Posted by How do I enable or disable thumbnail previews in file explorer Windows 10? Why are my thumbnails not showing up on Windows 10? With the default configuration of Windows 10/8/7, it shows thumbnail previews of images and videos. In many cases, thumbnail previews are useful since they let you preview Windows files without opening them. However, it might slow down the folder navigation process.
Windows machines maintain a cache database with thumbnail images for every folder, document, video, and picture on your computer. When you open File Explorer or Windows Explorer, this database is used to displaying a preview of a file quickly or give you a look for the content of a folder or file before you open it.
Have a look when Thumbnail Preview is enabled:
Have a look when Thumbnail Preview is disabled:
The problem with the “thumbnail cache” is that; it keeps growing over time as you create new folders and files, and sometimes the database becomes corrupted. Because of this, you may notice that File Explorer displays thumbnails incorrectly. Some files may not show a thumbnail preview, or sometimes thumbnails may not be available at all.
This gearupwindows article will guide on enabling or disabling thumbnail previews in File Explorer on Windows 10 / 8 / 7. There are at least four ways through which you can turn on or turn off thumbnail previews in File Explorer or Windows Explorer. These are the following:-
- Using Folder Options
- Via Performance Options
- Through Registry Editor
- From Local Group Policy Editor
How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews using Folder Options?
Step 1. Simultaneously press
Step 2. Click on the
Step 3. In the Folder Options dialog, click the
Step 4. Check or uncheck the option “Always show icons, never thumbnails” to enable or disable the Thumbnail Previews in File Explorer or Windows Explorer according to your need.
Step 5. Click
Step 6. Click
How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews using Performance Options?
Step 1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the
Step 2. In the Run box, type
Step 3. Navigate to the
Step 4. Click
Step 5. Click
How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews from Registry Editor?
Step 1. Open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to the following key from the left side in the Registry Editor window:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Step 3. On the right side pane, double click on
Step 4. Set the following value:-
- 0 – Show Thumbnails Preview
- 1 – Hide Thumbnails Preview
Step 5. Click
How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews with Local Group Policy Editor?
Step 1. Launch Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to the following path from the left side pane:-
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
or,
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer
Step 3. On the right side pane, look for the policy name “Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons” and double-click on it to open its settings.
Step 4. Select the
Step 5. Click
Step 6. Click
I tried all of that, several times, and none of it worked. Windows 10 has to be the single biggest pile of garbage microsoft ever released. It seems like everyone thinks that they’re windows 10 experts yet no one can ever come up with fixes that actually work. The only thing that I’ve figured out at this point is that it’s a toss up as to which is worse, windows 10 or google Chrime.