X Image Codecs
JPEG XL and HEIC thumbnails, plus JPEG XL photo details, for File Explorer in one free installer - tick the codecs you want.
Only need iPhone photos? Get the HEIC Codec on its own.
JPEG XL and HEIC support for Windows
| Codec | Version | Files | Used for | Needs VC++ runtime | /codecs= name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JXL WinThumb | 0.2.12 | .jxl |
JPEG XL - the royalty-free successor to JPG | Yes - offered automatically | jxl_winthumb |
| JXL Metadata | 1.0 | .jxl |
EXIF and IPTC details - date taken, camera, tags, rating | No | jxl_metadata |
| HEIC Codec | 1.1.16 | .heic .heif |
iPhone and Android phone photos | No | heic |
Every build ships for 64-bit Intel and AMD, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. Setup installs only the one that matches your PC.
JPEG XL photo details in File Explorer
A JPEG XL decoder draws the picture, but Windows reads a photo's details through a separate property handler - and none existed for JPEG XL.
JXL Metadata is that handler, written by us. With it, .jxl files show Date taken, camera and exposure, title, tags, authors, copyright and rating in the Details pane, the Properties dialog and Windows Search, exactly like JPEG.
It reads EXIF and XMP, including the IPTC Core fields Lightroom, Photoshop and Bridge write, and metadata compressed inside the file. It only reads - your files are never changed - and it needs no Visual C++ runtime.
Check, choose, install
See what you have
The first page lists every codec with the version in this setup, the version on your PC and its status. It also shows your Visual C++ runtime version, the most common reason a codec fails to load.
Tick the codecs
New codecs and updates are ticked for you. Codecs already up to date stay unticked - tick one to reinstall it, and codecs with no build for your PC are greyed out.
Install - restart only if needed
Setup never restarts File Explorer. If Explorer cached blank icons for these formats, the cache is cleared at your next restart, and you choose now or later.
Silent install with /codecs=
Pick codecs by name, separated by commas, or use all. jxl selects both JPEG XL codecs; use jxl_winthumb or jxl_metadata for just one.
Without /codecs= a silent run installs the same ticks the wizard would show.
X-Image-Codecs_Setup.exe /S /codecs=jxl,heic /log=C:\Logs\image-codecs.log
X-Image-Codecs_Setup.exe /S /codecs=heic
X-Image-Codecs_Setup.exe /S /codecs=allA codec named in /codecs= is installed even when it is already up to date. An unknown name stops setup with exit code 2 instead of installing the wrong thing.
| Switch | What it does |
|---|---|
/S | Silent - no windows, never restarts the PC |
/codecs=jxl,heic | Install exactly these codecs - names from the table above, jxl for both JPEG XL codecs, all for every codec |
/log=file | Write a step-by-step log; /log alone writes to %TEMP% |
| Exit code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Installed - no restart needed |
3010 | Installed - restart needed to clear the old thumbnail cache |
1 | Cancelled |
2 | Stopped - unknown codec name, nothing installable, or an error (see the log) |
Each codec uninstalls on its own, for example:
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\HEIC Codec\Uninstall.exe" /S
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\JXL WinThumb\Uninstall.exe" /S
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\JXL Metadata\Uninstall.exe" /SThumbnails still blank?
Restart your PC if setup asked you to. Explorer only lets go of its old thumbnail cache at startup.
Each codec adds two shortcuts under Start > X Codec Pack. Rebuild thumbnail cache clears stale thumbnails, and Repair registers the codec again and re-checks the Visual C++ runtime.
Repair is also the Change button (Modify in Windows Settings) on the codec's Add or Remove Programs entry.
SHA-256 checksum
The installer is not code-signed, so SmartScreen may call it unrecognised. The hash proves your file is byte-for-byte the one we built.
7ABF 7ADD 0611 AF64 0A96 4455 3F77 2607 03EF B1C6 EB7F 43CF 8624 9A29 BF4A 3E32
Check it in PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\X-Image-Codecs_Setup.exe