Solved AVIF/HEIF Explorer support


Jose Hidalgo

Active member
Member
Local time
12:42 PM
Posts
150
Location
France
OS
Windows 11
Hi everybody,

I don't understand why the latest Win 11 doesn't seem to support natively AVIF/HEIF image formats in Explorer (no thumbnails for example).

The MS Store allows download for AV1 Video Extension and HEIF Image extension, which apparently should solve the issue. But I don't have a MS account and I don't want to be forced to use the MS Store.

Any thoughts on how I could do? Thanks in advance.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7700DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - D...Not yet
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Personal build
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7700
Motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WiFi
Memory
DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - DDR5 RGB - 6000 MT/s)
Graphics Card(s)
Not yet
Sound Card
No
Monitor(s) Displays
Philips BDM3270QP2
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
M.2 = 2 TB (Samsung 990 Pro)
SATA = 12 TB (Western Digital Red - WD120EFAX - 5400 rpm)
PSU
Corsair RM850e (850W - ATX 3.0)
Case
Corsair Crystal 280X TG (White, RGB)
Cooling
Intake = 2x120mm fans (Corsair LL120 RGB) / Exhaust = 2x120mm AIO (Aerocool Mirage L240)
Keyboard
Corsair K55 RGB
Mouse
Vertical mouse from AliExpress, very good for the price and a lifesaver for my wrist :)
Internet Speed
Fiber
Browser
Firefox, Brave, Tor
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
UPS = 1000VA (Nitram PB1000 LCD), protecting PC + Monitor + Speakers
Hi everybody,

I don't understand why the latest Win 11 doesn't seem to support natively AVIF/HEIF image formats in Explorer (no thumbnails for example).

The MS Store allows download for AV1 Video Extension and HEIF Image extension, which apparently should solve the issue. But I don't have a MS account and I don't want to be forced to use the MS Store.

Any thoughts on how I could do? Thanks in advance.




You can make an MS account and NOT attach it to your Windows install.
Then you can still use the MS Store, and keep your local account.

This is how I do it also.

NOTE: I don't have to sign in to my MS Account to use the MS Store.




For example... here I am in MS Store (using Firefox), but NOT signed into my Microsoft account...


Image1.png
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7700DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - D...Not yet
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Personal build
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7700
Motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WiFi
Memory
DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - DDR5 RGB - 6000 MT/s)
Graphics Card(s)
Not yet
Sound Card
No
Monitor(s) Displays
Philips BDM3270QP2
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
M.2 = 2 TB (Samsung 990 Pro)
SATA = 12 TB (Western Digital Red - WD120EFAX - 5400 rpm)
PSU
Corsair RM850e (850W - ATX 3.0)
Case
Corsair Crystal 280X TG (White, RGB)
Cooling
Intake = 2x120mm fans (Corsair LL120 RGB) / Exhaust = 2x120mm AIO (Aerocool Mirage L240)
Keyboard
Corsair K55 RGB
Mouse
Vertical mouse from AliExpress, very good for the price and a lifesaver for my wrist :)
Internet Speed
Fiber
Browser
Firefox, Brave, Tor
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
UPS = 1000VA (Nitram PB1000 LCD), protecting PC + Monitor + Speakers
I was hoping for a solution that wouldn't involve the MS Store at all 😬

I have just found this :
Since Free-Codecs is a reputable site, that should do it, right?


Microsoft changes things too much to use an outside source for something like image extensions.
I also think MS is evil, but I still use their Store for things like this.

Less software conflicts, and more compatibility.


On the other hand, I don't use Microsoft drivers. I get any drivers I need from the manufacturer.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
As you can see from the links (just click on them), the downloads are taken directly from the MS Store. They're even in .AppxBundle format. And if there's a new version in the MS Store, the list is updated. So to me it's exactly the same, with no need to register. :-)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7700DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - D...Not yet
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Personal build
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7700
Motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WiFi
Memory
DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - DDR5 RGB - 6000 MT/s)
Graphics Card(s)
Not yet
Sound Card
No
Monitor(s) Displays
Philips BDM3270QP2
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
M.2 = 2 TB (Samsung 990 Pro)
SATA = 12 TB (Western Digital Red - WD120EFAX - 5400 rpm)
PSU
Corsair RM850e (850W - ATX 3.0)
Case
Corsair Crystal 280X TG (White, RGB)
Cooling
Intake = 2x120mm fans (Corsair LL120 RGB) / Exhaust = 2x120mm AIO (Aerocool Mirage L240)
Keyboard
Corsair K55 RGB
Mouse
Vertical mouse from AliExpress, very good for the price and a lifesaver for my wrist :)
Internet Speed
Fiber
Browser
Firefox, Brave, Tor
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
UPS = 1000VA (Nitram PB1000 LCD), protecting PC + Monitor + Speakers
As you can see from the links (just click on them), the downloads are taken directly from the MS Store. They're even in .AppxBundle format. And if there's a new version in the MS Store, the list is updated. So to me it's exactly the same, with no need to register. :-)


As I said above... you don't need to be logged into a Microsoft account to use the MS Store.

And... for me at least, Windows 11 came with the HEIF Extensions?
I did get the AV1 Extensions from the store though.



Here's the Windows Apps tab in REVO Uninstaller free...

00000 REVO Junk Removal.png



I did an In-Place Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Home RTM in October 2021.
 
Last edited:

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8655 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Yes, weirdly it seems that you can indeed use the MS Store and download stuff without being actually logged with a MS account. I'm surprised.

Either way, I think the problem is solved. Thank you for your help and your explanations. :-)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7700DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - D...Not yet
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Personal build
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7700
Motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WiFi
Memory
DDR5 = 32 GB = 2x16 GB (Corsair Dominator - DDR5 RGB - 6000 MT/s)
Graphics Card(s)
Not yet
Sound Card
No
Monitor(s) Displays
Philips BDM3270QP2
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
M.2 = 2 TB (Samsung 990 Pro)
SATA = 12 TB (Western Digital Red - WD120EFAX - 5400 rpm)
PSU
Corsair RM850e (850W - ATX 3.0)
Case
Corsair Crystal 280X TG (White, RGB)
Cooling
Intake = 2x120mm fans (Corsair LL120 RGB) / Exhaust = 2x120mm AIO (Aerocool Mirage L240)
Keyboard
Corsair K55 RGB
Mouse
Vertical mouse from AliExpress, very good for the price and a lifesaver for my wrist :)
Internet Speed
Fiber
Browser
Firefox, Brave, Tor
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
UPS = 1000VA (Nitram PB1000 LCD), protecting PC + Monitor + Speakers
The MS Store allows download for AV1 Video Extension and HEIF Image extension, which apparently should solve the issue. But I don't have a MS account and I don't want to be forced to use the MS Store.
You don't need to sign in to the Store with a Microsoft account to install anything that's free to get. You only need to sign in if you want to buy an app.

Screenshot 2024-06-07 124131.png
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
If your'e also looking for the HEVC video extension you can follow the guide here,


Just checked mine on Windows 11,

2024_06_07_1448_%pn.png
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 ProAMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Comput...
    OS
    Win 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U
    Motherboard
    M1605YA
    Memory
    24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)
    Graphics Card(s)
    512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Computer Inc)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1200@60Hz) - P1 PLUS (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1200
    Hard Drives
    953GB Western Digital WD
    PSU
    45 Watts
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth.
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
Back
Top Bottom