Windows Photo Viewer can’t display this picture

Sometimes when you open an image or a picture in Windows Photo Viewer, it displays nothing. Instead, you will see an error message “Windows Photo Viewer can’t display this picture because there might not be enough memory available on your computer“.

While this may look like a clear-cut issue of low RAM or less storage space in the computer, but that’s always not the case. We have noticed this issue even when we had enough resources as well as disk space. So you are in a similar situation, you need to check on Color Profile of the screen as well.

Windows Photo Viewer can’t display this picture

Before you begin, close some processes via the Task Manager, run Disk Cleanup Tool or restart your computer and see if that helps. If not, then follow the steps below, and check if this resolves your issue.

Type color management in the search box and then choose “Change advanced color management settings for display”. Alternatively, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings. Select the display, and click on Display adapter properties of Display.  Then, switch to Color Management tab, and click on Color Management button.

In the next window, select the monitor on which you receive this error.

In case you have two displays, make sure to select the primary display. You have an option to identify the monitor as well.

Once confirmed, select the checkbox which says “Use my settings for this device“.

Next, select the Profile listed under “Profiles associated with this device”. Click on Remove. If you do not see any profile here, then there is nothing to do.

Next click on the Profiles button.

Choose Reset my settings to the system defaults.

Now, switch to Advanced tab, and make sure all the settings are set to System default which includes a device profile, rendering intent, perceptual images, Relative Colorimetric and so on.

After this, you should restart the computer once, and then try opening an image with Photo Viewer.

Let us know if these steps help you to fix this problem – or if you have any other ideas to suggest.