6 Fixes for “Class Not Registered” Error When Opening Photos on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• The “Class Not Registered” error occurs when a problem with the Windows Component Object Model (COM) prevents a program from functioning correctly.
• You can try changing the default photo viewer app to Photos and resetting the app to eliminate bugs.
• Additionally, you can also re-register DLL files using Command Prompt.

Fix 1: Restart Windows Explorer

The error message can appear due to a temporary glitch within the system, so restart Windows Explorer.

Step 1: Press the Windows + X keys to open the Power User Menu and choose Task Manager from the list.

Step 2: Right-click on Windows Explorer and choose Restart.

Fix 2: Choose Photos as the Default Image Viewer

The error message will likely crop up if the Photos app is not set as the default image-viewing application.

Step 1: Open the Settings app, select Apps in the side menu, and go to Default Apps.

Step 2: Locate and select the Photos app.

Step 3: Click on all the commonly used image extensions like JPG, JPEG, PNG, and GIF, choose Photos from the menu, and click on Set default.

Fix 3: Reset the Photos App

If configuring the Photos app as the default image viewing application wasn’t helpful, reset the app to its default settings.

Step 1: Open Settings, choose Apps from the left panel, and select Installed apps.

Step 2: Locate and click on three dots next to Microsoft Photos and choose Advanced options.

Step 3: Click on Reset. Don’t worry, this will not delete your photos.

Fix 4: Re-Register Windows DLL Files

DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files contain codes and data that other programs use to perform certain tasks. If an important DLL file goes missing or corrupted, the app won’t function properly.

One of the ways to solve that is to re-register the DLL files using Command Prompt.

Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Windows Search bar and choose Run as administrator from the right pane.

Step 2: In the elevated Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

FOR /R C:\ %G IN (*.dll) DO "%systemroot%\system32\regsvr32.exe" /s "%G" regsvr32 ExplorerFrame.dll

Fix 5: Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Programs

The Microsoft Visual C++ library is an important component of the Windows operating system. It ensures that all the applications run properly on your computer.

When the package gets corrupt due to sudden system shutdown, virus attack, or any other reason, you become prone to errors like Class not registered. Fortunately, you can use the built-in repair option to eliminate the error. To do that, follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Open the Start Menu, type Control Panel, and press Enter.

Step 2: Choose Uninstall a program.

Step 3: Right-click on the latest Microsoft Visual C++ package installed on the device and choose Change.

Step 4: Choose Repair from the prompt.

After the repair is complete, you must restart your computer to apply the changes.

Fix 6: Reinstall Microsoft Store

Another prime reason behind the error message is corruption in the Microsoft Store. You can quickly remove the corruption by reinstalling the Microsoft Store. To do that, open Command Prompt as an administrator, type the following commands, and press Enter.

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

If none of the above methods work, run the SFC scan to detect, and repair any corrupted system files.