Thumbnails are really useful, equally they give you a modest preview of the contents of an epitome or video. This saves you the need to rename or open files to know what's inside them and makes for a nice time-saving feature.

Unfortunately, Windows sometimes encounters issues with thumbnails. They can end working for an private binder, a specific file type, or your organisation might stop showing thumbnails for every file on your estimator. In this guide, we volition bear witness you the correct tools and settings to use so you can brand Windows display thumbnails again.

1. Select the Correct File Explorer Settings

Windows ten gives you plenty of options when it comes to viewing your files and folders. Notwithstanding, non all options support thumbnail previews. In File Explorer, open up the View tab and select i of the post-obit options:

  • Actress large icons
  • Large icons
  • Medium icons
  • Tiles
  • Content

These options properly show thumbnail previews, so endeavour selecting any one of them and run across if it fixes if the trouble. If information technology doesn't, it's a sign that the trouble lies elsewhere.

2. Revert the Folder to Its Default Settings

If you lot are noticing this issue when opening a sure binder, y'all could fix it by reverting information technology to default settings. Here is how you can practice it:

  1. Open the binder.
  2. Right-click anywhere on the empty space and select Properties.
  3. Open up the Customize tab.
  4. Click the Restore Default button.
Folder properties

3. Restore File Explorer Default Settings

You may likewise encounter a case when Windows doesn't display the files and folder thumbnails no matter what folder you open. A rogue File Explorer setting tin crusade this issue, so restoring the File Explorer's settings to defaults should fix it.

Hither is how you tin exercise it:

  1. Launch File Explorer.
  2. Open the File menu and select Change folder and search options.
  3. In the General tab, click Restore Defaults.
  4. Select the View tab and click again the Restore Defaults button.
File Explorer settings

Afterward Windows restores the default settings, check if you can now view the thumbnails for your files and folders. If this didn't work, motion on to the next solutions.

four. Check File Explorer Options

Windows can either display icons or thumbnails then if you are seeing icons, you should have a look at File Explorer settings.

Here is how you lot tin can brand File Explorer brandish thumbnails once again:

  1. Launch Command Panel.
  2. Go to View past and select Small icons or Large icons.
  3. Click File Explorer Options.
  4. Open the View tab.
  5. From Files and Folders, uncheck the Always prove icons, never thumbnails option.
  6. Click Apply > OK to relieve your new settings.
File Explorer options

v. Change the Default App

The thumbnails might be missing for a certain file type because Windows doesn't know which app to use for opening that file. To prepare it, you demand to fix a new default application.

Correct-click the file and caput to Open With > Choose some other app. You lot can select an app from the default list or click More apps to search for a new ane. As a last pace, check the E'er utilise this app option.

Now Windows will use the selected app to open that file type and it should display the thumbnails.

half dozen. Delete the Thumbnail Cache

Sometimes, Windows stops showing thumbnails because of a damaged or corrupted enshroud. Fortunately, you can use a congenital-in Windows tool to apace ready this consequence.

Follow these steps to delete the thumbnail enshroud using the Disk Cleanup tool:

  1. Search for disk cleanup in the Get-go menu search bar and select the All-time friction match.
  2. From Files to delete, uncheck all boxes except for Thumbnails.
  3. Click OK to start the process.
Delete thumbnail cache

Disk Cleanup will delete the thumbnail cache from your computer. Once the process is complete, Windows will rebuild the enshroud and display the thumbnails

Note: If your system has multiple drives, yous will accept to select the drive where you have installed Windows x.

7. Search for Malware

If you are experiencing app crashes or mostly poor performance besides missing thumbnails, your estimator might take malware.

While Windows is constantly checking your PC for malware with its tools, you lot can always perform a manual scan and we volition prove you how to do it.

  1. Open Settings past pressing Win + I.
  2. Caput to Security > Update & Security > Windows Security.
  3. Click the Open Windows Security button.
  4. Select Virus & threat protection.
  5. Click Quick Scan.
Search for malware

Windows Security will now search your computer for malware and brand a report for y'all.

8. Cheque the Functioning Options

Another solution for Windows 10 non displaying thumbnails is to reconfigure the visual effect settings. While it sounds complicated, you only need to change a couple of settings. Here is how yous can practice information technology:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Head to Organisation > About.
  3. Scroll downwards and select Advanced organization settings.
  4. In the Advanced tab, click the Settings push.
  5. Check the Save taskbar thumbnail previews and Show thumbnails instead of icons options.
  6. Click Apply > OK to save your new system settings.
System performance

ix. Check Grouping Policy

When you are troubleshooting an issue on your Windows 10 computer, yous'll often find yourself editing the Group Policy Editor. This is because it contains some of the key services and processes that keeps Windows running.

Follow these steps to bank check the thumbnail settings within Group Policy:

  1. Press Win + R to bring upwards a Run dialog.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK.
  3. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
  4. From the right pane, open Turn off taskbar thumbnails.
  5. Select Disabled.
  6. Click Use > OK.
Group policy

This is not the only setting within Grouping Policy that you demand to check. Head to User Configuration > Authoritative Templates Windows components > File Explorer. There, open Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons. Over again, select Disabled and click Apply.

Once you have reconfigured these settings, restart your figurer and cheque if you tin can see the thumbnails.

10. Edit the Windows Registry

Like the Group Policy tool, Windows Registry contains some of the most important system settings. As such, you tin can use information technology to fix the missing thumbnails problem.

  1. In the Start carte search bar, search for regedit and select Run as ambassador.
  2. Head to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies.
  3. Open Explorer.
  4. Right-click on the empty space in the correct pane and click New > DWORD (32-bit Value).
  5. Name information technology DisableThumbnails.
  6. Set Value data to i.
  7. Prepare Base to Hexadecimal.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Shut Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Registry Editor

Bring the Thumbnails Back to Windows x

Windows displaying thumbnails instead of icons is not the about spectacular part of your system, but it's definitely useful. By following one or more than of these solutions, you can bring back your files and folder's thumbnails.

Also, if you don't want anyone to have an indiscreet look at your photos, you can use our guide to disable thumbnails on your computer.

five Amazing merely Disregarded Productivity Apps on Windows 10

Read Adjacent

About The Author

Matthew Wallaker (152 Articles Published)

Matthew'southward passions lead him to become a technical writer and blogger. Having a Available's degree in Engineering, he enjoys using his technical cognition to write informative and useful content.

More than From Matthew Wallaker