FAQ
General
1. It seems that I am seeing the same picture more times and others are never seen. Is there a way to avoid image repetition ?
Short answer:
gPhotoShow Pro with default settings doesn't repeat pictures until all pictures have been displayed. You probably have very similar images in your configured folders.
Make sure that the option "Save files list between sessions" in "File options" page is ticked (default setting), and no folder is listed more than once in gPhotoShow images list.
If you are not using filters and global weight images will not be repeated.
Long answer:
gPhotoShow Pro removes displayed images from its internal list and periodically this list is saved to disk, for this reason it can't repeat images, however there are some settings that may cause slideshow to restart and then repeat some images while others are not displayed.
If you are using filters with multiple monitors it is possible that the slideshow is restarted quite often and this could cause some pictures to be repeated.
If you are using global weights and the option "Repeat images with weight greater than 1" in "File options" page then images with weight more than 1 will be repeated.
In any case to check if images are repeated or duplicated you can enable filename display in Information page or enable the option "Create displayed image list" in "File options". This last option allows you to check displayed images from more than one session and to see when slideshow is restarted.
2. I have 3 monitors, I tried to use gPhotoShow Pro filters to choose which pictures to display on each monitor but it seems monitor numbering of gPhotoShow Pro is not the same used by Windows display applet
Unfortunately there is no way for applications to have the same numbering used by windows, the official Microsoft answer is "It was never a design goal to provide a way for applications to label monitors with the same IDs that the screen resolution control panel uses". Starting from v7.4.4 gPhotoShow Pro displays position and size of the selected monitor this should help to identify it.
3. I use gPhotoShow on a system with Windows 10 and two monitors, I would like to display the screen saver only on the secondary monitor while the main one displays it's current content. I tried to preview this configuration and it works fine but when the screen saver starts the main monitor is always black.
The issue is caused by the security constraints enforced by Windows 10, the screen saver runs on his own desktop and user desktop is hidden before the screen saver starts. There is no way to fix or to workaround this behaviour since it is a basic security feature of windows.
4. I use gPhotoShow as a screen saver on Windows 10, I noticed that if I do not run ControlSS (of which I have no need) when the screensaver exits, I have a complaint window stating that I need to run ControlSS and the wallpaper is not changed. How do I stop the complaint window without running ControlSS?
The issue is caused by the security constraints enforced by Windows 10 (and 8.1), a screen saver has no way to interact with user desktop so for some operations gPhotoShow needs the ControlSS utility running on the user desktop. One of these operations is setting the last image as wallpaper. If you don't wish ControlSS you must disable the option to set the wallpaper. Unfortunately there is no other solution.
5. Is there an easy way to copy all gPhotoShow settings from my old computer to the new one ? Is it possible to save all settings to a file ? Is it possible to backup all settings so I can restore them later ?
Screen saver settings can be exported/imported very easily by running the Slideshow Maker program.
- To export (save to file). Run gPhotoShow by using the shortcut "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker", click on the Load button, from the menu choose "Load from Registry" then click on the button Save, choose "Save to file as..." and save to a file of your choice.
- To import (load from file) . Run gPhotoShow by using the shortcut "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker", click on the Load button and choose "Load from file", browse for the file you previously saved and click on Open. Now click on the Save button and choose "Save to Registry"
6. Where does gPhotoShow saves the error log file and other temporary files ?
The error log and files list caches are usually saved inside the user profile directory: c:\users\your-user-name\AppData\Roaming\gPhotoShow
However if gPhotoShow runs as logon screen saver that location is usually not available so gPhotoShow saves them in the windows temp folder: c:\windows\temp\gPhotoShow
7. I divided my pictures in categories, each category is stored in a folder, it works fine but every time I wish to change category in the screen saver I need to open the gPhotoShow configuration window and enable/disable the folders. Is there an easier way ?
Starting from v2.5.0 gPhotoShow installs a custom version of ControlSS, this ControlSS version can change the gPhotoShow Screen Saver configuration either automatically or manually. The first thing to do is to create a .gss file for each of your category and put them in a folder. Then, after you have installed v2.5.0 or later, you must configure ControlSS to use that folder. To do this open the ControlSS menu and select "gPhotoShow Settings" -> "Configure", in the window that opens set the folder where you stored the gss files and set the automatic change options (if you like them). After you close the window all the gss files you created are listed under the "gPhotoShow Settings" menu and you can now easily change category either manually or automatically.
8. After installing gPhotoShow I right-clicked on a directory in windows explorer and in the context menu I see the entry "Start Slideshow with gPhotoShow". I don't want this item how can I remove it ?
Removing that context menu item is very easy, from the windows start menu run "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker" then click on the button "Tools" and from the menu choose: "Folders Context Menu" -> "Remove item Start Slideshow with gPhotoShow"
9. How can I change the options of the slide show started from the directory context menu (I click with the right mouse button on a directory and choose "Start SlideShow with gPhotoShow") ?
Open Windows Explorer, find the directory where gPhotoShow is installed (usually c:\program files\gPhotoShow) right click on the file gPhotoShow.gss and choose "Edit Slideshow".
10. Which is the quickest way to display a slide show with my pictures ?
Open Windows explorer, find the folder where you stored your pictures, click with the right mouse button on the folder and choose "Start SlideShow with gPhotoShow" from the context menu
Short answer:
gPhotoShow Pro with default settings doesn't repeat pictures until all pictures have been displayed. You probably have very similar images in your configured folders.
Make sure that the option "Save files list between sessions" in "File options" page is ticked (default setting), and no folder is listed more than once in gPhotoShow images list.
If you are not using filters and global weight images will not be repeated.
Long answer:
gPhotoShow Pro removes displayed images from its internal list and periodically this list is saved to disk, for this reason it can't repeat images, however there are some settings that may cause slideshow to restart and then repeat some images while others are not displayed.
If you are using filters with multiple monitors it is possible that the slideshow is restarted quite often and this could cause some pictures to be repeated.
If you are using global weights and the option "Repeat images with weight greater than 1" in "File options" page then images with weight more than 1 will be repeated.
In any case to check if images are repeated or duplicated you can enable filename display in Information page or enable the option "Create displayed image list" in "File options". This last option allows you to check displayed images from more than one session and to see when slideshow is restarted.
2. I have 3 monitors, I tried to use gPhotoShow Pro filters to choose which pictures to display on each monitor but it seems monitor numbering of gPhotoShow Pro is not the same used by Windows display applet
Unfortunately there is no way for applications to have the same numbering used by windows, the official Microsoft answer is "It was never a design goal to provide a way for applications to label monitors with the same IDs that the screen resolution control panel uses". Starting from v7.4.4 gPhotoShow Pro displays position and size of the selected monitor this should help to identify it.
3. I use gPhotoShow on a system with Windows 10 and two monitors, I would like to display the screen saver only on the secondary monitor while the main one displays it's current content. I tried to preview this configuration and it works fine but when the screen saver starts the main monitor is always black.
