Why is my Windows 11 File Explorer not showing preview?

When I faced this issue, I found that updating my graphics driver solved it. Here’s what I did:
1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the Display adapters section.
3. Right-click your graphics card and choose Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the prompts.
5. After updating, restart your computer and check if the previews are back.

Sometimes, the issue with Windows 11 File Explorer not showing previews could be due to a corrupted thumbnail cache. You can try clearing the cache:
1. Open Disk Cleanup by searching for it in the Start menu.
2. Select the drive where Windows is installed and click OK.
3. Check the box next to Thumbnails and click OK.
4. Wait for the process to finish, then restart your computer to see if the previews are now showing.

If your Windows 11 File Explorer isn’t showing previews, you may need to check your folder options. To do this:
1. Open File Explorer and go to the View tab.
2. Click on Options on the right side and select Change folder and search options.
3. Go to the View tab in the Folder Options window.
4. Ensure that ‘Always show icons, never thumbnails’ is unchecked.
5. Apply the changes and see if your previews return.

The problem may also stem from a recent Windows update. If your File Explorer previews stopped working after an update, you might consider rolling back to a previous version:
1. Open Settings and go to Update & Security.
2. Click on View update history.
3. Select Uninstall updates, then find the most recent update and uninstall it.
4. Restart your computer and check if the previews are working again. If so, the update likely caused the issue.

Group Policy settings can sometimes cause this issue. To check:
1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
3. Find the policy titled ‘Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons’ and ensure it’s set to Not Configured or Disabled.
4. Apply the changes and restart your computer.

This problem can also be linked to performance settings in Windows 11. Here’s how you can adjust them:
1. Right-click on This PC and select Properties.
2. In the System window, click on Advanced system settings.
3. Go to the Advanced tab and under Performance, click on Settings.
4. Ensure the option ‘Show thumbnails instead of icons’ is checked.
5. Apply the changes and restart the computer.

Some users have reported that resetting the File Explorer settings can fix preview issues:
1. Open File Explorer and go to the View tab.
2. Click on Options, then Change folder and search options.
3. In the Folder Options window, go to the General tab and click Restore Defaults.
4. Do the same in the View tab and click Apply.
5. Restart File Explorer and check if the previews are working again.

You might want to check the indexing options:
1. Open the Start menu and type Indexing Options, then select it.
2. Click on Modify and ensure that all locations you need are checked.
3. Click Advanced and then Rebuild under the Troubleshooting section.
4. This might take a while, but it can resolve issues with file indexing, which affects preview functionality.

Lastly, it could be a simple bug that a reboot might fix. Ensure your system is fully updated through Windows Update. If you haven’t restarted your computer after updates or software installation, try doing that first before taking any further steps.

Have you installed any third-party applications recently? They might conflict with the File Explorer preview function. Try disabling or uninstalling any new software that might be interfering with File Explorer. Restart your system after each change to determine whether the software was causing the issue.