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
    2013-12-30T02:47:07+00:00

    I am going back to the Apple Macintosh and iPad -  they just seem to work much better and don't require all this fuss for something that should work the first time. And I certainly won't miss the ridiculous amount of updates that windows requires,

    Windows 8 just lost a new customer. But hey, I gave it a shot. Hang in there guys, I'm sure it can only get better.  I just don't have the patience for it.

    Lyle

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-12-29T20:35:01+00:00

    I also have this issue ......... 2 months later and no solution ??

    I hope the next update to Windows will fix this problem.

    I heard it will be called "Windows 8.1 Update 1".

    They should fix the "Camera" and "Photos" apps that have been damaged upgrading from Windows 8.0 to 8.1 on many computers.

    I think they should put those apps in the Windows Store, so if they don't work, I just redownload them and they should then work as expected...

    I don't understand why "Camera" and "Photos" are not redownloadable from the Store.

    The only operating system with the Windows Store is Windows, so they could be downloadable from the Store.

    ;)

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-12-29T15:51:22+00:00

    I also have this issue ......... 2 months later and no solution ??

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-11-03T00:55:49+00:00

    I am having the Same problem. This app worked in win8.

    I have a Surface Pro with win 8.1.

    I can see the images from windows explorer I now called file explorer.

    P.S.

    There was no reason to change the name of Window Explorer.

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