11bravo

If you just want to browse your raw photos, you might try irfanview, freeware program for windows. It handles Canon raw cr2, no problem, along with many other formats (also download the plugins). I've used it for 15+ years since the then university student created it. It's kept up to date, and it's on EVERY one of my computers, one of those must have programs. Allows renaming while browsing, does format conversions, resizing, etc. It's what I always use as my default viewer.
https://www.irfanview.com/

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

If you are using an older version than Windows 10, you will need to go to the Microsoft website and download the codec file that lets you view the JPEG that's embedded in the RAW file. The codec is free. I use Windows File Explorer to copy my files from my SD card to my PC and with the proper codec you can examine the pics as needed before copying, which sounds like what you want to do.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Mike, a simple solution is to get the CC subscription, $10 a month for Photoshop CC, Lightroom, and Adobe Bridge, I can scroll though my images using Bridge on both my Mac and PC computers.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

In Windows File Explorer, check to see if your view is set to Details. If it is then you will only see the file names. You have to select one of the icons in the View menu in order to see a picture.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

In Win 10 there is an App called, "Photos". It's a simple editor and viewer. It can view RAW files. You may have to select that as the default for the RAW file of your camera. (That may be done in Settings). You may PM me for clarification.
Good luck.
Mark

PeterBergh

To amplify on this response, Windows 10 contains a sufficient codec for viewing raw images. Furthermore, the codec packages refuse to install on Windows 10.

LarryFitz Loc: Beacon NY

Luminar works great on a Windows 10 System. They had some install problems on last update that they addressed in less then a week. The issue of not seeing thumbnails, is Windows issue. Either missing a file or the user not selectioning icon vs lists.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Are you using a Windows computer?

If so, then a codec such as FastPictureViewer will solve the problem by allowing you to preview RAW and a lot of other types of images files right in Explorer, as thumbnails of various sizes.

FastPictureViewer works really well. I've been using it for years on several computers. I've seen it easily handled RAW from a variety of Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax cameras... as well as TIFs and some other file types. Depending upon which version of Windows you use, might be able to view the thumbnails in small, medium and large sizes, too. FastPictureviewer also allows enlarged views of an image in Windows Picture Viewer and similar. (Those aren't color corrected, though... so RAW files will appear low contrast and somewhat desaturated.)

The FastPicureViewer codec costs $10.

https://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/

Works fine on all versions... 32 bit and 64 bit... of Windows from XP (SP3) through Windows 10.



Yes, but Windows cannot do this alone. You first need to have a codec installed to be able to see RAW files displayed in Explorer as thumbnails. Without the codec, all you'll see in the icon views are generic icons.

Acoustics

I assume your question is "How do I view a Canon raw file on my computer prior to importing it to the raw processing software?" I have used Faststone File Viewer in various versions for at least ten years. It is free for private individuals, and the licensing for commercial use is quite low. I switched from Canon to Nikon four years ago, and it reads raw files in both formats without difficulty. It is very fast. (To check this I deleted its thumbnail cache, then entered a folder with 654 raw images from a Nikon D810, whose raw files range from 71 to 75 MB. It took less than 10 seconds to see all the thumbnails, and there is no perceptible delay to view an image full screen.) The Faststone program has other features, such as the ability to edit and crop JPEGs and TIFFS, as well as rename files. My workflow uses this program initially to select and discard images prior to importing them to my processing software, DxO Photo Lab in my case. I hope this is helpful. I joined the forum three days ago. This is my first post.

worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

I use a PC. In both Windows 8 and 10 it is very easy to identify raw files. Just open up whatever source you have the stored in in Windows Explorer (it looks like a file folder) There if you change the view to list you will see all the files how your camera names them and their file extension. Hit the tab above the file extensions and it will arrange them by extension. Now your raw are separated from .jpg. Now you can move them to separate folders on your computer if you desire. Now that they are separated by file extension you can easily double click on one of them and it will open up in the photo viewer, no conversion needed. Move through with arrow keys on keyboard. Easy first edit deleting them right out of the photo viewer. Now you can do whatever you want with them

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I had been having a similar, frustrating problem, where, when I used Windows Explorer, or File Open in Photoshop, Canon CR2 RAW files would display slowly and frequently, wouldn't display at all. I downloaded the Fastpictureviewer codec - problem solved! Definitely worth a lot more than $9.99 to me. Thanks, Alan!

MissSue

great idea, but this link doesn't work with Windows 10... I too have the same problem. I just use dates and times to know what i'm putting in my photo editing software.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I'm assuming you're referring to the link someone posted: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26829. That doesn't work with Windows 10 Home Edition. That's why FastPictureViewer - https://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/
turned out to be so helpful.

MissSue

thank you, I will look into that :)