Why does Windows 11 Explorer won’t show image thumbnails?

Here’s a pretty straightforward fix that involved clearing the thumbnail cache using Command Prompt. Follow these steps:
1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type these commands one by one:
– del /f /s /q %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\thumbcache_*.db
– taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
– start explorer.exe

These commands delete the thumbnail cache and restart File Explorer. This swift method fixed the issue for me, and my thumbnails were back.

I had success by tweaking the indexing options in Windows. It took some time but worked well:
1. Press ‘Windows + S,’ type ‘Indexing Options,’ and press Enter.
2. Click on ‘Advanced.’
3. Go to the ‘File Types’ tab and ensure image file formats (like jpg, png) are selected.
4. Click ‘Rebuild’ to reset the index.

After rebuilding, which took a little while, my system re-indexed the files and the thumbnails started displaying again.

I realized the problem stemmed from the graphics driver. Updating the driver resolved the issue for me. This is what I did:
1. Press ‘Windows + X’ and select ‘Device Manager.’
2. Expand the ‘Display adapters’ section.
3. Right-click your graphics driver and select ‘Update driver.’
4. Choose ‘Search automatically for updated driver software.’

After updating the driver, I rebooted my system and the image thumbnails were back in File Explorer.

I encountered this issue as well, and the solution was simpler than I expected. The problem typically arises due to the ‘Always show icons, never thumbnails’ option being enabled in Folder Options. Here’s what you can do:
1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on the ‘View’ tab.
3. Select ‘Options,’ and then choose ‘Change folder and search options.’
4. Under the ‘View’ tab, make sure the ‘Always show icons, never thumbnails’ box is unchecked.
5. Click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK.’
This fixed the issue for me immediately. It turns out, checking that box forces Windows to display icons instead of the image previews.

I faced this problem recently, and it was a simple case of corrupted thumbnail cache. Here’s what I did to resolve it:
1. Press ‘Windows + R’ to open the Run dialog.
2. Type ‘cleanmgr’ and press Enter.
3. Select your system drive (usually C:).
4. Check the box next to ‘Thumbnails’ and click ‘OK.’
5. Click ‘Delete Files’ to clean up the thumbnails cache.
After these steps, the thumbnails reappeared in File Explorer. Cleaning up the cache helps reset the thumbnail database, which can often remedy the problem.

Believe it or not, sometimes the issue lies with third-party software. I had recently installed a codec pack that interfered with thumbnail previews. Here’s what I did:
1. Open ‘Control Panel,’ then ‘Programs,’ and go to ‘Programs and Features.’
2. Find the recently installed codec pack.
3. Uninstall it and restart your computer.

Thumbnails started displaying properly after I removed the conflicting software.

Here’s a method I used, but it involves some technical steps with the registry editor, so be cautious. I found that modifying the registry fixed my issue:
1. Press ‘Windows + R,’ type ‘regedit’ and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\ShellEx\IconHandler
3. Delete the ‘Iconhandler’ folder.

After this, restart your PC, and the thumbnails should appear again. This resets the image thumbnail handler to its default settings, solving the problem for me.

A less obvious solution involves checking Windows performance settings. Sometimes, adjusting these can fix thumbnail issues. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Go to ‘Control Panel,’ then ‘System and Security,’ and click ‘System.’
2. Select ‘Advanced system settings.’
3. Under the ‘Advanced’ tab, click ‘Settings’ in the Performance section.
4. Ensure ‘Show thumbnails instead of icons’ is checked.

Sometimes, performance settings affect how thumbnails display. Adjusting this setting brought my thumbnails back without a hitch.

If nothing else seems to work, running a system file check can help. It’s a bit more time-consuming but often solves the problem:
1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type ‘sfc /scannow’ and press Enter.

This command scans and repairs corrupted system files. Once the scan completed, my thumbnails appeared correctly once more. This method can catch issues that other solutions might miss.

In my experience, this issue was related to display settings in Windows. Here’s what worked for me – adjusting performance options to prioritize appearance:
1. Right-click on ‘This PC’ and select ‘Properties.’
2. Click on ‘Advanced system settings’ on the left-hand side.
3. Under the ‘Advanced’ tab, click the ‘Settings’ button in the Performance section.
4. Choose ‘Adjust for best appearance.’
5. Click ‘Apply’ then ‘OK.’
This change forced Windows to re-render the thumbnails, and they started appearing correctly for all my images.