How to Download and Install Canon’s ZoomBrowser EX Software on Windows 7
Canon offers some useful free software to help you use your camera. Canon’s ZoomBrowser EX is a great example. ZoomBrowser EX helps you import files to your computer, organize/view them, and perform some editing.
The trouble is, even though Canon makes the latest version of the software freely available on its website, the software is designed so that you can’t download and install a new version unless you’ve already installed an older version from a disc. These CDs are included with each Canon camera, but it’s highly possible that you lost it or bought the camera second hand without a CD.
So is there a workaround, so that you can download the software and install it on Windows 7 anyway…?
Yes, yes there is. And it’s amazingly simple.
All you have to do is make a tiny edit to your Windows 7 Registry. While you can do some damage to your system if you edit the wrong parts of your Windows 7 registry, don’t worry. Making these minor adjustments is perfectly safe, and if you follow the instructions you won’t mess anything up.
First, open the Windows Registry Editor. In the start menu, choose “Run” and type in “regedit”. Run the program, and select “Yes,” if the User Access Control dialog box comes up.
In the Windows Registry, navigate to Computer -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE ->Wow6432Node -> Canon. To install Zoombrowser EX, you need to create two new registry keys to trick your computer into thinking that you’ve already installed the software. Right click on the “Canon” key (folder), select “New -> Key.” Call the new key “ZoomBrowser EX.” Then, right click on the new “ZoomBrowser EX” key, and create another new key, called, “Settings.”
Now, all you need to do is download and install the latest version of ZoomBrowser EX from the Canon website (currently version 6.7.2). Unfortunately, I can’t directly link to the file, the way the Canon website is set up.
Go to the product page on the Canon website for your camera – as an example, let’s use the Canon t3i product page. Click on the “Drivers & Software” option. Choose your operating system, Windows 7, in the dropdown menu.
Now look down the list of “Software” that’s available. You’re looking for something like “ZoomBrowser EX 6.7.2 Updater (zb672upd-en.exe).” Download the file, install it, and you’re good to go.
[Note: The reason why I specified Windows 7 throughout this post is that the registry key is slightly different on a Windows Vista or Windows XP system. If you're on an older machine, create the registry keys in Computer -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Canon. The Wow6432Node key is a new addition in Windows 7.]
Filed Under: Digital Photo FAQs
Comments
Tell us what do you think.
Thanks Mate. i don’t know why you included full stops at the end of the registry keys as it doesn’t work. Taking them out makes it work.
Sorry, I don’t follow… what do you mean by a “full stop” at the end of the registry key?
full stops = dots(.)
it works great, but while working on Windows 7 you may have to create that “ZoomBrowser EX” & “Settings” in the way that walkere specified for Vista or XP: in SOFTWARE key, not in Wow6432Node. many thanks for walkere!
Hi am I being a bit dim? I’m trying to install this as can’t find my software CD and have got a new PC, when I go to Wow6432Node I don’t have a Canon folder? It’s not in the softwarefolder either??
The Canon folder won’t be there by default. It should be created the first time you install any piece of Canon software, so I guess I accidentally made the assumption when I wrote this that the Canon folder would already be there. It never really occurred to me… Oops.
I would create a Canon folder inside the Wow6432 node. Then follow the directions from there (creating the Zoombrowser key and the settings key).
Tried this on Win7, and it worked using the XP registry edit – the Wow6432 edit did not work…
Thanks so much for this tip – like many, my original disk was lost, and it was so frustrating that the “full” version was not available from Canon. They already get enough of our cash for the hardware, surely the software should be freely available without jumping through these hoops?!?
Many, many thanks again
sweet. worked. i lost my disk and this really helped
I just created a reg file to remove the use of regedit which could hurt more..
Called it CanonZBEX-regpatch.reg
—
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX\Settings]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX\Settings]
—
and worked wonders [for both 32bit and 64bit] on ZB660UPD_E
that’s it
Just tried this for my Vixia HF200 camcorder and it worked great. First time, I left out the space in ZoomBrowser EX and it didn’t work, corrected my error, and worked fine. Thanks!
Thanks a lot for the tutorial!!!
Cheers,
Antonio.
Thanks a Lot!!!
Worked Fine.
worked a treat for my Powershot A75 – many thanks!
Your a genius, or at least very well grounded. I wish I could contact you for other problems I run into. Regedit is something I am just coming to terms with. Thank again for taking the time to help others in this new cyber world.
Many thanks it works fine.
But do you have any idea how to find Canon CP-200 printer driver for Win 7 – 64 bit
Regards
Also searching for an answer in March 2012 about CP-200 and Win7(64).
Nothing so far.
So my old XP desktop still has a use to run the CP-200 and other old scanners and printers… sigh!
Regards……….. Guy
Thanks a lot, works fine. I used your original Win7-instructions on my new Win7 laptop but had to add the Canon-key first into the Wow-key, as you said in the comments.
)
So, I’ll start downloading my first photo’s in a minute now.