How to Enable File Preview in Windows 11 PowerToys
Peek in Microsoft PowerToys (version 0.70 or later) lets you preview documents, text files, and images from Windows 11 File Explorer without opening a separate program. It works much like Quick Look on a Mac: select a file, press one shortcut, and check what is inside.
To turn it on, open the PowerToys app and switch Peek to on. The sections below cover Peek, the separate File Explorer Add-ons, and what to check when a preview fails.
Open PowerToys, select Peek from the left menu, and toggle Enable Peek to On. Press Ctrl + Spacebar on any file in File Explorer to preview it without opening a separate program. No restart needed.
Prerequisites
It also has to be running. Look for the PowerToys icon in the system tray (click the up arrow next to the clock if it is hidden). If the icon is not there, start PowerToys from the Start menu .
Keep PowerToys up to date. Peek was added in a later release, so an old installation may not show it in the left menu at all. PowerToys works the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro.
Peek vs. File Explorer Add-ons
PowerToys has two ways to preview files: Peek and File Explorer Add-ons. People often mix them up, so here is the difference.
- Peek opens a separate pop-up window when you press a shortcut on a selected file.
- File Explorer Add-ons teach the normal File Explorer Preview Pane (and thumbnails) to display extra file types, such as SVG, Markdown, and source code.
You can use both at the same time. They are turned on in different places in PowerToys.
How to Enable PowerToys Peek
File preview in PowerToys is built into a tool called Peek. It lets you view pictures, documents, and code without fully opening them. To set it up, open the PowerToys app, select Peek from the left sidebar, and turn the main switch on. Then test it by selecting any file in File Explorer and pressing CTRL + Spacebar.
Follow the steps below to turn Peek on.
- Open the PowerToys app from the Start menu or from the system tray icon. The PowerToys settings window appears, with a list of utilities on the left.
- Select Peek from the left menu. If you do not see it, your PowerToys version is too old, so update it first. The Peek settings page opens on the right.
- Toggle Enable Peek to On. The switch changes to On and the other Peek options, such as the activation shortcut, are no longer greyed out. No restart is needed. To undo this, switch it back to Off.
A preview window opens straight away for that file. Use the arrow keys to move through the other files in the same folder while the window stays open. Press Esc to close it.
If the shortcut clashes with another program, you can change it under the activation shortcut setting on the Peek page. Peek only previews formats it understands. For anything else it shows basic file information instead.
Using File Explorer Add-ons
PowerToys File Explorer Add-ons give you rich previews for more file types inside the standard Windows File Explorer Preview Pane. To use them, open the PowerToys dashboard, click File Explorer Add-ons, and turn on the switches for the formats you want, such as SVG, Markdown, and source code. Also make sure thumbnail support is on, so you can see image previews at a glance.
Each format has its own switch, and a format that is off will not preview. Turn on only the ones you need.
- Open PowerToys. The settings window appears with the utility list on the left.
- Click File Explorer Add-ons. A page opens listing a switch for each previewer.
- Toggle the switches for Enable SVG previewer, Enable Markdown previewer, and Enable source code previewer. Each switch should now read On. Turn on any other previewers listed there that you need.
- Ensure Enable Thumbnail support is also turned on. File icons for supported formats can then show a small picture of their content. To undo any of these changes, switch the same toggle back to Off.
Once the add-ons are enabled, open File Explorer and press ALT + P to show the Preview Pane. The pane appears on the right side of the window. Click a file of an enabled type and its contents render there automatically. Press ALT + P again to hide the pane.
If thumbnails or previews do not appear for files you already had open, close and reopen the File Explorer window. Thumbnails may also take a moment to build in large folders.
Troubleshooting
When a PowerToys preview stops working, the usual causes are a frozen background helper process or a format that was switched off by mistake. Restart the PowerToys app, check that your file format is still active in the settings dashboard, and confirm you have read permissions for the folder, especially a custom location such as C:\Users\GenericUser\Documents.
Work through the checks below in order, and test the preview again after each one.
- Restart the PowerToys app. Right-click its tray icon and exit, then start it again from the Start menu. This clears a stuck helper process.
- Check that the specific previewer (like SVG or Markdown) is toggled On in the settings. Also confirm that Enable Peek is on if the problem is with the pop-up preview.
- Ensure your file is not corrupted. Try opening it in its normal program, or test the preview with a different file of the same type.
- If you are using a custom path like C:\Users\GenericUser\Documents, ensure you have read permissions for that folder. Right-click the folder, choose Properties, and look at the Security tab to see what your account is allowed to do.
Summary
PowerToys gives you two ways to preview files. The Peek utility shows an immediate pop-up preview with CTRL + Spacebar. File Explorer Add-ons add more file types to the Windows Preview Pane and to thumbnails. Using both saves you from opening files just to see what is in them. For more detail, see the official PowerToys documentation.
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Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
[…] 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. […]