No App, No Problem! 5 Ways to View a File in Windows Without Its Application

You must be viewing a document or other file in Windows. But you don’t have the right application to open the file, or you just want to view it quickly without taking the time to launch the whole app.

Special programs called file viewers can display the contents of many file types without the need for an associated application. File Explorer in Windows provides a preview pane that will display certain types of files. File viewers such as QuickLook, WinQuickLook, and Cool File Viewer can display documents, PDFs, and images, and even play audio and video files. And Microsoft PowerToys has a tool called Peek that will let you view some files.

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Which audience is best for your purposes? Below, I’ll outline five of my favorite options.

file explorer preview pane

Open File Explorer in Windows 10 or 11. In Windows 10, click the View menu, and then click the entry for Preview Pane. In Windows 11, click the View menu, go to Show, and then check the entry for Preview Pane. Click on a file in the Explorer window, and it should appear in the preview pane. File Explorer’s Preview supports a variety of file types, including Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), PDFs, and images (JPG, PNG, TIF, etc.). It will also let you play audio files (WAV, MP3, M4A) and videos (MP4).

quick look

but free Microsoft Store, quick look Can display a variety of different file types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, ZIP files, pictures, audio files, and videos.

Using the app is simple. After installation, just select the file you want to view and press the spacebar. The file then appears in the QuickLook window. You can resize and pin the window so that it remains visible. You can open the file with its associated application or a different app and share the file with anyone. And you’re able to add QuickLook to your startup routine so it’s available right at start up.

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Developer also offers a healthy set of plugins Which you can install to support additional files, such as EPUB eBooks, PostScript files, Android APK packages, and torrent files.

WinQuickLook

Another file viewer accessible from the Microsoft Store, WinQuickLook It works much like QuickLook, although it will cost you $2.49. The app supports Office files, PDF, ZIP files, images, audio files, and videos. Simply select the file you want to view in File Explorer and press the Spacebar. WinQuickLook displays the file in a resizable window. You can always open the file with its associated application or a different app, if necessary.

great file viewer

Available for free on the Microsoft Store, great file viewer Works a little differently from QuickLook and WinQuickLook. Instead of pressing the spacebar to view a file, you drag it onto the cool file viewer window or select it from the menu. The app supports over 450 file types, all of which are listed on microsoft store page, But most of them require a paid subscription to view the files. For $4.99 per year, you can view PDFs, WebP files, and more. Spending $19.99 per year will let you access Microsoft Office files and view more types of images, audio files and videos.

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To use Cool File Viewer, open the app and then drag and drop the file you want to view. Alternatively, click the Choose button and select the file in File Explorer. From the resizable Viewer window, you can access menus and run certain commands depending on the file type.

Microsoft PowerToys Peek

Finally, Microsoft offers a file viewer through its free PowerToys utility. This tool, known as Peek, can display a certain number of file types, including images, web pages, Markdown files, text files, and developer files. to begin, download and install powertoys If you don’t already have it. Open the program and select the entry for Peek. Here, you can make sure Peek is on and view or change the activation shortcut (Ctrl Spacebar by default). To view a file in File Explorer, select it and press Ctrl and Spacebar. You can then pin the viewer window and open the file in its associated application.

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Of all the file viewers, QuickLook is my favorite and the one I use by default because it’s free and supports a variety of file types. WinQuickLook is similar to QuickLook in features and file type support, but it is not free. Cool File Viewer is the most capable of the group, with support for nearly 500 types of files, although its annual subscription will cost you $20. Depending on your needs, either of these viewers may come in handy when you want to take a quick look at a file without going through the application.