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This article shows how to Fix ‘Class Not Registered error’ issue in Windows 11/10 that shows up when you try to open a picture or photo on a Windows 11/10 computer. Users say that this error message makes it impossible for them to open images on their computers, no matter what the file extension is (JPG, PNG, etc.). Windows has been trying to fix its problems with each new version and update.
They look at the general feedback given in their forums and use it to improve with each update, fixing most of the known problems. When you try to open an app on Windows, you get the “class not registered” error. It’s annoying, and it makes it hard to get to your favorite apps. But many of them still haven’t been solved, and we just have to figure out how to Fix ‘Class Not Registered error’ issue in Windows 11/10. If something like this happens to you, the ideas in this article might help you solve the problem. If you want to know more information about this visit Microsoft official Website.
What is the “Class Not Registered” Error?
Most of the time, this error is caused by incompatible software on Windows PCs. If you are using more than one program to do the same job, and those programs don’t work well together, you may get this error. For example, the “Class not registered error” is often caused by Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge. The details of the “class not registered” error are usually found in the message that comes up when the process is interrupted, such as “file explorer class not registered” or other characters that show a process is broken or not available.
It just means that your Windows operating system can’t link to the file you want to use with the program you’re trying to run. For example, if you get the “class not registered” error when you try to open photos, it means that the photo app can’t get to the file because it’s missing a part or object, which is usually mentioned in the description.
Ways to Fix ‘Class Not Registered error’ issue in Windows 11/10
Reset Default Apps

- Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Settings > Apps.
- Scroll down until you see “Reset to the defaults that Microsoft recommends.
- Click the “Reset” button.
Run Component Services
- Press the Windows key plus the letter R to open the Run box.
- In the Run box, type dcomcnfg and hit the Enter key.
- This will bring up the window for ComponentServices.
- Click on “Computer” in the Component Services Window to make it bigger.
- Then, click on “My Computer”.
- Click twice on DCOM config.
- You will see a message that says “DCOM Configuration Warning.”
- Click “Yes”.
- You might get another message about a different part.
- Use the ‘Yes’ option to register or record all of these messages.
- Close the Component Services Window when you’re done.
- Restart your computer.
- Now open the picture, and I hope the “class not registered” error you were getting should be gone.
Disable iCloud
- Type Task Manager into the search box in Windows to open it.
- Tap the Startup section.
- Scroll to iCloud Services, right-click, and then click Disable.
Bring Back Photo Viewer In Windows 11/10 And Open/View Photos
- Find the image that is already there and write down its path.
- Notepad can be opened. Copy and paste the path of the picture into the notepad. Right-click on the image and choose Properties to get the path.
- Write down the exact path from Properties and put it in the notepad. For instance: C:\users\jacob\desktop\image9.jpg
- Then, copy and paste the following command into the next line of the notepad:
- %SystemRoot%System32rundll32.exe “%ProgramFiles%Windows Photo ViewerPhotoViewer.dll”, ImageView_Fullscreen
- Now, the notepad has two lines. Next, copy the image’s path and paste it at the end of the second line, just after the word “Fullscreen.” The result should look like this:
- %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe “%ProgramFiles%\Windows Photo Viewer\PhotoViewer.dll”, ImageView_Fullscreen C:\users\jacob\desktop\image9.jpg
- Now, just copy the whole line, from the
%
to the.jpg
. - To open the Run box, press Windows Key + R. Copy the command and paste it into the “Run” box. Then click “OK.”
- The photo will open in the Photo Viewer.
- Close it, then open the same picture again.
- You now have the option to make Photo Viewer the default app for opening and viewing photos.
Create A New Account
If none of the above fixes work to get rid of the “Class not registered” message that pops up when you open a photo, you may just need to create a new Microsoft account on your Windows computer. First, sign in to your computer with a local account. Then, follow the steps below to make a new Microsoft account.
- Go to Settings > Accounts and choose “Select Family & other people” on your PC.
- Click “Add someone else to this PC” on the right-hand menu.
- Now, type your “Microsoft account email” and click “Next.”
- Sign out, and then use the new Microsoft account to sign in.
Causes of the “Class Not Registered” Error
- Missing or broken DLL files: The “Class Not Registered” error can happen if the required Dynamic Link Library (DLL) files are missing or broken. DLL files are necessary for applications to work right, and if they are missing or broken, classes may not be registered correctly.
- Incorrect or out-of-date registry entries: The Windows registry has important information about installed software and system settings. The “Class Not Registered” error can happen if the registry entries for a certain class or COM (Component Object Model) component are wrong or out of date.
- Unregistered or incompatible COM components: COM components are small pieces of software that can be used over and over again. They let different programs talk to each other. The “Class Not Registered” error can happen if a required COM component is not properly registered or if the component is not compatible with the application that uses it.
- Changes to default programs or conflicts: between programs trying to handle the same file type or protocol can cause the “Class Not Registered” error when trying to open or access those files.
Conclusion
You now know how to fix the “Explorer.exe: Class not registered” error. If you see the “Class not registered” message in other Windows System apps, you can almost use the same steps. Try to open them on a different computer or photo viewer to see if the files are broken. If you find problems with your photos, you can fix them with the reliable Stellar Repair for Photo software.
Questions and Answers
To fix a “Class Not Registered” error on Windows, force close and reopen File Explorer, re-register all your DLL files, reset Windows’ default apps, re-register your Microsoft Store apps, fix or reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages, run SFC, or roll back your PC to a restore point.
“Class not registered” is a problem in Windows that usually happens when you try to open an app with corrupted files. This error is usually caused by files inside the program, but it can also be caused by corruption on your hard drive or in your operating system files.
To see if Windows 11 is activated, click the Start button, then Settings, then System, and finally Activation. The status of your activation will be shown next to Activation. You have been turned on. It is not linked to a Microsoft account.