Photo/picture storage for Windows 11

[Basil]

Hello, I run windows 11. I find it impossible to load any pictures to this forum using the system that is installed( By a friend). What suggestions are there for a SIMPLE storage/ manipulation program that I can download please.

I have seen these systems  mentioned , that are connected to Microsoft onedrive account. As far as I know I dont have that softwear .  Some years ago with an earlier windows system I had something that worked really well, easy to use and install. I want something that gives easy access to photos , say by date and sub headings etc. Be good if you could also manipulate the photo as well, but I need it simple. I have managed to store all my old photos on this my new computer but they have ended up just a jumble. Whats gone is gone, I need something for the future.

I dont really want to use the Cloud either, I dont see why I should give some else access to my pics.

Thanks in advance.

Bas

Edited December 4, 2023 by Basil

[Jon H]

With the updated forum you can just find the photo you want on your pc and drag it into the reply box. it then uploads itself and you are done. There is no need for any cloud shenanigans 

[Basil]

10 minutes ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

With the updated forum you can just find the photo you want on your pc and drag it into the reply box. it then uploads itself and you are done. There is no need for any cloud shenanigans 

Jon, I need a system for storage that allows easy access and selection. Down loading to the forum is another subject. The system I have gives a picture about 1/4 2 square.( A blob) cant see what they are, so cant move them. Basically I cant find the photographs in the first place.

Bas

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Basil

[john davidson 1]

As Jon says for putting on here, but for fool proof storage of photos my camera puts them on cards which then can be put into labelled envelopes . I lost a lot of photos last time I changed computers. You can also back them up onto a separate hard drive of course.

[Basil]

2 minutes ago, john davidson 1 said:

As Jon says for putting on here, but for fool proof storage of photos my camera puts them on cards which then can be put into labelled envelopes . I lost a lot of photos last time I changed computers. You can also back them up onto a separate hard drive of course.

John, thats not what I had in mind. That means making a contents list for each card and storing envelopes. I would rather store on a drive, and back up as required. External drive would be an option, but we are now getting a bit to high tech for me. I need a system where I can find things easily say by date/title within the computer stotage system. I can move them from the memory card , from the camera to the system .  Your way I would still have to load them back into the computer to view/select, thats if I have understood you correctly, good chance I have not.

Thanks for that suggestion.

Bas

[john davidson 1]

I can  view back in the camera , also on a viewer thingymajig

[EarlyBird]

Do you use file explorer to find your pictures?

[leccyflyer]

On Windows 11 you should have a link for Pictures on your C drive in the Users folder and your images should be accessible from there, with whatever folder system you would like to put in place to keep them sorted and easy to find. 

 

 

Windows 11 comes with a perfectly usable Photoediting function that can do most basic things, including resizing your original images to a smaller size suitable for drag and drop into the replies in these threads.

 

It looks like this.

 

You can have those folders set up to back up to the Cloud - as I do - or you can choose not to. You only need to lose one HDD full of irreplaceable images and spend a lot of money to try to get them back, not with 100% success I might add, to see the benefits of Cloud backup, Worth paying 99p a month for the extra capacity available as well. All of the images that I shoot myself are also retained on SD cards as well.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by leccyflyer
Added image

[Jon H]

I am not sure i understand the problem then. Your photos should all live in your pictures folder with the likely address being C:\Users\your user name\pictures. In my case on the work PC its C:\Users\Laser Engines\Pictures.

 

Just saw you latest post. 

 

I am still not exactly sure what you are trying to achieve. Normally if i go to an airshow for example, i would download all the photos from the camer into a folder called 'duxford may 2023' or whatever the date and show were and plonk that folder in the pictures folder so i knew where it was. Same with holidays, trips, etc. I can then backup my entire photo collection with ease by just copying the whole pictures folder to an external hard drive. With all that done, the camera is wiped ready for the next show. 

 

Also, within the pictures folder you can right click and have a variety of options. Things can be ordered by name, by date, size etc. You can select a list view (unhelpful for photos) or icons which show a little thumbnail of the photo itself making the one you want easier to find. 

 

There is no need to download any 'system'. This is all integral functionality within windows. 

 

11 minutes ago, Basil said:

External drive would be an option, but we are now getting a bit to high tech for me.

 

 

If you can plug in a usb anything, external drives will not be a challenge. 

[EarlyBird]

Use the View Tab and select Extra large icons, as below.

 

 

To edit a photo move the cursor over it and double left click to open the built in photo editor.

[Basil]

I have a file thing called 'Picture'. The pics are 1/4 " and cannot be identified, the dates are not in series. If you cant see them you cant use them. I ask for a system so that I can view them, in order to use them.

I am puzzled. By the way I already have an electronic extra disc thing.  I dont really want to use the cloud for reasons already stated. Does this help.