The issue is caused by the security constraints enforced by Windows 10, the screen saver runs on his own desktop and user desktop is hidden before the screen saver starts. There is no way to fix or to workaround this behaviour since it is a basic security feature of windows.
4. I use gPhotoShow as a screen saver on Windows 10, I noticed that if I do not run ControlSS (of which I have no need) when the screensaver exits, I have a complaint window stating that I need to run ControlSS and the wallpaper is not changed. How do I stop the complaint window without running ControlSS?
The issue is caused by the security constraints enforced by Windows 10 (and 8.1), a screen saver has no way to interact with user desktop so for some operations gPhotoShow needs the ControlSS utility running on the user desktop. One of these operations is setting the last image as wallpaper. If you don't wish ControlSS you must disable the option to set the wallpaper. Unfortunately there is no other solution.
5. Is there an easy way to copy all gPhotoShow settings from my old computer to the new one ? Is it possible to save all settings to a file ? Is it possible to backup all settings so I can restore them later ?
Screen saver settings can be exported/imported very easily by running the Slideshow Maker program.
- To export (save to file). Run gPhotoShow by using the shortcut "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker", click on the Load button, from the menu choose "Load from Registry" then click on the button Save, choose "Save to file as..." and save to a file of your choice.
- To import (load from file) . Run gPhotoShow by using the shortcut "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker", click on the Load button and choose "Load from file", browse for the file you previously saved and click on Open. Now click on the Save button and choose "Save to Registry"
6. Where does gPhotoShow saves the error log file and other temporary files ?
The error log and files list caches are usually saved inside the user profile directory: c:\users\your-user-name\AppData\Roaming\gPhotoShow
However if gPhotoShow runs as logon screen saver that location is usually not available so gPhotoShow saves them in the windows temp folder: c:\windows\temp\gPhotoShow
7. I divided my pictures in categories, each category is stored in a folder, it works fine but every time I wish to change category in the screen saver I need to open the gPhotoShow configuration window and enable/disable the folders. Is there an easier way ?
Starting from v2.5.0 gPhotoShow installs a custom version of ControlSS, this ControlSS version can change the gPhotoShow Screen Saver configuration either automatically or manually. The first thing to do is to create a .gss file for each of your category and put them in a folder. Then, after you have installed v2.5.0 or later, you must configure ControlSS to use that folder. To do this open the ControlSS menu and select "gPhotoShow Settings" -> "Configure", in the window that opens set the folder where you stored the gss files and set the automatic change options (if you like them). After you close the window all the gss files you created are listed under the "gPhotoShow Settings" menu and you can now easily change category either manually or automatically.
8. After installing gPhotoShow I right-clicked on a directory in windows explorer and in the context menu I see the entry "Start Slideshow with gPhotoShow". I don't want this item how can I remove it ?
Removing that context menu item is very easy, from the windows start menu run "gPhotoShow SlideShow Maker" then click on the button "Tools" and from the menu choose: "Folders Context Menu" -> "Remove item Start Slideshow with gPhotoShow"
9. How can I change the options of the slide show started from the directory context menu (I click with the right mouse button on a directory and choose "Start SlideShow with gPhotoShow") ?
Open Windows Explorer, find the directory where gPhotoShow is installed (usually c:\program files\gPhotoShow) right click on the file gPhotoShow.gss and choose "Edit Slideshow".
10. Which is the quickest way to display a slide show with my pictures ?
Open Windows explorer, find the folder where you stored your pictures, click with the right mouse button on the folder and choose "Start SlideShow with gPhotoShow" from the context menu
Screen Saver
1. gPhotoShow doesn't save screen saver settings. Every time I open gPhotoShow folders list is empty, I save the settings and when screen saver starts displays a message saying there is no configured folder. Is there a way to fix this issue ?
gPhotoShow is two programs in one. It can work as a screen saver and a slideshow maker. When started as Slideshow Maker its main window has two additional buttons "Save" and "Load". These buttons allows you to save/load settings from files on disk but these files are not used by the screen saver. Screen saver has its own settings. The Slideshow Maker always starts with default settings (and empty folders list) while the screen saver always load its settings.
This is gPhotoShow when started as Screen Saver:
This is gPhotoShow when started as Slideshow Maker:
In the start Menu you can find different shortcuts for the Slideshow Maker and the Screen Saver:
Take a look at this tutorial to configure gPhotoShow as Screen Saver on the local computer
2. gPhotoShow runs fine when I'm logged in, but it does not start on Windows 10 lock screen
By design Windows 10 doesn't start the screen saver when pc is locked. Windows 10 Lock screen has its own settings to display pictures.
What I can suggest is to run the ControlSS utility installed by gPhotoShow and configure hot corners or a hotkey to start screen saver, in this way instead of locking the pc you can manually start the screen saver. If windows is configured correctly, when screen saver is stopped by moving mouse or pressing a key pc will be locked.
3. When I open the screen saver settings and click on Preview it works correctly but when I leave the computer alone it does not start. Is there a way to fix this issue ?
If the screen saver works from the preview but doesn't start when computer is idle usually the problem is due to windows. On windows no screen saver starts by itself, idle detection is performed by windows then when it decides the system was idle enough it starts the configured screen saver. There are some things that makes the situation more complicated, some programs (for example media players) disable the screen saver when they are running and windows itself disables the screen saver for some time if you interrupt the screen saver few seconds after it started.
The first thing to try is to open the windows display applet, choose another screen saver wait for it to start then set again gPhotoShow. Usually this fixes the issue until the next time it happens.
If no screen saver starts then probably there is a program that prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode.
It is possible to diagnose this issue using windows powercfg command, open an elevated command prompt then in the command window type:
powercfg /requests
this command will display all program and devices that prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode. See powercfg help for more info
4. Periodically gPhotoShow stops working, it doesn't start automatically when my computer is idle. I have to open the windows display applet, configure the screen saver first to none then to gPhotoShow again. Is there a way to fix this ?
On windows screen savers never start by themselves. It is Windows itself who detects when the system is idle for the specified amount of time and starts the configured screen saver so this is basically a windows issue. There are several possible causes for this behaviour, some wireless mouses and keyboards prevent the system from being idle so when they are connected the screen saver never starts. Windows Vista and 7 disable the screen saver for some time when it is interrupted within few seconds. Other programs may disable the screen saver as well, for example media players or CD/DVD burning programs often do it for obvious reasons. You could run the ControlSS utility installed by gPhotoShow, it display the screen saver status with an icon in the tray bar so you can see when it gets disabled and enable it again with the ControlSS menu.
5. I configured gPhotoShow Pro with some folders but when it starts I only see a black screen, why ? How can I fix the problem ?
gPhotoShow displays a black screen ast startup while it is building the files list or when it can't load any file. The first thing to do is to check the folders you entered in the gPhotoShow folders list, for example make sure they contain at list some images with jpg file extension, then click on the "View Files " button, gPhotoShow will scan the configured folders and will display the files it has found.
