If Windows 10 is saving your JPG files as JFIF files, here's how to fix the problem.

Sometimes Windows 10 saves JPG files as JFIF files. It seems to happen most often when saving images in browsers but doesn't seem to be limited to them. The cause of the issue is an incorrect file association in the registry which appeared after the Windows 10 Creators update.

What is a JFIF file anyway? It's the JPEG File Interchange Format. It seems to have been around since the early 1990's, which proves once again there's always something new to learn about computers.

Note: Resetting all the file associations in Windows 10 didn't repair this for me. If you'd like to try it go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps. Scroll to "Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults" and click the grey "Reset" button.

Normally I wouldn't recommend changing anything in the Windows registry, but this is a persistent problem and there isn't another workaround that I can find.

The registry change involves changing one extension in one entry and is easy if you follow the directions.

Back up the registry

Before you make any changes, back up the registry.

To back up the registry, go to Start and type "regedit" (minus quotes) into the box.

Click on the regedit.exe program link that appears to open the Registry Editor.

Once the Registry Editor is open, click on File > Export.

Type a file name for the backup (I usually add the date as well).

Make sure "All" is checked in the Export range section.

Click on "Save".

Directions for restoring the Registry can be found here: How to Restore the Registry in Windows (Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP). Restoring the registry involves clicking on the registry back up file you created, a straightforward process. You shouldn't need it if you follow the directions, but it's good to know how.

If your comfortable making changes in the registry, here's the path:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > MIME > Database > Content Type > image/jpeg > Extension > Modify > Edit string > change Value data to .jpg

Repair the file association in the Registry

• Go to Start and type "regedit" (minus quotes) into the box.

• Click on the regedit.exe program link that appears to open the Registry Editor.

• When the Registry Editor opens, you'll see Computer at the top, with five entries listed beneath it.

• Click on the small arrow next to the first entry:• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

• Scroll past all the alphabetical entries that have a dot in front of them.

• Another alphabetical list begins at the end of the entries with a dot in front of them.

• Scroll down until you see MIME, it's about halfway down the page.

• Click on the arrow next to MIME to expand the list.

• Click on the arrow next to Content Type to expand the list.

• Scroll down until you see image/jpeg.

• Click on image/jpeg.

• In the right hand window pane, double click or right click on Extension to open the Edit String window.

• In the box under Value data change the entry from .jfif to .jpg.

• Click OK.

• Close the Registry Editor

That's it, your JPG images should be saved as JPGs instead of JFIFs.

If you'd rather not make changes in the registry, you can batch convert JFIF files to JPG files with these two programs. They both create entries in the context (right click) menu in Windows File Manager/Explorer. Sage Thumbs is primarily a file viewer, but it also converts image files. If JFIF files won't convert with a different program, Sage Thumbs will switch them over to JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG.

• Sage Thumbs: View Almost All Image File Formats in Windows File Explorer With This Free Program (direct download here)

• File Converter: Convert Files With A Right Click In Windows Explorer (direct download here)

How to create a .reg file that fixes this automatically

• Open Notepad or other text editor.

• Create a new Text (.txt) file

• Copy the following lines into the new file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\MIME\Database\Content Type\image/jpeg]

"Extension"=".jpg"

• Click on File > Save

• Rename the file

• Change the extension .txt to .reg (to the right of the dot)

• Click on Save

The .reg file is ready to run, click to run the file. Good if you have more than one device that's having this issue.

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