Kodak’s Image Viewer Is Broken – Microsoft’s Answer To The Problem

I have always used the Kodak image viewer with my PC that runs MS Windows 2000. The announcement was made in MS07-055 and states that the program can allow remote code execution. Microsoft suggested that a patch be installed immediately as a fix to this (please read the context of MS07-055). It all looks pretty straight forward and that a fix will be applied, but that’s not what happened.

The truth is that Microsoft offers no fix for the security issue with the viewer. The patch that is applied, only makes a warning pop up when you try to use it. The warning tells you that you are taking a risk by using the viewer. Somehow I am not surprised to see MS turn its back on the customers like that. Obviously, MS wants all versions of Windows that were released prior to the new broken product, called Vista, to vanish. (they already got your money and there’s no money in those previous versions anymore) MS seems to take that approach too easily, but what can you do?

Does a good alternative Windows software for viewing image files, if using Windows 98 – Windows 2000, or Windows XP that was installed as an upgrade from Windows 2000, even exist? I happen to like my Windows 2000 Pro to run Windows applications (especially games) because of its stability, and I don’t like having my wallet being constantly grabbed at by the big MS fingers trying to lift it. Besides, Win2K plays a great game of DOOM III. I began my search for an alternative for my broken image viewer, and then… low and behold, GNU comes to the rescue again, and since Microsoft is too big to care anymore.

All of this is another reason why I have been weaning myself away from MS products using an operating system (Linux) that is better supported and more stable. But if you are not ready to accept that path yet, the Open Source Initiative has a great image viewer available for all. It is called CORNICE. It looks good and can execute across different platforms. Cornice was written by Alberto Griggio in Python + wxPython + PIL. It even works like a champ under MS Windows. There is a lot of geeky stuff there, but you can see some very accurate screen shots of Cornice at the Cornice Website.

If you want to use this free software (not shareware), you can download an already compiled installer from the Cornice website or from Softpedia. The download costs nothing. As with all software suggestions from me, it is totally free and comes without any spy-ware, ad-ware, pop-ups, viruses or other such irritants. Best of all.. it works great.

Mmmmmm Brew… Bottoms up!