo-Paint works, but the selected image never appears in PP... Strange eh? Works great with other software, but I don't own other software... :-)

I am having the thumbnail issue as well, but I would like to see if anyone has any solutions to both.

By the way... Using Windows Vista Ultimate x64 edition... The hardest thing in the world to find support for!!!

Not sure about the other problems, but I'm pretty sure the TIF thing will be much improved with SP1 that's due out very soon. Watch for the announcement and upgrade when it happens.

Wish I had more to tell you on this as far as work arounds, but I don't use PP very much.

Val P.

Thanks Val,

Just installed SP1 and still no thumbnails!! :-(

I also would note that this is happening for more than just TIF files, but also JPG and PNG files that are associated to Photo-Paint. Seems like there's some sort of conflict with the X4 Explorer extensions and the Windows GUI/DWM.

Funny thing is, thumbnails for CPT files and CDR files are working great!

If anyone has any other insights for us, please let me know. Thanks!

 

Mike,

If it's JPG and PNG files as well as TIF files, that's another thing altogether...

I don't use PP much, so I don't normally have TIF files associated with that program in any version. I just did an experiment to check what you're saying and sure enough, saving TIF files (or anything but CPT files) from PP X4 with them set to associate to that program results in no thumbnails on my Vista machine for newly created files. Old TIF files created with other programs show up just fine. New TIF files created with other programs do the same as with PP - no thumbnails.

Wish I had a work around for you.

Tony, this is a problem that needs some work.

Val P.

 

 

That's right.  No change to the behavior, even with SP1 installed.  

As I pointed out earlier, clearing out the thumbnail cache via the Vista's disk cleanup tool (see my previous post) will force Windows Explorer to generate new thumbnails next time one calls for them via its view menu.  Vista DOES attempt to render thumbnails for the non Corel graphic filetypes like jpg, tif, and gif (one might even see them flash by), but then they are immediately blotted out with the default PhotoPaint X4 icon.

This is such irritating program behavior that I've switched the default program associations of certain graphic file types to point to my older Corel PhotoPaint X3 program.  X3 allows Vista to render the thumbnail in Windows Explorer properly.  I can still pull up X4 to edit them if I like.  But then I need to open the files from within X4, rather than double clicking on the file via Windows Explorer (which would call up X3).

 I completely agree that this kind of behavior in a 2nd generation vista-compatible product (since X3 SP1 was technically Vista-compatible) is completely an oversight. I'm struggling because I don't still have X3 installed, nor do I want to keep both around just for thumbnails. I'm also appauled that this would happen even through the feature worked fine with X3... Would Microsoft certify this product if they knew about this issue?

C'mon Corel guys - Throw us a bone here - Lets see a patch for this, or at least plans for this issue in an SP2 release, or at the very least instructions for getting around this in SP1!

Kinda feeling bummed as I thought this was already caught and addressed in SP1. Still looking at my little red cameras - All 12,000 of them in my pics folder...

For what it's worth, I've had the same problem. I work with TIF files a lot and found a workaround that I should have thought of sooner :-)

Opened up Irfanview and associated TIF files there. Thumbnails in Explorer were instantly restored. So far no adverse effects with PPX4.

-scaudill

 Am I missing something? It appears to be working just fine here. See this screen shot: 

All the TIff files show thumbnails and are associate with X4. Is this what you are seeing or what you expect to see but are not?

Apparently you are one of the lucky ones! (as are most) I just happen to be one of the few

My TIF files would not show thumbs in Explorer, but if I renamed them to TIFF... they did. Just thought that if others had the same experience the Irfanview trick might work for them.

Here is what I had before: