Finding ALL images on computer

[JoeB]

Is there a way to have PSPX7 find - and show thumbnails of - all images, regardless of image format/type, on all drives on my PC at once rather than having to scan particular photos? If not (or even if so) is there a free software program that will do that? TIA!

[Kathy_9]

I don't use PSP for thumbnails but it you are looking for a viewer you could check out IrfanView Thumbnails http://www.irfanview.com/

[photodrawken]

... is there a free software program that will do that? TIA!

I use XnView. It has a feature-rich browser that allows you to specify not only which directories to catalog, but also which directories to exclude.

Specifically, I use XnViewMP:
http://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/
The current version is 0.81, but don't let the "beta" designation put you off -- it's stable and very useful.

[Djard007]

IrfanView is excellent, but by far the nicest GUI that I have used for the purpose you describe is Picasa 3: it once cost $20 before Google acquired it and now offers as freeware. Picasa 3 includes some editing tools and useful filters as well as giving you control of image preview size and too many other features to mention. Of course, it is no match for PSP for editing. I let the app scan every image and video on my system then cancel the ones I don't want. Best of all, you can quickly and smooooothly scroll through every image on your HDDs and easily find duplicate files. I love it.

[JoeB]

I don't use PSP for thumbnails but it you are looking for a viewer you could check out IrfanView Thumbnails http://www.irfanview.com/

I already use IrfanView as a viewer. I'm really looking for something that will scan my whole computer and thumbnail every image of every file type/format in one step.

[JoeB]

I use XnView. It has a feature-rich browser that allows you to specify not only which directories to catalog, but also which directories to exclude.

Specifically, I use XnViewMP:
http://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/
The current version is 0.81, but don't let the "beta" designation put you off -- it's stable and very useful.

thanks for the info. I've downloaded the program and may try it. The site doesn't indicate whether or not it will scan the whole computer (every drive, every folder) in one step rather than having to select one drive and/or bunches of folders to get a complete scan so not sure whether it quite does what I'm looking for yet.

[JoeB]

IrfanView is excellent, but by far the nicest GUI that I have used for the purpose you describe is Picasa 3: it once cost $20 before Google acquired it and now offers as freeware. Picasa 3 includes some editing tools and useful filters as well as giving you control of image preview size and too many other features to mention. Of course, it is no match for PSP for editing. I let the app scan every image and video on my system then cancel the ones I don't want. Best of all, you can quickly and smooooothly scroll through every image on your HDDs and easily find duplicate files. I love it.

[EDIT]: After my reply (below) I looked for a download of Picasa 3. However, it doesn't seem to be available from Google and the other software sites offering it for download all try to install a download manager rather than allow a direct download of the program. I do not download from sites trying to install download managers because they invariably include malware of some sort. Do you have a link from which I can get the program? TIA!

NEW EDIT: Found a link at filehippo that downloaded Picasa without a download manager being attached.

I'll give this one a try first because you indicate that it will scan every image and video on your system, which I take to mean it will do that in one step rather than having to select various drives and/or folders. I want all my drives and all folders to be scanned at once. I can scan separate drives and folders with PSP Manage mode or other programs I already have. But I'm looking create one database that contains links to every image on my system (including vids now that you mention them ) so I'll see if this does the trick. Just so long as it doesn't take over file associations! And I definitely wouldn't use it for any editing - I just want to find everything I have anywhere. After that I'll take my time deleting, organizing, etc.

[hartpaul]

There was a program that would do what you wanted and as well as images and videos would also scan and make a database for all videos,images, word documents and pretty well all files on your computer and any attached external hard drives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Desktop

Bad news is that it has been discontinued by Google.

[photodrawken]

The site doesn't indicate whether or not it will scan the whole computer (every drive, every folder) in one step

In the XnView Settings...Browser...Catalog, you can set the "Base path of your pictures" to This PC (in Windows 10) or My Computer (Win7) by using the little browse button to the right of the entry field. I believe that will do what you want.

[Kathy_9]

I don't use PSP for thumbnails but it you are looking for a viewer you could check out IrfanView Thumbnails http://www.irfanview.com/

I already use IrfanView as a viewer. I'm really looking for something that will scan my whole computer and thumbnail every image of every file type/format in one step.

Joe, I'm a little confused and that's probably on my end; not yours. I was talking about Irfanview Thumbnails not Irfanview the editor/viewer. It comes with Irfanview and it's the second icon below (Panda Bear). This seems to do everything you are asking for unless I'm misunderstanding what you want. I can see all my images & video files regardless of location and this includes newly created ones. I don't have to tell it to do anything; it just sees everything so I'm assuming it's scanning the whole computer.

I did think Picasa would be something you would like but didn't mention it since it's been discontinued. I still have it and use it for collages occasionally but there will be no support or updates.

click for larger view

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[JoeB]

Joe, I'm a little confused and that's probably on my end; not yours. I was talking about Irfanview Thumbnails not Irfanview the editor/viewer. It comes with Irfanview and it's the second icon below (Panda Bear). This seems to do everything you are asking for unless I'm misunderstanding what you want. I can see all my images & video files regardless of location and this includes newly created ones. I don't have to tell it to do anything; it just sees everything so I'm assuming it's scanning the whole computer.

I did think Picasa would be something you would like but didn't mention it since it's been discontinued. I still have it and use it for collages occasionally but there will be no support or updates.

I have tried the Thumbnails and what I get is a sidebar with a folder tree. As I click on various folders the images in those folders appear as thumbnails but not images in sub-folders. And if I click on a Drive no images show unless I click on a folder on that drive that contains images.

EDIT: Deleted request for post of Picasa - found a site to download it without a download manager being attached.

[JoeB]

SOLVED (I think). Got Picasa 3 and it's working as I speak. It seems to be doing what I wanted so thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

[photodrawken]

Just FYI:

For anyone who wants to do this without resorting to using a discontinued program, in XnViewMP you simply right-click on an item in the Folders tree and select "Show all files (recursive)".

So, if you do that to the top-level "This PC" item, you'll see all images and videos in all directories on all drives.

[hartpaul]

Hi Joe,
Would I be correct in that you also want to scan all your drives to try and locate duplicate files and so delete excess? There was another program that did this:
https://www.hardcoded.net/dupeguru/
Again it is becoming outdated and apparently newer versions no longer support Windows. However you can still download older versions for XP and Windows 7 from that page.

[JoeB]

Just FYI:

For anyone who wants to do this without resorting to using a discontinued program, in XnViewMP you simply right-click on an item in the Folders tree and select "Show all files (recursive)".

So, if you do that to the top-level "This PC" item, you'll see all images and videos in all directories on all drives.

Thanks for the additional info about right-clicking the "This PC" item. Following your original post I just left-clicked it and didn't get the desired result. Now that Picasa has done its thing - and when I get some more time - I may just try that with XnView.