Bas

[leccyflyer]

Those are just thumbnails. You have a number of options for how you view them, from just details of the file, through small thumbnails, to much larger thumbnails to make then easier to see and sort. If you double click on the thumbnail it will open up the picture in the Pictures editing screen, full screen.

 

You can insert any number of folders under Pictures. and organise your images however you would like them. 

[EarlyBird]

Left click on start on the bottom left of your screen.

 

 

then click on Photos

 

[Ron Gray]

26 minutes ago, Basil said:

I dont really want to use the cloud for reasons already stated.

I really don’t understand the reluctance to use cloud facilities for storage. It is safe and who do you think is going to look at your photos? Let’s face it, putting photos on here is no different, as soon as you do upload one it is ‘in the cloud’.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Ron Gray

[Geoff S]

I'm still on W10 and view my pictures using Windows Photo Viewer but there are other free jpeg viewers available online. All you need to do is double click on the thumbnail and it will open. I can't believe W11 is much different. I have numerous back-ups - some are additional SSD I'e fitted into my PC and probably the most secure is a separate USB driven hard drive.  A lot of my photos are 35mm slides which are even harder to access and view - especially as my projector broke!  I must have 100s of slides and sadly some have mould on them.

 

When you download photos from your camera or phone, use the option 'Save As' and then choose the destination either to a previously created folder or you also have the option of creating a new one.  That way, you know where to look when you use File Explorer to search your machine's memory.  I don't use the so-called cloud either, mainly because I like to know the physical location of my data/photos.  Plus I can access them when off-line should there be no internet connection for some reason.

 

As for storage, I'm a bit anal as to where my data are stored (all data) and partition my drive into a drive C for software and Windows and drive D for my data which are organised to suit me.  Photographs are stored in various places depending on their relevance (lots are in the folders for particular model builds for example).  Most of my early involvement in computers was in machines with no sophisticated operating system, so I got used to setting up my folder system carefully, as a lot of it was assembler or C code I'd spent months writing.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Geoff S

[Basil]

42 minutes ago, Ron Gray said:

I really don’t understand the reluctance to use cloud facilities for storage. It is safe and who do you think is going to look at your photos? Let’s face it, putting photos on here is no different, as soon as you do upload one it is ‘in the cloud’.

Once your pictures are in the cloud they have the legal right to publish your photos. Just a thing I have Ron. Is it free!!!

Bas

Edited December 4, 2023 by Basil

[EarlyBird]

 

[Basil]

What I have not stated is that my current 'Pictures' is run in windows 11 using another program , as I have had problems with interlopers. I have had serious problems a couple of years ago .       I will have to get my friend who installed it to run me through every thing before I go to far.

Bas.

[EarlyBird]

1 minute ago, Basil said:

What I have not stated is that my current 'Pictures' is run in windows 11 using another program , as I have had problems with interlopers. I have had serious problems a couple of years ago .       I will have to get my friend who installed it to run me through every thing before I go to far.

Bas.

Install what Bas?

It's all there in windows.

[Ron Gray]

38 minutes ago, Basil said:

they have the legal right to publish your photos.

As the photographer you own the copyright to photos you’ve taken. Obviously if you publish them through certain outlets then there maybe a condition that passes or shares the copyright. Photos stored by you in the cloud are not available for others unless you give express permission to view them (or download them). Even if you give permission to view or download the copyright remains yours!

[Jon H]

41 minutes ago, Basil said:

What I have not stated is that my current 'Pictures' is run in windows 11 using another program

 

this is likely the root cause of all your problems. Many 'helpful' programs arent, i would go back to basics. 

[leccyflyer]

I think Basil said in an earlier thread that he was running Windows on Linux.

[Philip Lewis 3]

Right mouse click, half way down click open with, click on photos. To change what programme opens it when in "open with", select "choose another app," pick programme you want e.g. Photo's and put a tick in the box at the bottom.

[Basil]

Just now, Philip Lewis 3 said:

Right mouse click, half way down click open with, click on photos. To change what programme opens it when in "open with", select "choose another app," pick programme you want e.g. Photo's and put a tick in the box at the bottom.

windows is not as windows is normally displayed.Bas

[leccyflyer]

As pointed out, you do not need any other programmes to do what you are tyring to do. The Pictures/Photos app within Windows will do everything that you are asking for. For organising your photos plain old Windows Explorer will do that as well and the View Options in Windows Explorer will let you choose how you want to view and organise those photographs.

 

If your Linux based emulation of Windows will not let you do that very basic level of file management  you should seriously think about getting rid of it and going back to a vanilla Windows installation. It's unfortunate, IMO, that computer enthusiasts are very often very quick to recommend alternative operating systems, browsers and suchlike, to fit their own biases, forgetting that not everyone is as technically computer savvy as they are and leaving their charge floundering and unable to open or view a file is very unfortunate - however much they dislike Bill Gates.