If your folders are located on a slow device (USB or network) and you have a huge number of files it is possible gPhotoShow takes several minutes to scan all folders, during this time the screen stays black. To improve startup time enable the option "Background files list synchronization" in the "Files Options" section, when it is enabled gPhotoShow uses a files list saved locally and after the first run it will start within few seconds
6. Sometimes ControlSS disables the Screensaver and displays a red circle with a line through it. For example when Screensaver activates and you move your mouse, which obviously cuts off the Screensaver, then ControlSS disables the screensaver for some time. Why ?
The behaviour you noticed is caused by Windows itself, Microsoft decided to disable the screen saver for some time when it is interrupted within few seconds and ControlSS is simply showing you what is happening. Also other programs may disable the screen saver, for example media players or CD/DVD burning programs often do it for obvious reasons.
ControlSS never disable or enable the screen saver by itself, it simply displays the screen saver activation flag.
gPhotoShow is two programs in one. It can work as a screen saver and a slideshow maker. When started as Slideshow Maker its main window has two additional buttons "Save" and "Load". These buttons allows you to save/load settings from files on disk but these files are not used by the screen saver. Screen saver has its own settings. The Slideshow Maker always starts with default settings (and empty folders list) while the screen saver always load its settings.
This is gPhotoShow when started as Screen Saver:
This is gPhotoShow when started as Slideshow Maker:
In the start Menu you can find different shortcuts for the Slideshow Maker and the Screen Saver:
Take a look at this tutorial to configure gPhotoShow as Screen Saver on the local computer
2. gPhotoShow runs fine when I'm logged in, but it does not start on Windows 10 lock screen
By design Windows 10 doesn't start the screen saver when pc is locked. Windows 10 Lock screen has its own settings to display pictures.
What I can suggest is to run the ControlSS utility installed by gPhotoShow and configure hot corners or a hotkey to start screen saver, in this way instead of locking the pc you can manually start the screen saver. If windows is configured correctly, when screen saver is stopped by moving mouse or pressing a key pc will be locked.
3. When I open the screen saver settings and click on Preview it works correctly but when I leave the computer alone it does not start. Is there a way to fix this issue ?
If the screen saver works from the preview but doesn't start when computer is idle usually the problem is due to windows. On windows no screen saver starts by itself, idle detection is performed by windows then when it decides the system was idle enough it starts the configured screen saver. There are some things that makes the situation more complicated, some programs (for example media players) disable the screen saver when they are running and windows itself disables the screen saver for some time if you interrupt the screen saver few seconds after it started.
The first thing to try is to open the windows display applet, choose another screen saver wait for it to start then set again gPhotoShow. Usually this fixes the issue until the next time it happens.
If no screen saver starts then probably there is a program that prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode.
It is possible to diagnose this issue using windows powercfg command, open an elevated command prompt then in the command window type:
powercfg /requests
this command will display all program and devices that prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode. See powercfg help for more info
4. Periodically gPhotoShow stops working, it doesn't start automatically when my computer is idle. I have to open the windows display applet, configure the screen saver first to none then to gPhotoShow again. Is there a way to fix this ?
On windows screen savers never start by themselves. It is Windows itself who detects when the system is idle for the specified amount of time and starts the configured screen saver so this is basically a windows issue. There are several possible causes for this behaviour, some wireless mouses and keyboards prevent the system from being idle so when they are connected the screen saver never starts. Windows Vista and 7 disable the screen saver for some time when it is interrupted within few seconds. Other programs may disable the screen saver as well, for example media players or CD/DVD burning programs often do it for obvious reasons. You could run the ControlSS utility installed by gPhotoShow, it display the screen saver status with an icon in the tray bar so you can see when it gets disabled and enable it again with the ControlSS menu.
5. I configured gPhotoShow Pro with some folders but when it starts I only see a black screen, why ? How can I fix the problem ?
gPhotoShow displays a black screen ast startup while it is building the files list or when it can't load any file. The first thing to do is to check the folders you entered in the gPhotoShow folders list, for example make sure they contain at list some images with jpg file extension, then click on the "View Files " button, gPhotoShow will scan the configured folders and will display the files it has found.
If your folders are located on a slow device (USB or network) and you have a huge number of files it is possible gPhotoShow takes several minutes to scan all folders, during this time the screen stays black. To improve startup time enable the option "Background files list synchronization" in the "Files Options" section, when it is enabled gPhotoShow uses a files list saved locally and after the first run it will start within few seconds
6. Sometimes ControlSS disables the Screensaver and displays a red circle with a line through it. For example when Screensaver activates and you move your mouse, which obviously cuts off the Screensaver, then ControlSS disables the screensaver for some time. Why ?
The behaviour you noticed is caused by Windows itself, Microsoft decided to disable the screen saver for some time when it is interrupted within few seconds and ControlSS is simply showing you what is happening. Also other programs may disable the screen saver, for example media players or CD/DVD burning programs often do it for obvious reasons.
ControlSS never disable or enable the screen saver by itself, it simply displays the screen saver activation flag.
Power Management
1. I'm using gPhotoShow to display images and videos as a screen saver but the computer no longer goes into standby after the set time
What happens on your pc is the normal behavior of windows, when there are videos playing the standby is never activated. One solution is to install the MonitorOnOff plugin and configure it so that the PC is put into standby after the specified time.
2. I am using the MonitorOnOff plugin to turn off monitor. It turns the monitor off correctly, but never turns it back on
On Windows 10 and 11 when the monitor is turned off by power management Windows kills the screen saver so gPhotoShow will never have a chance to turn on monitor again. The same happens for system standby. The only solution is to run gPhotoShow Pro as slideshow instead of using it as screen saver
What happens on your pc is the normal behavior of windows, when there are videos playing the standby is never activated. One solution is to install the MonitorOnOff plugin and configure it so that the PC is put into standby after the specified time.
2. I am using the MonitorOnOff plugin to turn off monitor. It turns the monitor off correctly, but never turns it back on
On Windows 10 and 11 when the monitor is turned off by power management Windows kills the screen saver so gPhotoShow will never have a chance to turn on monitor again. The same happens for system standby. The only solution is to run gPhotoShow Pro as slideshow instead of using it as screen saver
Direct X - OpenGL
1. My computer has an ATI Radeon display adapter, when using DirectX Pan and Zoom or crossfade pictures are not sharp, they look blurred/pixelated as they were low resolution pictures. Is there a fix for this issue ?
This is a common issue with some ATI display adapters, the drivers use low quality textures in order to improve performances. To fix the issue open the Catalyst Control Center, 3D Options, open the "AA Mode" or "Anti-Alias" section (the exact name depends on the display adapter) and move the settings towards "Quality".
2. On my computer Pan and Zoom is not smooth, movement is jerky and I need to set at least 16 seconds as delay to have a good pan and zoom.
For a number of reasons gPhotoShow is not designed to pan&zoom across an image at high speed like a video game. It is designed to slowly perform the animation, if images are big 16 seconds can be a too short time. Optimum times are between 20 and 40 seconds, it mostly depends on image size and with big images you could try with a higher time.
