can't open a jpg attachment
i have windows 11. am on a pc with i-7. my TB version is 102.7.0
i get this error message: jpg could not be opened, because the associated helper application does not exist. Change the association in your preferences. i went to windows default manager, and 'photos' is the default for both jpg and jpeg files.
one TB source recommended going to Tools -> Options -> Attachments / Download Actions -> View and Edit Actions; but my TB doesn't have an 'options' choice under 'tools', and doesn't have an 'attachment' or 'download action' or 'view and edit' choice under any of the headings. my heading choices are 'file', 'edit', view', 'go', 'message', events and tasks', 'tools' and 'help'.
i found a 'config editor' under tools -> account settings -> thunderbird settings (when scroll to the very bottom of the thunderbird settings) -> config editor . there are many many , and i scroll down, but no jpg or jpeg is listed (even when i typed 'jpeg' or 'jpg' in the 'search preference name' box.
what next? please be patient and thorough and walk me through each and every step/click, because i am not very computer savvy.
Chosen solution
the above didn't work. what did work: tools -> settings -> scroll down to 'files and attachments' -> scroll down to .jpeg: 'use photos (default)' was the listed action -> i changed the listed action to 'always ask'. now i can open jpg and jpeg files in TB.
now, the problem is solved.
it would be nice if someone (i don't know how) could change the instructions when one googles "...file could not be opened, because the associated helper application does not exist. change the association in your preferences." because it brings up advice going back to 2008, and primarily addresses pdf files, and the advice given is not current and is not correct, or refers to this site: "https://kb.mozillazine.org/The_associated_helper_application_does_not_exist", which is out of date (2008) and (to me) is not understandable.
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my TB doesn't have an 'options' choice under 'tools',
It's now called 'Settings'.
so, i go to tools -> settings. there are NO options for 'Attachments', 'Download Actions', or 'View and Edit' choice under 'settings'.
in 'settings', i scroll down to 'files and attachments'. i then scroll down and see .jpeg, and action is 'use photos (default).
i still can't open a jpg file in TB.
there is no option for how to open jpg in TB.
now what do i do to be able to open jpg photos in thunderbird?
Go to Settings. Search for PDF.
When the results are returned check to see if Thunderbird even has a helper application for JPG files. (I don't as Thunderbird displays them in emails without any helper). If it has one click on the action and delete it.
Now try that open again.
Also likely is you have an associated application in Windows set that points to an application that no longer exists in Windows 11 in the location set. Photos I understand has had a complete revamp. So a new file name they forgot to update the registry with is not hard to believe. Photos is actually not a complete path to an application and there may be it points to somewhere it should not. So change the photos to something like Paint. It understands JPG and JPEG files. Do you see exactly the same thing in Thunderbird? (the main point of the change is to see if something changes in Thunderbird.)
Change it back to photos. Does this cause a change in outcome?
Chosen Solution
the above didn't work. what did work: tools -> settings -> scroll down to 'files and attachments' -> scroll down to .jpeg: 'use photos (default)' was the listed action -> i changed the listed action to 'always ask'. now i can open jpg and jpeg files in TB.
now, the problem is solved.
it would be nice if someone (i don't know how) could change the instructions when one googles "...file could not be opened, because the associated helper application does not exist. change the association in your preferences." because it brings up advice going back to 2008, and primarily addresses pdf files, and the advice given is not current and is not correct, or refers to this site: "https://kb.mozillazine.org/The_associated_helper_application_does_not_exist", which is out of date (2008) and (to me) is not understandable.