this file format is unsupported or the file is damaged error message after Windows RT 8.1 upgrade

Anonymous
2013-10-18T23:14:42+00:00

After I upgraded my Surface RT 64/gb to Windows RT 8.1, the photo app no longer recognizes the file format of jpegs!  You CAN see the photos within the photo app, and browse thru them. The photo app tile, however, will not display any pics whatsoever (it did just great BEFORE the upgrade).  If you try to set a static tile photo, it tells you that "this file format is unsupported or the file is damaged"!  THIS EVEN HAPPENS IF YOU TAKE A PIC WITH THE BUILT-IN CAMERA AND TRY TO USE IT FROM THE CAMERA ROLL -  It still says that the photo format is unsupported or damaged!

Interestingly, even though you cannot assign a photo to the Photo tile, you CAN set that photo as a lock screen photo.  So, therefore, it seems that this issue is only with the Photo App.

Also, after the upgrade, the "Turn Live Tiles On/Off" option is now missing.  You can only resize the photo app tile or "unpin" from start menu.

Mircrosoft PLEASE FIX THIS

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

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Anonymous
2013-10-21T18:20:45+00:00

Hi Lyle,

The issue you are hitting with file is an unsupported format is a known issue.  We are working to get a fix out to windows update.  It tends to be intermittent, if you shut down and restart the app it sometimes goes away.  Try doing this from Task Manager -> select Photos -> End Task

The ability to set as static tile is also available in 8.1.  You can either find a picture and click on "set as" -> "photos tile".  Alternatively, you can also swipe the right side->click "settings"->"options"->"shuffle photos on the photos tile" ->"off".

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-01-06T14:31:02+00:00

    Click the View tab and unselect (untick) the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option and click Ok

    OK, this also fixes the problem with the photos taken with the Camera app, now when you swipe to the right as soon as a photo is taken, this time the photo appears correctly.

    But if you tick that "always show icons, never thumbnails" the Camera app problem comes back again.

    This is a temporary solution, it works, but I hope a fix will come out by Microsoft.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-01-06T11:33:37+00:00

    As an update, after a lot of reading various threads/experimenting the solution below that worked for me:

    1.  Go to file Explorer -> View -> Options - > "Change folder and search options" (you can also do this through Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalisation -> Folder Options)
    2.  Click the View tab and unselect (untick) the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option and click Ok
    3.  Switch to Start, open the Photo app, open the Charm, select Settings -> Options and turn OFF "Shuffle photos on the Photo tile" and close the Options pane
    4.  Close the Photo app by swiping from top to bottom of the screen
    5.  Re-open the Photo app, open the Charm, select Settings -> Options and turn ON "Shuffle photos on the Photo tile" and close the Options pane. Hey presto, within about 5 seconds the photos appear and start changing!
    6. Now if like me you want to stop 100's of thumbnail files being created on your drive, or just want to see icons instead of thumbnails then follow steps 1 and 2 again, but this time re-select (tick) the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option. I have rebooted/logged back in as all users and the Photo tile live is still working

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-01-06T10:38:57+00:00

    I have this issue as well on my brand new Lenovo Yoga. Came with v8 and I upgraded straight to v8.1. 

    I have 4 accounts - 2 standard and 2 child accounts. The Photo tile live option worked on 3 of the accounts and I ended up doing a factory refresh for a different issue (most apps started opening and then immediately closing!). Now only 2 account have the Photo live tile option, the other 2 don't!!

    All my photo files open fine in viewer/slideshow, but when I try and set one as the Photo tile it gives me the "this file format is unsupported or the file is damaged error" message...

    Is this issue going to be fixed in 8.1.1 or whatever the next update is and if so when?!

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-12-31T00:22:52+00:00

    PCs are free, Apples can only do what they want you to do.

    If you have an idea for what you want to do with a PC some one  has written a program for it and most of the times it is free.

    If you have a problem with a PC some one has come up with a way to fix it, for free.

    Apple's philosophy is, "If we don't have it you don't need it." If you need it you have to pay us and do it our way.

    Quote from Adventures in odyssey.

    http://www.whitsend.org/

    The ability to customize may make things difficult because there are so many option, but at least I have the choice.

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