The frame rate is set at about 60 fps, this allows gPhotoShow to run on most computer without loading cpu too much but with this frame rate it can't move images around at high speed with a smooth animation. Cpu load is important for several reasons, on servers a screen saver can't take all cpu because there are important programs running in background and a cpu running at high speed consumes much more electricity, this is important for a program that runs for hours.
There is another possible cause for jerky animations, when it is run as screen saver gPhotoShow runs at the lowest priority so if you have any other program (for example antivirus or disk defragger) that starts working when the screen saver is active this could steal all cpu from gPhotoShow and cause slowdowns and jerky animations.
3. On Window 11 with HDR display setting enabled when gPhotoShow Pro GL starts HDR is deactivated and when it exits screen brightness is not restored correctly
This is a known issue with nVidia display drivers, it can be fixed by setting the following option in nVidia control panel:
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel
- Manage 3D Settings
- Vulkan/OpenGL Present Method -> Prefer layered on DXGI swapchain
- If you prefer you can set that option only for gPhotoShow, in this case in the tab program settings add the programs:
"C:\Windows\gPhotoShow64.scr"
"C:\Program Files\gPhotoShowPro\gPhotoShow64.exe"
and set "Prefer layered on DXGI swapchain" for both programs. Note: the nVidia control panel only allows to browse for .exe file type, you must type C:\Windows\gPhotoShow64.scr in the text box and click Open
- Click on Apply
This is a common issue with some ATI display adapters, the drivers use low quality textures in order to improve performances. To fix the issue open the Catalyst Control Center, 3D Options, open the "AA Mode" or "Anti-Alias" section (the exact name depends on the display adapter) and move the settings towards "Quality".
2. On my computer Pan and Zoom is not smooth, movement is jerky and I need to set at least 16 seconds as delay to have a good pan and zoom.
For a number of reasons gPhotoShow is not designed to pan&zoom across an image at high speed like a video game. It is designed to slowly perform the animation, if images are big 16 seconds can be a too short time. Optimum times are between 20 and 40 seconds, it mostly depends on image size and with big images you could try with a higher time.
The frame rate is set at about 60 fps, this allows gPhotoShow to run on most computer without loading cpu too much but with this frame rate it can't move images around at high speed with a smooth animation. Cpu load is important for several reasons, on servers a screen saver can't take all cpu because there are important programs running in background and a cpu running at high speed consumes much more electricity, this is important for a program that runs for hours.
There is another possible cause for jerky animations, when it is run as screen saver gPhotoShow runs at the lowest priority so if you have any other program (for example antivirus or disk defragger) that starts working when the screen saver is active this could steal all cpu from gPhotoShow and cause slowdowns and jerky animations.
3. On Window 11 with HDR display setting enabled when gPhotoShow Pro GL starts HDR is deactivated and when it exits screen brightness is not restored correctly
This is a known issue with nVidia display drivers, it can be fixed by setting the following option in nVidia control panel:
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel
- Manage 3D Settings
- Vulkan/OpenGL Present Method -> Prefer layered on DXGI swapchain
- If you prefer you can set that option only for gPhotoShow, in this case in the tab program settings add the programs:
"C:\Windows\gPhotoShow64.scr"
"C:\Program Files\gPhotoShowPro\gPhotoShow64.exe"
and set "Prefer layered on DXGI swapchain" for both programs. Note: the nVidia control panel only allows to browse for .exe file type, you must type C:\Windows\gPhotoShow64.scr in the text box and click Open
- Click on Apply
Logon Screen Saver
1. I configured gPhotoShow Pro as logon screen saver but DirectX transitions and video don't work. Is there a fix for this issue ?
On newer versions of Windows DirectX is not available when no user is logged in for this reason only Standard 2D transitions works on logon screen saver. In addition most video players use DirectX for this reason generally it is not possible to play video from a logon screen saver.
VLC Player is able to play video also without DirectX, you could try to install it and configure gPhotoShow to play all video with VLC
2. I configured gPhotoShow Pro as logon screen saver but when it starts I only see a black screen, why ?
gPhotoShow displays a black screen when it can't load any file. When started as logon screen saver gPhotoShow runs under a very limited user account so it is possible this user hasn't the rights to read the configured folders. Try to add some pictures in a folder created directly under the root of the C drive (c:\mypics), add this folder to gPhotoShow and set it again as logon screen saver. If these pictures are displayed it means the other folders you have configured can't be accessed by that limited user, you have to check permissions of those folders and make sure "everyone" has read permission.
On newer versions of Windows DirectX is not available when no user is logged in for this reason only Standard 2D transitions works on logon screen saver. In addition most video players use DirectX for this reason generally it is not possible to play video from a logon screen saver.
VLC Player is able to play video also without DirectX, you could try to install it and configure gPhotoShow to play all video with VLC
2. I configured gPhotoShow Pro as logon screen saver but when it starts I only see a black screen, why ?
gPhotoShow displays a black screen when it can't load any file. When started as logon screen saver gPhotoShow runs under a very limited user account so it is possible this user hasn't the rights to read the configured folders. Try to add some pictures in a folder created directly under the root of the C drive (c:\mypics), add this folder to gPhotoShow and set it again as logon screen saver. If these pictures are displayed it means the other folders you have configured can't be accessed by that limited user, you have to check permissions of those folders and make sure "everyone" has read permission.
Standalone Screen Savers
1. I created a standalone screensaver that I am distributing on my web site, when users launch the installer they get a security warning message that lists the "Publisher" as "Unknown Publisher". How do I set the Publisher to be my company?
To avoid unknown publisher warning screens when your screensaver is downloaded or installed, you must add your digital signature to the screensaver setup file generated by gPhotoShow Pro. This is called code signing.
Please note that before gPhotoShow Pro version 6.4 you can not sign screensaver SCR files directly. You can only sign the screensaver setup program. Starting from gPhotoShow Pro 6.4 you can also sign the scr file (exe in case of slideshow) created by gPhotoShow.
Step 1 - Obtain your code signing certificate
To sign files, you need to have your own code signing certificate. Obtain your code signing certificate from one of the certificate issuing authorities such as Verisign, Thawte or Comodo. Cheap code signing certificates can be purchased from K Software
Step 2 - Sign your files using code signing software
Once you have obtained your code signing certificate files, use any code signing software to sign your screensaver setup package using your code signing certificate files. The most popular way is to use SignTool.exe which is available as a part of the Microsoft Windows SDK. A good alternative is kSign a free utility created by k Software
To avoid unknown publisher warning screens when your screensaver is downloaded or installed, you must add your digital signature to the screensaver setup file generated by gPhotoShow Pro. This is called code signing.
Please note that before gPhotoShow Pro version 6.4 you can not sign screensaver SCR files directly. You can only sign the screensaver setup program. Starting from gPhotoShow Pro 6.4 you can also sign the scr file (exe in case of slideshow) created by gPhotoShow.
