How to Enable Thumbnail Previews in Windows 11
Windows 11 thumbnail previews allow you to see a small version of your images, videos, and documents directly in File Explorer. This helps you identify files quickly without opening them one by one. When this feature breaks, you are left with generic icons, which makes managing large folders of media very difficult.
What happens when you fix thumbnail previews?
Once you resolve the underlying issue, your files will instantly display their visual content. This improves your workflow and makes your computer feel faster and more organized.
Basic Troubleshooting: Always show icons, never thumbnails
If your files look like generic icons, the first step is to check your folder settings. This is the most common reason for missing previews.
1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click the three dots (ellipsis) in the top menu.
3. Select Options.
4. Click the View tab.
5. Ensure the box labeled Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.
6. Click Apply and OK.
If the box was already unchecked and you still see icons, your thumbnail cache might be corrupted.
How to reset the thumbnail cache in Windows 11
Windows stores small versions of your files in a database called the thumbnail cache. If this database gets corrupted, Windows cannot display the previews correctly. You can clear this cache to force Windows to rebuild it.
[Requires Admin Privileges]
1. Open the Start menu and search for Disk Cleanup.
2. Select your main drive (usually C:) and click OK.
3. In the list of files to delete, check the box for Thumbnails.
4. Click OK and confirm the deletion.
Windows will now automatically recreate the cache as you browse your folders. This may take a few moments.
Fixing missing thumbnails via Registry Editor
If the settings above do not work, you may need to check the Windows Registry. This is a powerful tool that controls how Windows behaves.
[Requires Admin Privileges]
1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Look for a value named IconsOnly.
4. Double-click it and set the value to 0.
5. Restart your computer for changes to take effect.
Handling specific file formats like .skp or .psd
Sometimes, only specific file types like SketchUp (.skp) or Photoshop (.psd) fail to show thumbnails. This usually happens because the software that creates these files is not installed or the file association is broken. Ensure the native software is installed and updated. You can also try reinstalling the software to repair the thumbnail handler associated with that file type.
Summary
Windows 11 thumbnail previews help you manage files visually. If they stop working, check your Folder Options first. If that fails, clear your thumbnail cache using Disk Cleanup or check your Registry settings. Always ensure you have enough disk space to allow Windows to save these preview images. For more advanced file viewing, consider using PowerToys.
Does low disk space affect thumbnail generation in Windows 11?
Yes. If your hard drive is nearly full, Windows cannot write new data to the thumbnail cache database. This prevents the system from saving new previews. To fix this, you should free up space on your drive. You can learn more in our guide on how to optimize Windows 11 for performance.
Was this guide helpful?
didn’t fix it. 3/4 of the jpg files are shown as thumbnails 1/4 just icons. and yes, always show icons box is not checked
Exact same result here. Most jpg files appear as ICONS with 1 appearing as a jpeg. Can’t get anyone to answer Customer Support no. 800-642-7676. Very frustrating. HELP PLEASE!!!
Did not work at all. And yes, always show icons box is not checked.
Worthless. I need the FOLDERS to show thumbnails of the contents, just like Windows has been doing FOR 20+ YEARS!
Same here.
me too.. I need the FOLDERS TO SHOW THUMBNAILS.
Didn’t work for me either.
This article is simply wrong and it’s clear the author doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Thumbnail view is NOT available in Windows 11. This is a deliberate (if little mentioned) choice by Microsoft and none of these ‘tips (which are for Windows 10) will work to change it.
As I have thousands of photos in hundreds of folders which I access daily, so for me Windows 11 is not viable and so I will now roll back to 10
I’m not following this, although I’m having the same problem. Some of my files show as thumbnails and i’m using Window 11. I have adobe 9 pro, and when i open that app i can see the PDF thumbnail previews as expected, but when i save a pdf to a file on my desktop. The PDF’s do not show a preview thumbnail, however everything else does save and display as a thumbnail. If Microsoft doesn’t have this feature any longer in windows 11, how is it some of my files saved to my desktop do show a thumbnail preview? So confusing!…lol
I agree with you and this is super frustrating. I need my thumbnails. I have thousands of photos and images I need for work.
