Paint and Photos

Question

I keep getting an error message that photo does not support the file type even thogh I saved it as jpg. And now I am getting a nessage that the file was not saved. How casn I fix this. I am a dummy with these things. I am using Windows 11.

Answer 1

Hi Crash Walker,

If you see a message saying a photo file type is not supported even though it was saved as .jpg, this usually indicates a temporary issue with the Photos app or that the file did not save correctly. Windows supports JPG files, so the format itself is not the problem.

In addition to Q&A Assist's answer, here are some recommended solutions that you can try in this situation:

1, Repair the Photos app

• Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps
• Find Microsoft Photos
• Select Advanced options
• Select Repair
• Restart the computer and try opening the photo again

2, Reset the Photos app (if Repair does not help)

• Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Photos
• Select Advanced options
• Select Reset
• Restart the computer

3, Confirm the file extension

• Open File Explorer
• Select View > Show > File name extensions
• Confirm the file ends with .jpg
• If needed, right‑click the file and rename it to end with .jpg

4, Test the file in another app

• Right‑click the photo
• Select Open with
• Choose Paint or another image viewer
• If it opens, the Photos app was the issue
• If it does not open, the file may not have saved correctly

5, Save to a local folder - When saving photos, save first to Pictures or Documents, then move the file later if needed.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Hi, I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.
Where are you trying to save the file from?
Only changing the file extension will not fix the file.

Answer 3

In Photos and Paint, the most common cause of “file type not supported” or “file was not saved” with a .jpg is that the actual image format is something else (for example HEIF/HEIC from an iPhone) even though the file name ends in .jpg.

Try these steps:

1. Confirm the real file type
   1. In File Explorer, right‑click the picture file and select Properties.
   2. On the General tab, check Type of file. If it shows something like HEIF image or HEIC (or anything other than JPEG/JPG), Photos and Paint may not be able to open or save it as expected.
2. If the file is HEIF/HEIC or HEVC (from iPhone/Android) Windows needs extra extensions to work with these formats:
   1. Install HEIF Image Extensions from Microsoft Store.
   2. Install HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft Store.
   3. Close and reopen the Photos app and try opening/saving again.
3. Re‑import or convert from the phone (no extra apps needed) If the original photos are on an iPhone or Android device:
   1. Connect the phone to the PC with a USB cable.
   2. Copy the photos again to the PC. Many phones automatically convert HEIC/HEVC to standard JPEG when transferring or emailing.
   3. Alternatively, email the photo to yourself from the phone, save the attachment on the PC, and then open it in Photos or Paint.
   4. If that still gives HEIC/HEVC files, change the camera/photo settings on the phone to use a more compatible format (often called “Most Compatible” or similar), then take one new test photo and copy it again.
4. Use OneDrive to convert photos (if they are HEIF/HEIC) If photos are stored in OneDrive or can be uploaded there, OneDrive can automatically convert HEIF/HEVC photos to a more common format when uploading. After upload, download the converted version and open it in Photos or Paint.
5. Save from another app as a standard image format If the picture is inside another document (for example Word, PowerPoint, or Outlook):
   1. Right‑click the picture inside the document.
   2. Choose Save as Picture.
   3. In Save as type, choose JPEG or PNG.
   4. Save and then open that file in Photos or Paint.

If, after these steps, saving still fails, test with a known good image (for example a sample picture that came with Windows). If that works, the problem is with the original file format; if it does not, the issue is with the apps or Windows and may require repairing or reinstalling the Photos app.

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References:

• Photos app Video Editor error: Can’t view this file type
• Save a picture or other graphic as a separate file