Step 1 - Obtain your code signing certificate
To sign files, you need to have your own code signing certificate. Obtain your code signing certificate from one of the certificate issuing authorities such as Verisign, Thawte or Comodo. Cheap code signing certificates can be purchased from K Software
Step 2 - Sign your files using code signing software
Once you have obtained your code signing certificate files, use any code signing software to sign your screensaver setup package using your code signing certificate files. The most popular way is to use SignTool.exe which is available as a part of the Microsoft Windows SDK. A good alternative is kSign a free utility created by k Software
Slideshow
1. Is it possible to display on primary monitor files from one folder and on the second monitor files from another folder?
Yes, it is possible by using filters. In the Filters section of the configuration window select monitor #1, enable the options Include and Full File Name Contains then in the text box enter an expression to identify your folder, for example if folder name is folder1 enter: *\\folder1\\*
Do the same for monitor #2 but enter the name of the second folder: *\\folder2\\*
2. Is it possible to display images following a specified order without renaming all files ?
Yes, it's is very easy. You can provide to gPhotoShow one or more lists of files ordered in the way you wish. Simply create a text file with a filename (with full path) on each line then save it with .glst file extension. Save it in a folder scanned by gPhotoShow (and different from the folder where the images are stored) and remove any other image from that folder, set sequential display with no sort and gPhotoShow will display images exactly as they are ordered in the text file. As last thing make sure the option "Include shortcuts to files and folders (*.lnk) and files lists (*.glst)" in the "Files Options" section is ticked.
3. How is it possible to configure gPhotoShow to display 4 pictures at a time ?
This feature is called "Split Screen" and is available only when gPhotoShow Pro is used on a single monitor system. To enable it open the "Multiple Monitors" section of the configuration window and change the setting labeled "Split Screen" by choosing "Horizontal and Vertical"
4. Is it possible to display two different slideshows on a dual screen system ?
By default gPhotoShow Pro doesn't allow to display a different slideshow on each monitor but there are some command line switches which allows to run more than one instance of gPhotoShow Pro. Each instance can work only on the specified monitor, in this way you can run a different slideshow on each monitor.
/mX
Where X is the number of the monitor used for the slideshow. This option also disables the multiple instance check and allows more than one copy of gPhotoShow to run.
To start gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #1
gPhotoShow.exe /m1 /s mygss.gss
To start gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #2
gPhotoShow.exe /m2 /s mygss.gss
/qX
Closes gPhotoShow Pro instance that display a slideshow on monitor X
To close gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #1
gPhotoShow.exe /q1
To close gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #2
gPhotoShow.exe /q2
A full path name for gPhotoShow.exe and for the slideshow must be used !
For example to start 2 slideshows you could create a simple batch file. Create a text file with notepad,enter the following 2 lines:
start "" "c:\program files\gPhotoShow\gPhotoShow.exe" /m1 /s c:\pictures\myslide1.gss
start "" "c:\program files\gPhotoShow\gPhotoShow.exe" /m2 /s c:\pictures\myslide2.gss
Save the file with .BAT file extension and double click on it to run the command.
5. When you add images to a folder that is already in the folder list in gPhotoShow, how do gPhotoShow updates the files list so that the images added to the folder will be included in the screensaver?
If you add images when gPhotoShow is not running it will automatically detect them on next startup and restarts the slideshow from beginning. If you add images while gPhotoShow is running it will detect and use them when all current images are displayed but only if you enabled the option "At the end of the show rebuilds the full file list" in the "Files Options" section. When this option is checked images list is updated when the slideshow finishes (ie. all images has been displayed).
Another option is to configure a hotkey for the action "Restart from beginning" (restart will also rebuild the list) so after copying the new images just press the restart key to start displaying the slideshow with the updated images.
6. How do I make the slide show end after all the slides are shown ?
Just set the option "Image List Empty" in the "Advanced Options" section of the gPhotoShow configuration dialog
7. How do I set the order of slides ?
gPhotoShow can order images by file name or by date/time. If you wish to show your images in a specific sequence, you must set the "Sort by File Name" option in the "Slideshow Option" section . Then your must rename your images to give them the wished sequence (for example the first image could be renamed to "001.jpg", the second "002.jpg" and so on)
8. I updated Windows 11 to 24H2 and now desktop slideshow no longer works. Is there a fix?
It's a known issue. Desktop slideshow used an undocumented Windows feature, with the 24H2 update Microsoft changed the way desktop is handled and that trick no longer works. If we find a way to draw above the desktop (and under the icons) we will update gPhotoShow
Yes, it is possible by using filters. In the Filters section of the configuration window select monitor #1, enable the options Include and Full File Name Contains then in the text box enter an expression to identify your folder, for example if folder name is folder1 enter: *\\folder1\\*
Do the same for monitor #2 but enter the name of the second folder: *\\folder2\\*
2. Is it possible to display images following a specified order without renaming all files ?
Yes, it's is very easy. You can provide to gPhotoShow one or more lists of files ordered in the way you wish. Simply create a text file with a filename (with full path) on each line then save it with .glst file extension. Save it in a folder scanned by gPhotoShow (and different from the folder where the images are stored) and remove any other image from that folder, set sequential display with no sort and gPhotoShow will display images exactly as they are ordered in the text file. As last thing make sure the option "Include shortcuts to files and folders (*.lnk) and files lists (*.glst)" in the "Files Options" section is ticked.
3. How is it possible to configure gPhotoShow to display 4 pictures at a time ?
This feature is called "Split Screen" and is available only when gPhotoShow Pro is used on a single monitor system. To enable it open the "Multiple Monitors" section of the configuration window and change the setting labeled "Split Screen" by choosing "Horizontal and Vertical"
4. Is it possible to display two different slideshows on a dual screen system ?
By default gPhotoShow Pro doesn't allow to display a different slideshow on each monitor but there are some command line switches which allows to run more than one instance of gPhotoShow Pro. Each instance can work only on the specified monitor, in this way you can run a different slideshow on each monitor.
/mX
Where X is the number of the monitor used for the slideshow. This option also disables the multiple instance check and allows more than one copy of gPhotoShow to run.
To start gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #1
gPhotoShow.exe /m1 /s mygss.gss
To start gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #2
gPhotoShow.exe /m2 /s mygss.gss
/qX
Closes gPhotoShow Pro instance that display a slideshow on monitor X
To close gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #1
gPhotoShow.exe /q1
To close gPhotoShow Pro on monitor #2
gPhotoShow.exe /q2
A full path name for gPhotoShow.exe and for the slideshow must be used !
For example to start 2 slideshows you could create a simple batch file. Create a text file with notepad,enter the following 2 lines:
start "" "c:\program files\gPhotoShow\gPhotoShow.exe" /m1 /s c:\pictures\myslide1.gss
start "" "c:\program files\gPhotoShow\gPhotoShow.exe" /m2 /s c:\pictures\myslide2.gss
Save the file with .BAT file extension and double click on it to run the command.
5. When you add images to a folder that is already in the folder list in gPhotoShow, how do gPhotoShow updates the files list so that the images added to the folder will be included in the screensaver?
If you add images when gPhotoShow is not running it will automatically detect them on next startup and restarts the slideshow from beginning. If you add images while gPhotoShow is running it will detect and use them when all current images are displayed but only if you enabled the option "At the end of the show rebuilds the full file list" in the "Files Options" section. When this option is checked images list is updated when the slideshow finishes (ie. all images has been displayed).
Another option is to configure a hotkey for the action "Restart from beginning" (restart will also rebuild the list) so after copying the new images just press the restart key to start displaying the slideshow with the updated images.
6. How do I make the slide show end after all the slides are shown ?
Just set the option "Image List Empty" in the "Advanced Options" section of the gPhotoShow configuration dialog
7. How do I set the order of slides ?
gPhotoShow can order images by file name or by date/time. If you wish to show your images in a specific sequence, you must set the "Sort by File Name" option in the "Slideshow Option" section . Then your must rename your images to give them the wished sequence (for example the first image could be renamed to "001.jpg", the second "002.jpg" and so on)
8. I updated Windows 11 to 24H2 and now desktop slideshow no longer works. Is there a fix?
It's a known issue. Desktop slideshow used an undocumented Windows feature, with the 24H2 update Microsoft changed the way desktop is handled and that trick no longer works. If we find a way to draw above the desktop (and under the icons) we will update gPhotoShow
Video
1. When using VLC to play video gPhotoShow displays file title for some seconds, is it possible to disable this feature ?
Yes it is possible but it must be done from the VLC main window. Run VLC and open the menu Tools->Preferences then click on "Subtitle & OSD" and remove the tick from the option labeled "Show media title on video start".
2. Is it possible to configure gPhotoShow to display 3gp, m2ts video files (or any other video file format) ?
gPhotoShow can play almost any video file format by using the free media player VLC (VideoLan). Here is how to add additional file extensions to the gPhotoShow configuration:
1) Download and install VLC
2) Open the gPhotoShow configuration window
3) Choose the "Video and Animations" section
4) Click on the button "Configure Video File Types..."
5) Tick the option "Others", then add all file extensions you wish to display with gPhotoShow separated by semicolon or comma (see picture)
3. I have troubles playing avi or mov files from gPhotoShow, often the program crashes or hangs while playing video. Is there a way to fix this issue ? Is it possible to display all video with VLC Media Player (VideoLan) ?
By default gPhotoShow plays avi,wmv and mpg files by using Windows Media Player ActiveX. Mov files with Apple QuickTime ActiveX. On some systems for unknown reasons these components don't work correctly with third party programs. A way to work around the problem is to install the free media player VLC (VideoLan). gPhotoShow has a tight integration with this player and it should work better than Media Player and QuickTime. Here is how to play all video files with VLC:
1) Download and install VLC. You must download the same 32/64 bit variant as gPhotoShow !
2) Open the gPhotoShow configuration window
3) Choose the "Video and Animations" section
4) Click on the button "Configure Video File Types..."
5) On gPhotoShow Pro v5.0 and newer simply choose the option "All files format specified above"
6) Click on OK and now gPhotoShow is ready to use VLC.
On older gPhotoShow Pro versions:
1) Uncheck the item "Include Windows Media files"
2) Uncheck the item "Include Mpeg files"
3) Check the item "Others" and enter the text "avi;wmv,mpg" (without quotes !)
4) Click on OK and now gPhotoShow is ready to use VLC.
4. When playing a mov video file gPhotoShow displays the following message: "Unable to find Apple Quicktime ActiveX component". Is there a way to fix this ?
By default gPhotoShow plays mov files by using Apple QuickTime ActiveX. Normally this component is not installed and gPhotoShow display that message. Starting from version 7.4.3 gPhotoShow automatically detects Quicktime and if not present tries to use VLC or WMP 12, if none is found that message is displayed.
Apple Quicktime has been discontinued by Apple and may have security issues that will never be fixed, for this reason in not safe to install it. To best solution to play mov files is to install the free media player VLC (VideoLan) and configure gPhotoShow to use it
Yes it is possible but it must be done from the VLC main window. Run VLC and open the menu Tools->Preferences then click on "Subtitle & OSD" and remove the tick from the option labeled "Show media title on video start".
2. Is it possible to configure gPhotoShow to display 3gp, m2ts video files (or any other video file format) ?
gPhotoShow can play almost any video file format by using the free media player VLC (VideoLan). Here is how to add additional file extensions to the gPhotoShow configuration:
1) Download and install VLC
2) Open the gPhotoShow configuration window
3) Choose the "Video and Animations" section
4) Click on the button "Configure Video File Types..."
5) Tick the option "Others", then add all file extensions you wish to display with gPhotoShow separated by semicolon or comma (see picture)
3. I have troubles playing avi or mov files from gPhotoShow, often the program crashes or hangs while playing video. Is there a way to fix this issue ? Is it possible to display all video with VLC Media Player (VideoLan) ?
By default gPhotoShow plays avi,wmv and mpg files by using Windows Media Player ActiveX. Mov files with Apple QuickTime ActiveX. On some systems for unknown reasons these components don't work correctly with third party programs. A way to work around the problem is to install the free media player VLC (VideoLan). gPhotoShow has a tight integration with this player and it should work better than Media Player and QuickTime. Here is how to play all video files with VLC:
1) Download and install VLC. You must download the same 32/64 bit variant as gPhotoShow !
2) Open the gPhotoShow configuration window
3) Choose the "Video and Animations" section
4) Click on the button "Configure Video File Types..."
5) On gPhotoShow Pro v5.0 and newer simply choose the option "All files format specified above"
6) Click on OK and now gPhotoShow is ready to use VLC.
On older gPhotoShow Pro versions:
1) Uncheck the item "Include Windows Media files"
2) Uncheck the item "Include Mpeg files"
3) Check the item "Others" and enter the text "avi;wmv,mpg" (without quotes !)
4) Click on OK and now gPhotoShow is ready to use VLC.
4. When playing a mov video file gPhotoShow displays the following message: "Unable to find Apple Quicktime ActiveX component". Is there a way to fix this ?
By default gPhotoShow plays mov files by using Apple QuickTime ActiveX. Normally this component is not installed and gPhotoShow display that message. Starting from version 7.4.3 gPhotoShow automatically detects Quicktime and if not present tries to use VLC or WMP 12, if none is found that message is displayed.
Apple Quicktime has been discontinued by Apple and may have security issues that will never be fixed, for this reason in not safe to install it. To best solution to play mov files is to install the free media player VLC (VideoLan) and configure gPhotoShow to use it
Gianpaolo Bottin
gPhotoShow.com
gPhotoShow.com
Images
1. Can gPhotoShow Pro display Heif/Heic files ?
When running on Windows 10 1803 or newer gPhotoShow Pro can display Heif files provided the Heif codec is installed.
