Windows 10: Open RAW file with onboard device-here's how

In the File Explorer and Photos apps

March 8, 2020, 10:30 am Reading time: Two minutes

Use onboard devices to open feature-rich Windows 10 RAW files

Would you like to open RAW files from your digital camera without using any other software in Windows 10? We will show you how to view RAW files in the File Explorer and Photos applications.

Image professionals and ambitious photographers like to use image files saved in RAW format. The English word RAW or "raw" in German stands for the so-called raw data format, where digital cameras save image data to a large extent without processing. Because there is no uniform RAW standard, there are very different file formats behind RAW files. These can only be imported through an integrated codec package, or at least can be retrofitted in good image processing software and in a better image viewer.

Since May 2019, Windows 10 has been able to process RAW files from many cameras using on-board devices. The corresponding function must be activated before displaying digital photos in Windows 10. Windows 10 does not yet support some RAW formats, such as .CR3 and .GPR.

Windows 10: Enable RAW support and open pictures

the first

Microsoft provides the codecs required to open RAW files individually in Windows 10, and as the "original image extension", you must first install it. This is not software, but a plugin that supports RAW files.
Second place

Windows 10 then automatically creates thumbnail previews in Explorer for all supported RAW image formats.
Third place

To view image information read from a RAW file directly in File Explorer, click View on Details, then click on Add Column, then click on Select Column .
fourth place

In the dialog that opens, you can select the image data that is important to you, such as exposure time, camera manufacturer, camera model, focal length, bit depth, bit rate, and aperture number.
5

After clicking "OK", you will see corresponding information in each column of each RAW image file.
6

To enlarge the image, you can activate the Preview Window option under View.
7

With a right-click, you can also use the Windows 10 application "Photo" or "Cut and Sketch" to open and edit a single RAW file.