How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews in Windows

How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews in Windows - www.ceofix.net

When the File Explorer’s view is set to extra large icons, large icons, medium icons, details or tiles view, the File Explorer displays thumbnail previews of pictures and videos so that users can easily find files they are looking for.

Thumbnails are rather useful, and many users prefer using thumbnails over icons. However, The creation of thumbnail for quick previewing of files or images in Explorer slows down the other file operations.
This isn’t a huge deal for folders with two documents, but opening a folder with 300 pictures could take several seconds to load them all. Disabling them on an older computer or netbook is a good idea to navigate through the OS more quickly.

Thumbnails could compromise your privacy. Someone walking behind your desk could oversee a thumbnail and perhaps gain access to sensitive information you’d rather they not know.

There are several ways to disable and turn off thumbnails preview in Windows, as listed below.

Solution 1:  How to Turn Off Image Preview Thumbnails by Using File Explorer

1- Open File Explorer.

2- Click the View tab, then click on Options.

3- Click Options to open Folder Options.

Folder Options

4- Click on the View tab.

folder options

5- Under the Files and Folders tree or Advanced heading, check the checkbox next to Always show icons, never thumbnails option.

6- Don ’t forget to click Apply and click OK to save your changes.

Solution 2 : Turning Off Image Preview via the Registry

1- Go to your Run command, then type in “regedit” then click OK.

2- Once you’re in the Registry Editor window, look for the Advanced folder under the

HKEY_CURRENT_USER key after you click through the following options: Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer > Advanced key.

thumbnail registry

3- On the right pane, look for the IconsOnly DWORD, then double-click it.

4- Under Value Data, enter “1″ then click OK to turn off image preview thumbnails. If you ever want them back, repeat these steps and replace the “1” with “0.”

Solution 3 : How To Turn On or Off Thumbnail Previews in Visual Effects Settings

1- Go to Control Panel > System and Security > System.

2- Click or tap on Advanced system settings on the left pane.

3- In Advanced tab, click or tap on Settings button under the Performance section.

4- Uncheck Show thumbnails instead of icons.

Uncheck Show thumbnails

5- Click on OK button

Solution 4:  How To Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews using  a VBS Script

We have coded a simple vbs script here is the simple steps to use it :

1- Please No_thumbnails.rar download and unzip the script (at the end of the page).

2- Save the No_thumbnails.rar file to your desktop.

2. After unzipping , Right click the Vbs file , then choose Properties from the list.
3. At the bottom of the Properties windows, make sure the box for Unblock is ticked. Then click Apply and OK

6. Run the No_thumbnails.vbe file.

7- User Account Control (UAC) windows can popup and asks you if you want to allow it , Click Yes to proceed.

4- Chooese ok button. Thumbnail feature disabled.

Thumbnail feature disabled

Tips: First click,You will notice that Thumbnail feature disabled . Second click will Thumbnail feature  enabled.

Thumbnail feature  enabled.

That’s all.

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Published on: Feb 23, 2019- edited date-20-12-2021





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