FastStone Image Viewer 6.0 released
FastStone Image Viewer 6.0 is the latest version of the popular image browser, converter and editor for the Microsoft Windows operating system.
The new version of the application introduces a -- very comfortable -- new option to jump between servers while using it to viewing images among other things.
Nothing has changed in regards to how the program is offered: FastStone Image Viewer 6.0 is free for home use, and can be downloaded as a portable version or installer for users who prefer that. The program is ad-free and comes with a no-spyware guarantee.
You may run the portable version directly after you have extracted the archive it is supplied in on the system.
FastStone Image Viewer 6.0
The program uses three panes by default to display information: a folder browser and preview of the selected image in a sidebar area on the left, and all images as thumbnails of the selected folder on the right.
You can change the interface according to your needs. You may hide the preview image for instance, or switch between different view modes.
Probably the biggest new feature of FastStone Image Viewer 6.0 from a usability point of view is an option that improves folder navigation while viewing images.
Two new options are integrated in the new version of the image viewer. The first is a new keyboard shortcut that you can use to quickly jump to the next or previous folder. To do so, simply use Alt-Left or Alt-Right to jump to the previous or next folder in line.
This works regardless of which image is selected in the active folder. The second option switches to the next or previous folder automatically when you reach the end of the active folder in viewer mode.
This option needs to be enabled in the settings though before it is active. Select Settings > Settings, and check the "auto next folder" option on the viewer tab when the options window opens.
Quite handy to browse a collection of images continuously if they are stored in several folders and not just one.
The remaining features improve several tools of the application or add new options to the settings. You may now right-click on thumbnails to copy images for instance, or find two new zoom filters in the settings.
You can check out the full change history on the official website linked below in the summary box.
Closing Words
FastStone Image Viewer 6.0 may not introduce a massive list of new features or changes, but the option to jump between folders is definitely something that improves the image viewing functionality significantly.
cnet and others are not reliable, if you got the propoper filter access is denied.
don’t trust cnet and other; the thing we keep on saying the crapwares are in the downloader
There be trolls!
it’s free, it works, they’ve fixed it so it now works properly with higher dpi desktop too.
I have used irfanview for years; light & easy to use & many format supported
Neil
Problem is the separate thumbnails app you have to use with iView irfanview. Pretty good otherwise. I rate the FastStone higher. It is fast, has the quick thumbnail views, and editor — all close at hand. These days, I use what comes with the OS mostly. For editing, Polarr is great. For compressed and simple photos to share, as in keep originals out of it, the Google Photos does magic — a most excellent fast way to edit. PhotoScape is good, but beware of where you get it from — look for EyeCandy PUP, I think it is called. I download Polarr direct from their site — same with FastStone.
it is infected Ransomware.
No it isn’t, idiot.
I doubt that. Please provide proof of the accusation.
Portable version is clean. also v5.9 was clean.
also thank you SimonAlberta.
i have installed Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware on my PC. when trying install FIV it will break the installing and show alert.
This is — very likely — a false positive. Have you tried running the portable version instead?
Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware does flag Faststone and deletes it if you use it to delete numerous image files. I think it is because Faststone asks for a donation when installing and this might look like ransomware behaviour. You can whitelist the installer and the .exe file in Malwarebytes A-R and no more problems.
I have informed Faststone of the above information but MB A-R doesn’t ship with a built-in whitelist so the problem may continue.
I am 99.99% sure that Faststone is NOT malicious in any way.
it might be fast, but it’s nowhere near as configurable as other (free) viewers what keyboard/mouse is concerned.
i still haven’t found a viewer that really suites my needs. right now i am using (ancient) imagine, highly configurable, but on the downside there is no readahead of files, and it uses only one cpu core.
Hi Tom, I agree with you. I’ve not yet found image viewer as good as my ACDSee 2006.
I’m just looking at reader which has controls like this:
1. Arrow Keys for navigating zoomed picture
2. Mouse scroll, Page Up and Page Down for going to next/previous image
With Imagine I can configure the control close to what I want but seems like it’s not being developed anymore.
