How to Open Sony ARW Files in Windows Photos (No Extra Software)

You have just copied photos from your Sony camera to your PC, and something is wrong. The JPEG files open fine, but the files ending in .ARW either refuse to open, show a blank icon, or display an error in Windows Photos. It feels like you need to buy special software just to look at your own pictures.

The good news is that you do not. Modern Windows can open Sony ARW files using the Photos app and a free Microsoft component that many PCs already have. This guide walks you through the checks in order, from the simplest double-click to the small fixes that solve the problem when the first try fails.

Quick Answer

On Windows 11, and on an up-to-date Windows 10 PC, simply double-click the ARW file and it should open in the Photos app. Windows views RAW files through a free Microsoft add-on called the Raw Image Extension, which is often already installed. If the file will not open, update Windows and the Photos app, then install that free extension from the Microsoft Store. No third-party photo software is needed just to view your Sony RAW pictures.

What an ARW File Actually Is

ARW is Sony’s RAW photo format. When your camera saves a JPEG, it processes the picture for you: it chooses the sharpening, colour and brightness, compresses the result, and throws the extra data away. A RAW file keeps almost everything the sensor captured. That gives you far more freedom to fix exposure and colours later, but the file is much bigger and it is not a finished picture.

Because an ARW file is sensor data rather than a normal image, Windows needs a decoder, called a codec, that understands Sony’s format before Photos or File Explorer can display it. Each camera model writes slightly different data, which is why support for a brand new camera sometimes arrives a little later than the camera itself. Once the right codec is present, viewing ARW files feels exactly like viewing JPEGs.

Method 1: Just Open the File in Photos

Many people install extra software without ever testing what Windows can already do. Try the simple route first:

1. Open the folder where you copied your photos.
2. Double-click any file ending in .ARW.
3. If Windows asks which app to use, choose Photos and tick the option to always use it for this file type.
4. Wait a few seconds. Large RAW files from high-resolution cameras can take a moment to render fully.
5. Use the arrow keys or the on-screen arrows to move through the rest of your RAW photos in the same folder.

If the picture appears, you are done. You can zoom in, view details, and use the basic editing tools in Photos. If instead you see an error message, a black screen, or Windows offers only Paint or other unsuitable apps, move on to the next method. The codec your PC needs is probably missing or out of date, and both problems are free to fix.

Method 2: Update Windows and the Photos App

RAW support improves quietly through updates. A PC that has not been updated for a year may lack support for your camera even though Windows fully supports it today. Updating takes a few minutes and fixes a surprising number of file problems:

1. Open Settings and go to Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates and install everything offered, including optional driver and feature updates.
3. Restart the PC if Windows asks you to.
4. Open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and select Get updates so the Photos app itself is updated.
5. Try opening the ARW file again.

Method 3: Install the Free Raw Image Extension

If updates alone did not help, your PC is missing the Raw Image Extension. This is Microsoft’s own free add-on, published in the Microsoft Store, and it is the piece that teaches Windows how to decode RAW formats from Sony, Canon, Nikon and other brands. Installing it is not really installing extra software in the usual sense; it completes a feature Windows was designed to use.

1. Open the Microsoft Store app from the Start menu.
2. Search for Raw Image Extension and confirm the publisher is Microsoft Corporation.
3. Select Get or Install. It is free and only a few megabytes.
4. Restart the PC once the installation finishes.
5. Open your ARW file in Photos again.

Only ever get this extension through the Microsoft Store app on your PC. Websites offering codec packs or RAW drivers as direct downloads are a common source of bundled junk and malware. You can find the extension safely through the official Microsoft Store, and the same rule applies to every codec mentioned in this guide.

Make Thumbnails and the Default App Behave

Once the extension is installed, two small settings make daily life easier. First, previews in File Explorer should start working on their own. If folders still show plain icons instead of photo thumbnails, open File Explorer, select the View menu or options, and make sure Always show icons, never thumbnails is not ticked. Setting the folder view to Large icons also helps.

Second, set Photos as the permanent default so you never see the app picker again:

1. Right-click any ARW file and choose Open with, then Choose another app.
2. Select Photos.
3. Tick Always use this app to open .ARW files and confirm.

Explorer may take a little while to build thumbnails for a large folder the first time. Give it a minute before assuming it has failed, especially on folders with hundreds of big RAW files stored on a slow memory card or external drive.

If Your Camera Is Very New

Sometimes everything is installed correctly and a file still will not open. The usual reason is timing: a newly released Sony camera may write ARW files that the current extension does not recognise yet. Microsoft updates the extension over time, and Sony’s official support pages publish the camera details and firmware information that help you confirm your exact model.

While you wait for an update, you still have options that cost nothing. Most Sony cameras can save RAW plus JPEG at the same time, so set that option in the camera menu for your next shoot and use the JPEGs on the PC while keeping the ARW files for later. You can also review photos on the camera itself, or use the free imaging software Sony provides for its cameras if you need to work on a shot urgently.

Also rule out a damaged copy. If one file fails but others from the same card open, copy that file from the memory card again. A file that shows a size of 0 KB, or a transfer that was interrupted, will never open in any app.

Common Mistakes and Useful Tips

• Do not rename .ARW to .JPG. Changing the letters does not convert the data. The file will still be RAW and will then fail in even more apps.
• Avoid random codec packs. Downloading codec bundles from unfamiliar sites is one of the easiest ways to pick up adware. The Microsoft Store extension is all Windows needs.
• Keep your originals untouched. Photos may let you edit and save a copy, which is fine, but never overwrite or delete the original ARW. It is your negative.
• Export a JPEG for sharing. Friends, printers and websites generally cannot use ARW. Open the photo, use the save or export option to create a JPEG copy, and share that instead.
• Expect a short delay on first open. A 50-megapixel RAW file is heavy. A few seconds of loading is normal and is not a sign of failure.
• Check the file is really from the camera. Files received through some messaging apps get renamed or recompressed. Compare the file size with what the camera produces if something looks odd.

If file formats from phones cause you similar trouble, our guide on fixing HEIC photos that show blank thumbnails in Windows Explorer covers the matching fix for iPhone pictures.

Conclusion

Opening Sony ARW files in Windows Photos does not require paid software or complicated tools. On most modern PCs the files open with a double-click. When they do not, updating Windows and adding Microsoft’s free Raw Image Extension completes the job, and setting Photos as the default app makes the fix permanent. View your RAW files freely, export JPEG copies when you need to share them, and keep the originals safe as your long-term negatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Windows 10 open ARW files, or is Windows 11 required?

Windows 10 can open them too, as long as it is fully updated and the free Raw Image Extension is installed. Windows 11 handles the process more smoothly, but the underlying support works the same way on both systems.

Why do my ARW photos look flat or dull in Photos?

RAW files contain unprocessed sensor data, so they often look less punchy than the JPEG preview your camera showed you. That flat look is normal and is actually the point of RAW: the colour and contrast decisions are left for you to make during editing.

Can I edit ARW files in the Photos app?

Yes, for basic work. Photos offers exposure, colour, filters and cropping for RAW files once they open. For serious editing with fine control over highlights, shadows and noise, a dedicated photo editor will do more, but viewing and light edits need nothing extra.

The extension is installed but one folder still shows no previews. Why?

Explorer builds thumbnails gradually and sometimes caches old results. Change the folder view to Large icons, wait a minute, and if needed restart Explorer or the PC. Also confirm the files copied completely from the card and are not zero-size placeholders.

Is the Raw Image Extension really free?

Yes. It is published by Microsoft in the Microsoft Store at no cost. If any website asks you to pay for a RAW codec for Windows, close the page; you are not on an official source.