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Try this...open an image folder and right click one
of your image files...from the menu, select...Open
With / Choose Program.

Make your choice from the list or Browse to the
correct program if it is not in the list. Once you
make your selection...be sure to check the box
that says: "Always use the selected program to
open this kind of file". (you will need to do this
for each format....jpg, .tif, .gif...etc.)

Also...in WinXP, you can go to...My Computer /
Tools / Folder Options / File Types tab...

Right click on one of your photos. Click on Open with on the opening menu.
Click on Choose program on the opening list. A list will open, select MS
Photo Editor and then check the box "Always open...."

I don't know anything about MS Photo Editor. I am assuming here that this
software is capable of opening a photo when running under XP. If so, the
above will work.

Under XP, when you double click on a photo, the default is to open it with
Windows Picture and Fax viewer (this will also be on the list after you
click on Choose program) and is the best choice to view pictures. When you
want to edit a picture, you right click on it and click on Open with. Then
the list of software available for editing will open and you select the
software you want.