photos program not responding

Dominica Waid 0 Reputation points
2026-10-15T16:39:26.35+00:00

When I try to use my Photo files it says Photos not responding.

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video
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  1. DaveM121 939.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-15T17:14:51.12+00:00

    1

    Open the Settings App.

    Go to Apps - Installed Apps.

    Scroll down to find the Microsoft Photos app.

    Select that app, click the 3 dots beside it and choose 'Advanced Options'.

    Perform the Repair option and the Reset option on the app.

    Then check if the photos app is working correctly.

    2

    If that does not resolve the problem, uninstall the photos app, restart your PC, then download and install the latest version of the Photos app from the Microsoft Store.

    https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfjbh4

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-15T16:39:52.33+00:00

    Try these Windows self-service fixes in order:

    1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Photos > Advanced options.
      • Select Terminate.
      • Then select Repair.
      • If Photos still hangs, go back and select Reset.
    2. Restart the PC and test Photos again.
    3. If the problem happens only with photos from an iPhone or Android device, the files may be HEIF/HEVC.
      • Install HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft Store.
      • Restart the Photos app after installing them.
    4. If the files came from a phone, try transferring them again by connecting the phone to the PC or emailing the files to the PC so they convert to a more common format during transfer.
    5. If screenshots and other photo-related apps are also failing, repair those apps the same way from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
    6. If Photos still does not open correctly, run system file repair from an elevated Command Prompt:
      • DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth
      • DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
      • DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
      • sfc /scannow Then restart the PC.

    If the issue is only with very large TIFF or very high-resolution image files, Windows photo components can fail to open them because of file size or memory limits.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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