Serious Discussion Microsoft’s solution to run Photos app faster on Windows 11 is to launch it at startup

[brambedkar59]

In a new update, Microsoft has added a toggle called “Performance”, which can be turned to allow Photos to run in the background at startup to improve performance. This is an optional toggle, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a future update turns it on by default in the Photos app.

When the toggled on, Photos app-related processes automatically launch in the background, eating up your memory and CPU as soon as you boot to the desktop.

While this change could mean Microsoft Photos will now use resources even when you don’t use the app, it also means the app can launch quickly.

If you’ve Photos app version 2024.11050.3002.0 and above, you already have the new Windows App SDK version, which is slow and buggy. The new performance toggle is only available to those in the Windows Insider’s Canary Channel and requires version 2024.11060.27001.0.

Another brilliant move by amazing MS devs

Microsoft's solution to run Photos app faster on Windows 11 is to launch it at startup

Microsoft plans to automatically run Photos app in the background when booting to the desktop on Windows 11.

www.windowslatest.com

 

[Marko :)]

Photos app is among the first ones I uninstall after fresh Windows installation. ImageGlass is everything you need, a free and open source image viewer. It's lightweight, extremely customizable and open 80+ formats.

 

[kailyn]

Another brilliant move by amazing MS devs

Microsoft's solution to run Photos app faster on Windows 11 is to launch it at startup

Microsoft plans to automatically run Photos app in the background when booting to the desktop on Windows 11.

www.windowslatest.com

Eventually they will load as many Windows apps that they can into primary memory (RAM\volatile).

I just disable the start-up of such rarely used apps.

 

[brambedkar59]

Photos app is among the first ones I uninstall after fresh Windows installation. ImageGlass is everything you need, a free and open source image viewer. It's lightweight, extremely customizable and open 80+ formats.

I just installed ImageGlass, and it's really good.

Edit: made it more clear

 

[SeriousHoax]

Photos app is among the first ones I uninstall after fresh Windows installation. ImageGlass is everything you need, a free and open source image viewer. It's lightweight, extremely customizable and open 80+ formats.

I used it a few years ago but it had an unpleasant bug which kept me away from it but now I don't even remember what the bug was I always liked IrfanView more as it's the fastest one I have used but it doesn't let me zoom in with mouse wheel. I need to check out ImageGlass again though the Photos app has worked very well since Windows 11.
Edit: Installed it but not very impressed with speed. It's slow to open and large images like images over 10 MB size loads even slower and when they are opened the images are blurry for about half a second. I'll stick to the Photos app and will disable the option to keep it running in the background. My search to find something as fast as IrfanView continues.

 

[Jonny Quest]

What I did like about ImageGlass when I used it, is I believe there was an option to right click on a image and copy it to another folder. It made things easy to organize that way.
But, InfranView is still my favorite viewer.

 

[brambedkar59]

I always liked IrfanView more as it's the fastest one I have used but it doesn't let me zoom in with mouse wheel.

But, InfranView is still my favorite viewer.

If only it didn't have an UI straight out of year 2001.

 

[SeriousHoax]

If only it didn't have an UI straight out of year 2001.

Hehe so true. But at least now it has a dark theme which makes it look better than before.

 

[Marko :)]

I used it a few years ago but it had an unpleasant bug which kept me away from it but now I don't even remember what the bug was I always liked IrfanView more as it's the fastest one I have used but it doesn't let me zoom in with mouse wheel. I need to check out ImageGlass again though the Photos app has worked very well since Windows 11.
Edit: Installed it but not very impressed with speed. It's slow to open and large images like images over 10 MB size loads even slower and when they are opened the images are blurry for about half a second. I'll stick to the Photos app and will disable the option to keep it running in the background. My search to find something as fast as IrfanView continues.

Obviously, the bigger file is, the longer it will take to open it. I have downloaded 10 MB sample photo from web just to test how long it will take to open it on my laptop. It took 0,5 sec. from the launch of the app to crystal clear picture. Maybe it has to do something with your hardware (like not fast enough)?

I don't usually open that big image files so a bit of waiting isn't bothering me. But I did take a 108MP photo with my phone (file size is 25 MB) out of curiosity to see how long it will take to open it—4,3 seconds. Considering I went from default Windows Photo Viewer (which also takes some time to open bigger files), I don't have anything to complain.

Official Photos app is actually way slower for me. I never used IrfanView because I found its interface ugly.

 

[lokamoka820]

Hehe so true. But at least now it has a dark theme which makes it look better than before.

Really? That what I was waiting for, good to know.

 

[SeriousHoax]

Maybe it has to do something with your hardware (like not fast enough)?

It's not a fancy PC (AMD 3400G). But the last two games I played on finished on this PC are Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima (finished it yesterday). So, it should surely have enough power to open a 10 MB image quickly Images open fast with Photos app and IrfanView. Probably optimization issue for ImageGlass for my hardware.

Really? That what I was waiting for, good to know.

The core design is still the same. But I don't notice the ugliness anymore because of the dark colors. I love how it resizes the whole UI of the app based on the image's size and orientation.

 

[lokamoka820]

I love how it resizes the whole UI of the app based on the image's size and orientation.

I love this feature too.

 

[brambedkar59]

It's not a fancy PC (AMD 3400G). But the last two games I played on finished on this PC are Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima (finished it yesterday). So, it should surely have enough power to open a 10 MB image quickly Images open fast with Photos app and IrfanView. Probably optimization issue for ImageGlass for my hardware.

The core design is still the same. But I don't notice the ugliness anymore because of the dark colors. I love how it resizes the whole UI of the app based on the image's size and orientation.
View attachment 284102View attachment 284103

I actually hate it when photo viewer and video players does that

 

[SeriousHoax]

I actually hate it when photo viewer and video players does that

I hate it for video players for sure (VLC does it by default for example) but for some reason like it for Photo Viewer. Never really thought about it why no for videos, yes for photos

 

[lokamoka820]

I actually hate it when photo viewer and video players does that

I hate it for video players for sure (VLC does it by default for example) but for some reason like it for Photo Viewer. Never really thought about it why no for videos, yes for photos

I like it for both, photo viewers and video players, it was the first setting I change in MPC-BE when installing.

 

[brambedkar59]

I am currently trying out Pictureflect photo viewer, it seems much faster than ImageGlass.
Edit: (Some of the features are behind paywall but basic features are free).

Pictureflect Photo Viewer - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

Pictureflect Photo Viewer is a folder-based image viewing app with minimalist feel designed to: - easily show your photos in fullscreen with a manual or timed slideshow - review your photos with a clean interface, fast load, and a range of zoom options - crop, resize and convert...

www.microsoft.com

 

[lokamoka820]

I am currently trying out Pictureflect photo viewer, it seems much faster than ImageGlass.
Edit: (Some of the features are behind paywall but basic features are free).

Pictureflect Photo Viewer - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

Pictureflect Photo Viewer is a folder-based image viewing app with minimalist feel designed to: - easily show your photos in fullscreen with a manual or timed slideshow - review your photos with a clean interface, fast load, and a range of zoom options - crop, resize and convert...

www.microsoft.com

Looks promising, what I really can't live without is FastStone Image Viewer, not as a photo viewer, but as a photo manager.