Microsoft has released a camera Codec Pack that allows Windows 7 and Vista users to view raw files as thumbnails natively in Windows Explorer, and edit copies of them with Windows Live Photo Gallery 2011. It is available in x86 and x64 versions. The pack adds support for a selection of some 108 raw-capable cameras, and seems a bit arbitrary as it excludes a whole range of recent (and not-so recent) models. There is no information at present about if or when additional camera model support will be added.

The Codec Pack is available as a free download.

The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack enables the viewing of a variety of device-specific file formats in Window Live Photo Gallery as well as other software that is based in Windows Imaging Codecs (WIC).

Installing this package will allow supported RAW camera files to be viewable in Windows Explorer.

This package is available in both the x86 and x64 versions.

The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack provides support for the following device formats:

Canon: EOS 1000D (EOS Kiss F in Japan and the EOS Rebel XS in North America), EOS 10D, EOS 1D Mk2, EOS 1D Mk3, EOS 1D Mk4, EOS 1D Mk2 N, EOS 1Ds Mk2, EOS 1Ds Mk3, EOS 20D, EOS 300D (the Kiss Digital in Japan and the Digital Rebel in North America) , EOS 30D, EOS 350D (the Canon EOS Kiss Digital N in Japan and EOS Digital Rebel XT in North America), EOS 400D (the Kiss Digital X in Japan and the Digital Rebel XTi in North America), EOS 40D, EOS 450D (EOS Kiss X2 in Japan and the EOS Rebel XSi in North America), EOS 500D (EOS Kiss X3 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T1i in North America), EOS 550D (EOS Kiss X4 in Japan, and as the EOS Rebel T2i in North America), EOS 50D, EOS 5D, EOS 5D Mk2, EOS 7D, EOS D30, EOS D60, G2, G3, G5, G6, G9, G10, G11, Pro1, S90.

Nikon: D100, D1H, D200, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, D3, D3s, D300, D3000, D300s, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D5000, D60, D70, D700, D70s, D80, D90, P6000.

Sony: A100, A200, A230, A300, A330, A350, A380, A700, A850, A900, DSC-R1.

Olympus: C7070, C8080, E1, E10, E20, E3, E30, E300, E330, E400, E410, E420, E450, E500, E510, E520, E620, EP1.

Pentax (PEF formats only): K100D, K100D Super, K10D, K110D, K200D, K20D, K7, K-x, *ist D, *ist DL, *ist DS.

Leica: Digilux 3, D-LUX4, M8, M9.

Minolta: DiMage A1, DiMage A2, Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D in Europe, α-7 Digital in Japan).

Epson: RD1.

Panasonic: G1, GH1, GF1, LX3.