Once you’ve downloaded and installed your new viewer, follow these steps to make it your primary app: Click the button and select Default Programs . Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program . Find common image extensions like .jpg , .png , or .gif .

IrfanView has been a staple for Windows users for decades, and for good reason. It is incredibly fast and consumes almost no system resources, making it perfect for older Windows 7 machines.

It’s lightning-fast and supports GPS data, showing you exactly where a photo was taken on Google Maps. Top Feature: Ultra-fast rendering of high-res files.

HoneyView focuses on one thing: showing you your pictures as quickly as possible. It is particularly popular among comic and manga readers because it can view images inside ZIP or RAR files without extracting them.

Nomacs is a small, fast viewer that is capable of handling even the most demanding RAW files. It has a very clean, "borderless" look that feels more current than the Windows 7 aesthetic.

Photography enthusiasts who need to sort through large folders of images. 3. XnView MP: The Powerhouse

If you want something that feels a bit more modern than IrfanView but remains just as fast, FastStone is the answer. It features a unique "fly-out" menu system—when you're in full-screen mode, simply move your mouse to the edges of the screen to access editing tools and metadata.