WIC Issue when scanning .NEF files

[RalfC]

The "other software" is Windows Photo Viewer, so the application that ships with Windows.

Just a wild guess: On 64-bit Windows, the Sony-Codec registers itself only to 64-bit applications (like the built-in Photo Viewer) but not to 32-bit applications like IMatch? That would be a Sony problem to solve. (after all they have one common installation file for 32- and 64-bit windows.

Mario, we should remove this part of the thread from the "Using .NEF" thread and move it to a new "Problem with Sony ARW and Sony Codec" thread.

I would propose to change the title of the thread to something more general, like "WIC related issues" as everybody might get some hints here concerning the WIC usage

Regards,
Ralf

[Mario]

I keep several VirtualBox installations just to deal with different codec setups. This is a nightmare when Microsoft ships updates. Installing updates in 5-8 Windows installations takes several hours. Anyway...

I have one W7 and W8.1 (soon W10) with only the Microsoft Codecs, one W7/W8 with FPV codecs and one W7/W8 without any codecs at all.
I downloaded the Sony 'drivers' and installed them on the W7 box with only the built-in WIC codecs (no RAW). The Sony codec was listed in WIC diagnosis afterwards, and IMatch used it just fine. That's as far as my testing can go.

I only ask the WIC system in Window to return a codec for a given image file.
Or to list all installed WIC codecs on the system. This is all pretty much a black box otherwise. As I said, I had never a case where a WIC codec failed to be listed. I've even checked my code but it's OK and straight from the Microsoft documentation. If the Sony codec is not listed on your computer, something with it's registration in the WIC system is wrong.

[joel23]

Sounds like a conundrum then.
There is only one WIC function call "List all installed codecs". Nothing even I could get wrong... The MS and FPV codecs list just fine.

Has maybe to do with 32bit function calls? I noticed that Windows Photo Viewer, who displays an ARW when doubled clicked in Explorer and when the Sony Codec is installed, using the 64bit photoviewer.dll (= Windows Photo Viewer via dllhost.exe COM Surrogate) from "C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer\de-DE\PhotoViewer.dll.mui", but IMatch (by double clicking an image, which opens the associated application, which is the Windows Photo Viewer) uses the 32bit dll in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Photo Viewer\de-DE\PhotoViewer.dll.mui"

According to this document decoders should be registered at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{7ED96837-96F0-4812-B211-F13C24117ED3} which is where Sony has registered its codec.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Wow6432Node/CLSID/{7ED96837-96F0-4812-B211-F13C24117ED3} does not exists until the Microsoft Codec (64bit pack) is registered there.
So Sony only registers in the 64bit part, Microsoft only in the 32bit part and the WIC Diagnostic searches the 32bit part (Wow6432Node) only. IMHO.
See attachment.

Analogue to this IMatch does not call "c:\windows\notepad.exe" (64bit) but "C:\windows\syswow64\notepad.exe" (32bit) when presenting the WIC diagnostic report in Notepad.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Mario]

IMatch is a 32-Bit application.