First of all install Heif codec from Microsoft Store. After you have successfully installed the codec gPhotoShow will be able to load .heic and .heif files, open gPhotoShow configuration window and add file extensions "heic;heif" in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions"
2. Can gPhotoShow Pro display webp files ?
When running on Windows 10 or newer gPhotoShow Pro can display webp files provided the Microsoft WebP codec is installed. If the codec is not installed you can find it in the Microsoft Store.
To display webp files open gPhotoShow configuration window and add file extensions "webp" in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions". if the codec is installed gPhotoShow will display your webp files.
3. Can gPhotoShow Pro display raw files of digital cameras ?
gPhotoShow Pro can display any digital camera raw file provided the appropriate codec is installed in Windows. Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax provide such codecs, search on their web sites for "RAW codec" and check if they support your camera.
Starting from May 2019 Update (1903) Windows 10 natively supports a number of raw file formats. In this case manufacturer codec may not be needed. Windows 11 also supports most digital camera raw files. To use Microsoft codecs install the last version from Microsoft Store, open the store and search for "Raw Image Extension" install this item and restart your computer.
To last thing to do to display raw files is to open gPhotoShow configuration window and add your raw file extensions in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions"
4. Is there a possibility to define hotkeys to set the star rating of an image by just pressing a key ?
gPhotoShow is not able to modify images to add rating or any other tag, however you can easily perform this operation using external tools.
First of install ExifTool by Phil Harvey, it's a command line tools that allows any kind of operation on image tags. Then open gPhotoShow Pro settings window -> Slideshow Options page, click on Keys Button -> Advanced page, click on "Editor & tools settings" and configure one or more tools in this way:
Tool: c:\fullpathtoexiftool\exiftool.exe
Parameters: -xmp:rating=5
gPhotoShow Window: No Action
Replace c:\fullpathtoexiftool with the real path where you installed exiftool:
Close all windows with OK.
Now you can use F5 to assign a 5 star rating to your pictures.
5. I have a wide screen monitor (aspect ratio 2.38:1), most of my pictures have colored bars on both sides, is there a way to avoid them ?
You have a wide monitor with 2.38:1 aspect ratio while most pictures have 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio, by default gPhotoShow Pro displays resizes only pictures with an aspect ratio near the one of the monitor, pictures with an aspect ratio very different will have colored bars. This behaviour can be changed, open the gPhotoShow Pro configuration window, Images->Display Options. In this page select the option "Stretch and Crop the image to fit the screen", choose the amount of strech/crop then click on the icon on the right of the limit value. This window allows you to easily calculate the limit used by gPhotoShow Pro to decide whether an image may be cropped/stretched or not.
The window displays the aspect ratio of your monitor, 2.38:1 in your case, usually you don't need to move the top slider since it is already set to the aspect ratio detected by gPhotoShow pro. To adjust the limit value move the second slider to the aspect ratio of the pictures you wish to be cropped/stretched. All pictures with aspect ratios on the left will be cropped/stretched as well.
6. I upgraded my monitor to a widescreen one but now there are black bars on both sides of my images. Is there a way to avoid them ?
It is very easy to remove the black bars by configuring gPhotoShow to stretch ( or crop ) your pictures. Open the gPhotoShow Pro configuration window then select the section "Images->Display Options". Here you can choose either "Stretch image to fit the screen" or "Crop image to fit the screen".
Depending on the aspect ratio of your images and your monitor it is possible you need to change the value in the field "Limit for image stretching/cropping:". If the default value doesn't work (ie. images are not stretched/cropped) try raising it, here are some typical values for the Limit field:
18 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10 aspect ratio
28 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10 or 3:2 aspect ratio
45 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10, 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio
7. Is it possible to create my own frames ?
Bitmapped frames are simple jpeg files together with a small text files that tells to gPhotoShow where to display the image. To create your own frames is very easy:
1) Save your frame as jpeg file in the folder "Frames" under the gPhotoShow folder (usually c:\program files\gPhotoShow)
2) Find the coordinates of the rectangle inside the frame where the image should be displayed and write them in a text file with the same name as the jpeg file but with a .fsd file extension. The fsd file is a text file with this format:
[Frame]
Left=50
Top=50
Right=974
Bottom=718
FillBkg=1
Where Left, Top, Right, Bottom are the coordinates of the rectangle where gPhotoShow will display the image. FillBkg can 0 or 1, when 1 gPhotoShow will file that rectangle with the background color, when 0 gPhotoShow will not fill the background.
8. How do I control how long a specific photo is displayed ?
If you wish to change the display time for a specific image you must use gPhotoShow Image Properties:
9. What is the Exif header ?
EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format, and is a standard for storing interchange information in image files, especially those using JPEG compression. Most digital cameras now use the EXIF format to store additional information about the images.
10. gPhotoShow does not rotate my pictures
When the checkbox "Automatically rotate images..." is enabled gPhotoShow rotates images accordingly with the info in the exif header, but some digital cameras (and most scanners) don't set this flag so gPhotoShow doesn't know how to rotate them.
11. Raw files are not rotated correctly
gPhotoShow uses raw image codecs installed on the system and relies on them to get orientation information. Unfortunately raw codecs developed by Microsoft are a mess, some of them return correct orientation others rotate images AND returns orientation (so images are rotated twice), this happens also for the same file type (for example NEF) but from different digital camera. In additions Microsoft codecs work in different ways on windows 10 and 11.
So at the end automatic rotation of raw files is quite unreliable and it can't be fixed in gPhotoShow. Starting from version 9.0.6 gPhotoShow includes a setting to enable/disable automatic rotation of raw file, try with both settings and see which works best for your files.
12. gPhotoShow displays some pictures rotated in a wrong way. This happens only with some pictures while others are correctly rotated.
Most photos taken with a digital camera have an exif orientation tag which specifies how the image should be rotated, gPhotoShow uses this tag to display photos with the correct orientation.
The problem arises when you manually edit/rotate a photo with a program that doesn't reset the orientation tag when this happens gPhotoShow load the photo finds the tag and rotates it again, this will result in a photo displayed in the wrong way.
The images you see rotated in the wrong way probably contains an orientation tag that doesn't reflect their real orientation, only solution is to reset that exif tag.
This orientation tag is stored inside the image itself and it is not easy to change, probably the easiest way is to manually view all pictures with a program aware of the orientation tag, ("FastStone Viewer" and XNView should work well) load them with your preferred editor and save them again removing all exif tags, all programs should have this option.
Please note that viewing thumbnails is not enough, usually they are correct because usually they are not changed when image is saved.
Another option is to use the command line tool ExifTool:
exiftool -Orientation=1 -n image.jpg
this command will reset the orientation tag on image.jpg but to use this ExifTool you need some skill in using command line programs.
When running on Windows 10 1803 or newer gPhotoShow Pro can display Heif files provided the Heif codec is installed.
First of all install Heif codec from Microsoft Store. After you have successfully installed the codec gPhotoShow will be able to load .heic and .heif files, open gPhotoShow configuration window and add file extensions "heic;heif" in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions"
2. Can gPhotoShow Pro display webp files ?
When running on Windows 10 or newer gPhotoShow Pro can display webp files provided the Microsoft WebP codec is installed. If the codec is not installed you can find it in the Microsoft Store.
