How to Install ExifToolGui on Windows 11

ExifToolGui is a Windows-only graphical front-end for Phil Harvey’s ExifTool, the command-line tool that reads and writes photo metadata. The version covered here is ExifToolGui V6.3.12, released on May 8, 2026 by Frank Bijnen. It is a maintained fork of the original GUI created by Bogdan Hrastnik, and it is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0. ExifTool itself is a separate program with its own licence, described by its author as free software under the same terms as Perl itself.

The one fact that decides whether the installation works is this: the GUI and ExifTool are two downloads, not one. The portable GUI builds do not bundle ExifTool at all, while the installer can download ExifTool for you during setup. This guide walks through both routes on Windows 11, explains which ExifTool version to pair, and finishes with the checks that prove the pairing worked. All files are listed on the download page, and the wider Tutorials hub collects the follow-on guides.

Choose the Installer or a Portable Build First

The V6.3.12 release offers three files: an installer (updated to 6.3.12.1, an installer-only change with no functional changes to the GUI itself) and two portable executables, ExifToolGUI_X64.exe for 64-bit Windows and ExifToolGUI.exe for 32-bit Windows. On a typical Windows 11 PC the 64-bit route is the right one, and the installer also installs 64-bit files by default on 64-bit Windows. Passing the /Win32 parameter to the installer forces the 32-bit files instead.

Pick the installer if you want ExifTool fetched automatically: during setup you can choose the ExifTool zip package by Phil Harvey, which is downloaded and renamed into the install folder, or the self-installing package by Oliver Betz. Pick a portable build if you want no setup program at all, but then you must download ExifTool yourself and place it next to the GUI, as the next sections describe.

  • Installer: simplest route, can fetch ExifTool during setup.
  • Portable X64: no installation, you pair ExifTool manually.
  • Portable Win32: for 32-bit Windows, you pair ExifTool manually.

Install With the Setup Installer

Download the installer from the download page and run it. Work through the setup steps and, when the ExifTool step appears, choose to download ExifTool during setup rather than skipping it. The Harvey option downloads the official zip and renames the executable to exiftool.exe inside the installation folder for you. The Betz option runs a self-installing ExifTool package after the GUI installation finishes.

Either choice leaves you with a complete pairing in one folder. After setup completes, launch ExifToolGui and open any folder of photos: the file list should populate and selecting a file should show its metadata. If the program reports that ExifTool was not found, the pairing step did not complete, and the manual method in the next section fixes it. For a guided tour of what to check next, see ExifToolGui first launch setup.

Pair ExifTool Manually With a Portable Build

For a portable build, download the ExifTool Windows executable zip from exiftool.org. The latest ExifTool release overall is 13.59 (May 27, 2026), while the latest production release is 13.55 (April 7, 2026); either pairs with the GUI, and the production release is the conservative choice. Unzip the archive and find the file named exiftool(-k).exe. Rename it to exiftool.exe, because the GUI looks for that exact name.

Copy exiftool.exe into the same folder as ExifToolGUI_X64.exe or ExifToolGUI.exe, and keep the exiftool_files folder next to it: if you move the executable later, that folder must move with it. Then start the GUI. There is no separate registration step; the GUI finds ExifTool because it sits beside it. Keep both files together in one folder you control, rather than scattering them across system directories.

Verify the Installation and Note the Optional Map

Verify with a real photo, not with the absence of errors. Select a JPEG in the file list and look at the Metadata panel: camera make and model, DateTimeOriginal and exposure values should appear. Then open the Workspace, change nothing, and confirm the values you see match what your camera recorded. If metadata displays correctly, ExifTool is paired and working, and you can move on to editing tasks such as changing DateTimeOriginal.

One component is optional: the map pane uses WebView2Loader.dll together with the Microsoft Edge WebView2 runtime to show OpenStreetMap layers. It is only needed for map-based geotagging. The V6 documentation also notes the GUI should run on Windows 7 and 8, with Windows 10 or 11 recommended, and V6.3.12 improved HEIC support, noting that Windows 11 ships the codec needed for those files.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ExifToolGui include ExifTool?
No for the portable builds: ExifTool is a separate, required download. Only the installer can fetch ExifTool for you during setup, from the Phil Harvey zip or the Oliver Betz package.

Which ExifTool version should I pair with V6.3.12?
The latest production release is 13.55 (April 7, 2026) and the latest release overall is 13.59 (May 27, 2026). Both work as the companion; the production release is the conservative pick.

Is ExifToolGui available for Mac or Linux?
No. Both the original GUI and Frank Bijnen’s V6 fork are Windows-only. There is no Mac or Linux build of this GUI.

With the pairing verified, the natural next steps are the first launch setup checks and your first real edit, such as batch-editing a whole folder. Keep the GUI and exiftool.exe together, work on copies while you learn, and every later tutorial in the Tutorials hub will assume this installation layout.

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