Restoring Preview Mode or Thumbnail View to Windows Explorer

Restore Preview Mode (Thumbnail) to Windows Explorer

This solution is aimed specifically at restoring your ability to view *.jpg files:

Note: You must have your desktop enabled to “View as a Web Page“. This will register the required DLL file(s) Select Start, Run.

For those with IE 4, type:

regsvr32.exe /i shdocvw.dll

For those with IE 5, type:

regsvr32.exe /i shdoc401.dll Now press Enter.

If there is still something wrong with your ability to view thumbnails, it is possible that the required registry entries are either damaged or missing.

As always, back up your Registry files!

Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing

regedit

and click OK.

Navigate to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\,

This is where the file type for preview exists, such as .gif, .bmp, .jpg etc.

With this key selected, press the asterisk key (*) on your numeric keypad to expand all keys within it. In order for preview mode to work for that file type, the following entries need to be present:

Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\ShellEx]

Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]

Value: (Default)=”{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}”

If any or all of these entries are not present, you’ll need to create them:

Right-click HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\, select New, Key, type

ShellEx

and press Enter.

Right-click the new ShellEx key, select New, Key,

Now insert:

{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}

and press Enter.

With the newly created key selected, right-click (Default) in the right pane and select Modify. On the Value Data line of the Edit String dialog box, type

{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}

and click OK.

Repeat this process for each

Here is an example of a correct .gif key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}

Value Data Line:

{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}

Note: If you would like to cut and paste a registry entry for all of the picture type files, click this link:

Thumbnail Repair Registry Entry