To display webp files open gPhotoShow configuration window and add file extensions "webp" in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions". if the codec is installed gPhotoShow will display your webp files.
3. Can gPhotoShow Pro display raw files of digital cameras ?
gPhotoShow Pro can display any digital camera raw file provided the appropriate codec is installed in Windows. Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax provide such codecs, search on their web sites for "RAW codec" and check if they support your camera.
Starting from May 2019 Update (1903) Windows 10 natively supports a number of raw file formats. In this case manufacturer codec may not be needed. Windows 11 also supports most digital camera raw files. To use Microsoft codecs install the last version from Microsoft Store, open the store and search for "Raw Image Extension" install this item and restart your computer.
To last thing to do to display raw files is to open gPhotoShow configuration window and add your raw file extensions in the field labeled: "Additional file extensions"
4. Is there a possibility to define hotkeys to set the star rating of an image by just pressing a key ?
gPhotoShow is not able to modify images to add rating or any other tag, however you can easily perform this operation using external tools.
First of install ExifTool by Phil Harvey, it's a command line tools that allows any kind of operation on image tags. Then open gPhotoShow Pro settings window -> Slideshow Options page, click on Keys Button -> Advanced page, click on "Editor & tools settings" and configure one or more tools in this way:
Tool: c:\fullpathtoexiftool\exiftool.exe
Parameters: -xmp:rating=5
gPhotoShow Window: No Action
Replace c:\fullpathtoexiftool with the real path where you installed exiftool:
Close all windows with OK.
Now you can use F5 to assign a 5 star rating to your pictures.
5. I have a wide screen monitor (aspect ratio 2.38:1), most of my pictures have colored bars on both sides, is there a way to avoid them ?
You have a wide monitor with 2.38:1 aspect ratio while most pictures have 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio, by default gPhotoShow Pro displays resizes only pictures with an aspect ratio near the one of the monitor, pictures with an aspect ratio very different will have colored bars. This behaviour can be changed, open the gPhotoShow Pro configuration window, Images->Display Options. In this page select the option "Stretch and Crop the image to fit the screen", choose the amount of strech/crop then click on the icon on the right of the limit value. This window allows you to easily calculate the limit used by gPhotoShow Pro to decide whether an image may be cropped/stretched or not.
The window displays the aspect ratio of your monitor, 2.38:1 in your case, usually you don't need to move the top slider since it is already set to the aspect ratio detected by gPhotoShow pro. To adjust the limit value move the second slider to the aspect ratio of the pictures you wish to be cropped/stretched. All pictures with aspect ratios on the left will be cropped/stretched as well.
6. I upgraded my monitor to a widescreen one but now there are black bars on both sides of my images. Is there a way to avoid them ?
It is very easy to remove the black bars by configuring gPhotoShow to stretch ( or crop ) your pictures. Open the gPhotoShow Pro configuration window then select the section "Images->Display Options". Here you can choose either "Stretch image to fit the screen" or "Crop image to fit the screen".
Depending on the aspect ratio of your images and your monitor it is possible you need to change the value in the field "Limit for image stretching/cropping:". If the default value doesn't work (ie. images are not stretched/cropped) try raising it, here are some typical values for the Limit field:
18 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10 aspect ratio
28 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10 or 3:2 aspect ratio
45 : Allows to stretch/crop images with 16:10, 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio
7. Is it possible to create my own frames ?
Bitmapped frames are simple jpeg files together with a small text files that tells to gPhotoShow where to display the image. To create your own frames is very easy:
1) Save your frame as jpeg file in the folder "Frames" under the gPhotoShow folder (usually c:\program files\gPhotoShow)
2) Find the coordinates of the rectangle inside the frame where the image should be displayed and write them in a text file with the same name as the jpeg file but with a .fsd file extension. The fsd file is a text file with this format:
[Frame]
Left=50
Top=50
Right=974
Bottom=718
FillBkg=1
Where Left, Top, Right, Bottom are the coordinates of the rectangle where gPhotoShow will display the image. FillBkg can 0 or 1, when 1 gPhotoShow will file that rectangle with the background color, when 0 gPhotoShow will not fill the background.
8. How do I control how long a specific photo is displayed ?
If you wish to change the display time for a specific image you must use gPhotoShow Image Properties:
- Set all your preferred options for the slide show
- In the "Advanced Options" section, enable the option "Use configured keys to..."
- Click on the "Keys..." button and set a key for "Open Image Property" action.
- Start the slide show (or the screen saver)
- When you see the pictures where you wish to change the duration time press the key you configured in step (3)
- Now a dialog is open, enable the option "Custom Duration", insert the time in seconds and click on the "Save" button
9. What is the Exif header ?
EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format, and is a standard for storing interchange information in image files, especially those using JPEG compression. Most digital cameras now use the EXIF format to store additional information about the images.
10. gPhotoShow does not rotate my pictures
When the checkbox "Automatically rotate images..." is enabled gPhotoShow rotates images accordingly with the info in the exif header, but some digital cameras (and most scanners) don't set this flag so gPhotoShow doesn't know how to rotate them.
11. Raw files are not rotated correctly
gPhotoShow uses raw image codecs installed on the system and relies on them to get orientation information. Unfortunately raw codecs developed by Microsoft are a mess, some of them return correct orientation others rotate images AND returns orientation (so images are rotated twice), this happens also for the same file type (for example NEF) but from different digital camera. In additions Microsoft codecs work in different ways on windows 10 and 11.
So at the end automatic rotation of raw files is quite unreliable and it can't be fixed in gPhotoShow. Starting from version 9.0.6 gPhotoShow includes a setting to enable/disable automatic rotation of raw file, try with both settings and see which works best for your files.
12. gPhotoShow displays some pictures rotated in a wrong way. This happens only with some pictures while others are correctly rotated.
Most photos taken with a digital camera have an exif orientation tag which specifies how the image should be rotated, gPhotoShow uses this tag to display photos with the correct orientation.
The problem arises when you manually edit/rotate a photo with a program that doesn't reset the orientation tag when this happens gPhotoShow load the photo finds the tag and rotates it again, this will result in a photo displayed in the wrong way.
The images you see rotated in the wrong way probably contains an orientation tag that doesn't reflect their real orientation, only solution is to reset that exif tag.
This orientation tag is stored inside the image itself and it is not easy to change, probably the easiest way is to manually view all pictures with a program aware of the orientation tag, ("FastStone Viewer" and XNView should work well) load them with your preferred editor and save them again removing all exif tags, all programs should have this option.
Please note that viewing thumbnails is not enough, usually they are correct because usually they are not changed when image is saved.
Another option is to use the command line tool ExifTool:
exiftool -Orientation=1 -n image.jpg
this command will reset the orientation tag on image.jpg but to use this ExifTool you need some skill in using command line programs.