Viewing your photos

You can access and view your digital photos in a number of fun ways with Windows Media Center. You can also organize your digital media files to make them easier to access from your computer's hard disk.

This tutorial covers the following:

1. Accessing your photos

2. Finding and viewing a picture

3. Create and play a slide show

4. To customize settings for slide shows

5. To rate and play your favorite pictures

Accessing your photos

1. Windows Media Center is best experienced using a compatible Windows Media Center remote control.

2. To access your videos from the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Pictures + Videos, and then click picture library

3. You can scroll left or right through your digital media collection by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen, or by using the left and right arrow buttons on your keyboard.

To find and view a picture

If you can't find a particular picture, try changing the way Media Center groups your pictures.

1. Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center

2. On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Pictures + Videos, and then click Picture library

3. Click Folders to sort your folders and files alphabetically, click Date taken to sort folders and files by date, or click Tags to sort files by tags that have been applied.

4. Click the picture that you want to view.

• If you still can't find the picture that you're looking for, you might need to tell Media Center where the file is located. Learn more: Add digital media files

• Media Center supports many types of picture files, but not all of them. If you're having problems viewing a picture. Learn more: File types supported by Windows Media Center

To create and play slide shows

A slide show is a way to view a group of photos one-by-one at full screen. You can quickly play slide shows without creating a custom slide show:

1. On the Picture library page, click a folder, and then click Play slide show

Or, you can create your own custom slide show complete with pictures and music of your choice, and then save it for easy access later:

1. Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center

2. On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Pictures + Videos, and then click Picture library

3. Click Slide shows, click Create Slide Show, and then follow the instructions to add pictures and music to your slide show.

4. On the Review & Edit Slide Show page, click Add More to add additional pictures and music, and when you're finished, click Create

5. On the Picture library page, click the slide show you want to play, and then click Play slide show

To customize settings for slide shows

There are many options for customizing the presentation of your slide shows. You can specify the order in which pictures are shown, the duration of the transitions, and other aspects of a slide show presentation.

1. Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center

2. On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Tasks, click Settings, click Pictures, and then click Slide Shows You can customize your slide show using the options on this screen.

3. Click Save to save the new settings.

To rate and play your favorite pictures

You can rate individual pictures so you can keep track of your favorites, and then play a special presentation of only your favorite pictures.

1. Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center

2. On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Pictures + Videos, and then click Pictures library

3. Right-click a picture that you want to rate, and then click the Rating button (five stars in a row) multiple times until it displays the desired rating.

4. Click the green Start button to return to the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Pictures + Videos, and then click Play favorites

By default, Media Center uses ratings to determine which pictures are your favorites. To change the Favorite Picture settings, from the Media Center start screen, scroll to Tasks, click Settings, click Pictures, click Favorite Pictures, make any adjustments you like, and then click Save

Learn more: Photo viewing troubleshooter