I’ve just discovered a folder called ‘DxO PhotoLab 9 sample images’ in the ‘Pictures’ folder on my PC. It appears to have been created a few days ago, which would tie up with me installing PL9.9.1.
Other than to clutter up my PC / enable DxO to annoy me by silently downloading them to my PC, do these images have a purpose? What I mean is, am I missing something in PL9 that makes use of these images?
I’m not at home right now, but I will check later to see whether I have something similar. In the 9 years I’ve been a user of every version of PhotoLab, I don’t recall DxO ever automatically creating a folder with images in the Picture folder.
Do you use the stand-alone version of FilmPack? I believe the stand-alone version contains sample images. I only use the embedded version of FilmPack and never install the stand-alone version anymore and don’t recall where DxO puts them.
Mark
Same here, but folder creation date is May 20, 2026, corresponding to PL9.8.1 installation.
No, don’t use FP as a standalone.
I think the delete key is the fix for this irritation.
I just checked the Pictures folder on my Windows 10 machine and I don’t have a “DxO PhotoLab 9 sample images” folder. I have applied every point update to PhotoLab 9 since it was released last September. I have no idea why you had something downloaded that I have not.
Mark
Curiouser and curiouser. I do have that folder in my Pictures folder. It’s quite loaded! Eight RAW files from various cameras with .dop sidecars. I haven’t downloaded PhotoLab 9.x yet. My folder was created on May 26, which coincides with PhotoLab 9.8.1.
And they loaded the DXO Modules for them on my laptop and PC
I’ve also got that folder in my pictures, dated 16-6-26, same date as the second to last update.
8 pictures, raf, nef, orf and arw files, never even owned a camera with those
Looks like it’s related to Whats going on with 9.8.1? indeed.
Win11 25H2 here, installed every PL9 versions except for the very first one(s).
Last PL9.8.1 Msiinstaller entry in WinEventLog is 18:14:17, May 20, 2026 – my installation time. The PL9.8.1 personal user.config creation date is 18:20:08 same day, during first 9.8.1 run. The Pictures subdirectory was created just 12 seconds later, at 18:20:20. IIRC, during the first run PL9.8.1 informed about downloading files for Personal Learning Center. The directory contains 8 raws and 8 corresponding dop files, 442MB total, with dop files generated on Macs (9.8.1.32 Mac build vs 9.2.1.679 Win build). The same photos appear also in User Manual and some DxO marketing material.
I just found the “Personal Learning Center” in the Help menu. When I clicked on it I got the attached popup. It appears that I would have to explicitly set up the trial for this paid service which I have no interest in doing.
If this is related to the reason that some of us have identified the creation of new image folder I don’t understand why this folder of images would be downloaded automatically unless the free trial was accepted. If some of us accepted the free trial I am not sure why the creation of this folder would be such a surprise. If there was an automatic creation of this folder regardless of whether the free trial was accepted, I wonder why that folder was not created on my machine. This is a very curious issue. I’m still on Windows 10 in case that makes a difference.
Mark
I too have that line on the help menu, and I get the same dialog as in your screenshot if I click on it. I’ve not progressed beyond that dialog., i.e. I’ve not started the free trial.
This feels like another one of DxO’s weird marketing ideas that is doomed to failure.
Mark,
I am also on Windows 10 and in addition to the folder created in Pictures, the same files are duplicated at “C:\Program Files\PhotoLab 9\Dependencies\SampleImages\Images”
Thank you for the follow-up. I see the sample folder in Dependencies as you pointed out, but unlike your experience, that sample folder was not duplicated in my Pictures folder.
Mark
Same here on Win 11. This folder was created by the msiinstaller, while the Pictures subdirectory was created later, on the first PL9.8.1 run.
Yes I had them there as well as folder named Modules. Maybe these will be a lasting memory of this money making idea. Any one keep a copy of the water proofs idea and is paid support still going?
Aha … That explains this post …
Tho, for the poster/@W6MDA, it sounds like it’s popping-up automatically - Perhaps that’s it purpose; for trial users (?)
Regarding ‘DxO PhotoLab 9 sample images’ folder … It’s created & populated when FilmPack or ViewPoint is installed as standalone (as @mwsilvers implied, above)
Except I don’t have FP or VP installed as standalone applications
In this case, the advertised “free 30-day trial” would make sense
But why install them in two places?
