Windows saving JPGs downloaded from the internet as JFIFs

If you notice Windows 11 or Windows 10 is saving your JPG files as JFIF files, then this post is intended to help you. In this post, we will identify the cause of this anomaly, as well as offer the most suitable solution you can try to successfully rectify the issue.

The issue 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.

Windows saving JPGs downloaded from the internet as JFIFs

If you’re faced with this issue, you can correct the issue by editing the registry.

Before you proceed with the registry operation, you can check for updates and make sure you’re running the latest version of Windows 10 and see if the issue is resolved. You can also, reset all the file associations to default in Windows 10 and see if that works.

Edit Registry

To correct the issue by editing the registry, do the following:

Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box, type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
• Navigate or jump to the registry key path below:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\image/jpeg

• At the location, in the right pane, double-click on the Extension key to edit its properties. Its value should read as .jfif.
• In the properties window, change the Value data to .jpg.
• Click OK or hit Enter to save changes.
• Close the Registry Editor.

The changes take effect immediately without a reboot.

If you want to automate this registry edit, do the following:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box, type notepad and hit Enter to open Notepad.
• Copy and paste the code below into the text editor.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\image/jpeg]
"AutoplayContentTypeHandler"="PicturesContentHandler"
"CLSID"="{25336920-03F9-11cf-8FD0-00AA00686F13}"
"Extension"=".jpg"
"Image Filter CLSID"="{607fd4e8-0a03-11d1-ab1d-00c04fc9b304}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\image/jpeg\Bits]
"0"=hex:02,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,d8

• Now, click the File option from the menu and select Save As button.
• Choose a location (preferably desktop) where you want to save the file.
• Enter a name with .reg extension (eg; Stop-JPGs-Saving-as-JFIFs.reg).
• Choose All Files from the Save as type drop-down list.
• Now, double-click the saved .reg file to merge it.
• If prompted, click on Run > Yes (UAC) > Yes > OK to approve the merge.
• You can now delete the .reg file if you like.

That’s it!