Been trying to figure out why it does this, removes the thumbnails
what they said ^
how to view thumbnail preview on folders
how to view thumbnail preview on folders in windows 11
This did not work for me. I have a Dell laptop and for some reason have never been able to get the pics to show in the folder. In my HP that was never an issue. Please help. Thank you
The thumbnails do not update when I edit a picture. So if I have two versions I cannot see with one look which picture is the one I edited of two by looking at the thumbnail :'(
I can only fix it by having all thumbnails deleted and remade, but I can’t keep doing that for every single edit I do. I handle hundreds of pictures!
The folder thumbnails are still not there AND the default new folder icons barely show the difference between an empty and full folder. The disorientation they caused with their DOWNgrade is absolutely terrible!!!
Found this does not work. still icons not thumbnails
I have unchecked always show icons not thumbnails and I still do not get to view the thumbnails. Except for on very smaill jpg file less than 1 mb.
I want to see the thumbnails in my Music Folder, like I did in Wind. 10. and mr. Richard sleep well for the next 2 century’s. If you still don’t know what’s the problem we’re al waiting for to solve it than you’re a big idiot
Doesn’t work for me either!
The photos flick up and then turn to a blank thumbnail.
Will this be fixed?
Very frustrating!! I have TONS of photos and too many to sift through!! I want to see the photos – NOT the icons!! Someone PLEASE help us!
Updated to Windows 11 Dec. 26/2021 and experiencing the same frustrations (anger) as all the comments posted here.
Like many others here I want/need thumbnails on the all the folders. The different thumbnails on the folders help to find content visually so much easier and faster then scanning some hundred ‘like’ folder images.
Followed all the steps that I’ve found on several different sites to get thumbnails to show on the folders with the same results only to find that it was NFG. All the posts dealing with thumbnails will only provide thumbnails on ‘FILES’ but not ‘FOLDERS’.
Seems that thumbnails on FOLDERS on Windows 11 is not available and so like at least one other poster here. I’m rolling back to Windows 10 until such time that Windows 11 fixes this cluster F*** or Windows xx addresses this issue.
When I first downloaded windows 11 back in October it did in fact show the thumbnail images in file explorer but right after both my computer’s updated last month in December my files wont show thumbnails. I have been using windows 10 since it first came out and I had the same problem. Windows sent me an update that glitched the file explorer but after a few months windows sent me an update to the file explorer that fixed the problem. Windows 11 is a brand new software so you can expect a few bugs and glitches in the first year of it’s release just like with windows 10. I am a very intelligent computer nerd. I use high tech and very expensive hardware in both my laptop and my desktop. So I have no problems finding my files and I have 1000s upon 1000s of files. So just be patient people’s while Microsoft works out the bugs and glitches in windows 11 just like they did with windows 10!!! Sincerely Mr. Jared A. Baldwin
Yep. Did not work. As a photographer, I find this very irritating.
Oh My Gosh, it didn’t work. This is so frustrating when you
find something that works, and then you have people behind the desk always
messing things up. Can you please get an update for this? This
is very frustrating. Thank You Sirs…
Windows 11 isn’t showing folder content previews in extra large icons. Many are upset including myself. I am visually oriented. My computer isn’t giving me the option to revert to win 10.
Thank you very much 🙂
The solution for this problem is first go to options, a ‘folder options’ window will open, go in view, in advance setting UNCHECK the ‘always show icons, never thumbnails’ and then apply and OK. After this you can follow the above process of view>large icons.
Do you see your thumbnails now? If so, how did you correct it? I work with history and post many old pictures. It is difficult if I can’t see the thumbnail.
If you go to Folder….properties, customize, at bottom Folder Icons it states:
If you change the icon….it will no longer show…preview of folder contents.
Interesting since I never went anywhere near where it asked if I wanted to change the folder Icon since there no longer was a preview of the contents without me doing anything. I thought when 11 was first installed the problem wasn’t there. A few updates later and it is as well as other problems that were not here on the original install. Fixing something perhaps that is messing up something else. I still cannot use Chrome except upon first startup and leave it open.