Btw are we talking about the same Imagine? The Imagine I talked about is this one
http://www.nyam.pe.kr/blog/entry/Imagine
Have you tried XNview? I found it quite nice, it handles an incredible amount of image formats, but as I remember it the interface seemed to me disparate, the overall impression that of a certain confusion, perhaps too many settings when the user wishes only fundamentals, basics, good and reliable basics but basics only : that’s where more may be considered as bloat when more advanced users would appreciate enhanced features.
@Hawack
I think the interface is simple, same like other image viewer. You can hide the toolbar/statusbar if you find them distracting.
It is also quite fast and support tab browsing.
The only minus thing is it has annoying image artifacts that don’t exist in other readers.
sure, xnview is nice, too. i use it when i know i will view a lot of pics, once it is loaded, it is fast. for only viewing a few images, i prefer imagine, because it is small and loads itself very fast. on a slow notebook this makes a difference.
FastStone Image Viewer is the image viewer/editor I’ve switched to when I ended using ACDSee, bloated. I’ve been using it ever since, even if I use other applications for image edition, most of the time.
FastStone Image Viewer is a freeware, and very, really very seldom popups inviting the user to a donation are far behind any nag. This application is so well crafted that the developer could very well distribute it as shareware (considering the quality there would be buyers) and yet he keeps it free. Nowadays this is to be considered and praised, IMO.
Agreed. When I was using Windows I was using FastStone, for years, tried most image viewers but nothing suited me as much as this. They also have paid products – I hope they make money from that.
FastStone is my seconday image viewer. It’s very good, but my primary viewer is still ACDSee Classic (i.e. v2.44). Fast and reliable. I love it :-)
A good viewer, not “bloated” like ACDSee i agree, but inciting people to trust CNET using as single reference a review from corrupted “journalists”, whose since years and years unscrupulous bosses by changing developer’s setups to their own infect millions of computers abusing the credulity and naivety of people, is something i totally disagree.
Speaking of rating, just realized I forgot to do so (in fact I always forget to rate). 5 stars (more than I’d give to whatever politician!)
Life is funny. If Anonymous’ comment hadn’t triggered John B’s wondering I wouldn’t have scored an application I happen to truly appreciate.
Thanks to both of you :)
Well then, Martin gave his rating too.
Do you trust him enough or just come here to complain?
Never tried it before (I didn’t know it had a portable version). I quite like it, after I adjusted the scroll/click behaviour.
What we can read on the page: “CNET editor’s rating: *****”, and below “No Adware. No Spyware”. CNET and O1net are well known to spread adware/spyware/malware since years. A nonsense.
the soft got no adware nor spyware; the downloader purposeful on those sites is the mean to spread crapwares
if you choose the right filter, the acces is denied
the main thing that we keep on saying is download from the editor site
“the main thing that we keep on saying is download from the editor site”
Absolutely. It’s not because my enemy goes bicycle riding that I won’t run with a bicycle : I just won’t run one of his. It’s not because my bicycle manufacturer sells bikes to my enemy that his bicycles are rotten. I may disagree on his selling policy but that doesn’t mean his bicycles are rotten.
That’s the end of the story, now it’s time to go to sleep …
Anonymous needs reading lessons in order to understand Internet page layout reading is much different than linear reading mode used for novels, etc.
The star rating is from CNET.
The “No Adware. No Spyware” comes from Faststone.
Note: Martin has already disapproved of CNET’s download site which is
http://download.cnet.com/windows/
However, there is no mention or link to the CNET download center; the link given is to FastStone Image Viewer.
No plagiarism here; no collusion of greedy, corporate bosses, no changed code. Only a reference to a good, clean, efficient image viewer. When in doubt, upload to Virus Total. Meanwhile, please shut up.
Don’t use the program; there are plenty more that you can pay for if that gives you some assurance of a valid product.
http://faststone.org/ Pretty easy to do. Download it there.
To clarify my thoughts: personally i will never recommend a company in business with CNET, even if this company has its own link on its own site. Even if the setup on CNET is clean (what i don’t know for the reason that i will never take the risk to test it) i think it is a question of ethics, thats all. JMHO.
Just put this “Fastone CNET” on your search engine, and if you use UBlock Origin (uBlock filters – Badware risks) give us the result.
still missing the webp support :(
After manually reloading the page: 6.0 ;-)
Latest version on the site per today (31-10-2016) is 5.9
Which version do you see on this page? http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm