X Image Codecs
JPEG XL and HEIC thumbnails, plus photo details for JPEG XL, HEIC and AVIF, in one free installer - tick the codecs you want.
Only need one format? Get the X HEIC Codec or the metadata add-ons on their own.
JPEG XL, HEIC and AVIF support for Windows
| Codec | Version | Files | Used for | Needs VC++ runtime | /codecs= name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X JXL WinThumb | 0.2.12 build 5 | .jxl |
JPEG XL - the royalty-free successor to JPG | Yes - offered automatically | jxl_winthumb |
| X JXL Metadata | 1.0 build 4 | .jxl |
Photo details - date taken, camera, tags, rating - editable | No | jxl_metadata |
| X HEIC Codec | 1.1.16 build 4 | .heic .heics .heif .heifs .hif |
iPhone and Android phone photos | No | heic |
| X HEIC Metadata | 1.0 build 4 | .heic .heif .hif |
Photo details for HEIC - date taken, camera, tags, rating | No | heic_metadata |
| X AVIF Metadata | 1.0 build 4 | .avif |
Photo details for AVIF - date taken, camera, tags, rating | No | avif_metadata |
Every build ships for 64-bit Intel and AMD, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. Setup installs only the one that matches your PC.
Photo details in File Explorer
A decoder draws the picture, but Windows reads a photo's details through a separate property handler.
X JXL Metadata is that handler for JPEG XL, written by us.
With it, .jxl files show date taken, camera and exposure, title, tags, authors, copyright and rating in the Details pane, Properties and Windows Search. Tags, title and rating can be edited right there, and edits land in the XMP where Lightroom and ExifTool read them.
X HEIC Metadata and X AVIF Metadata bring the same details to iPhone and AVIF photos, read-only. All three need no Visual C++ runtime - see X JXL Metadata for every field and the single installers.
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. A file type selects every entry for it: jxl both JPEG XL entries, heic both HEIC entries. Use the names from the table, such as 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, a file type such as jxl for every entry of that type, all for everything |
/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\X HEIC Codec\Uninstall.exe" /S
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\X JXL WinThumb\Uninstall.exe" /S
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\JXL Metadata\Uninstall.exe" /S
"C:\Program Files\X Codec Pack\HEIC 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.
0EBA 73EB 6BC2 4344 F440 AA32 362E 54C5 B43A 4DFA CAF6 7C67 5A6D 18B4 D0F8 5CB4
Check it in PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\X-Image-Codecs_Setup.exe