Windows

Disable Thumbnail Previews In Vista's Windows Explorer

Posted by on Oct 26, 2007 | 5 Comments

If you have a large number of folders and files on your computer, you may notice that it is slow navigating through Windows Explorer. This may be due to Vista generating thumbnail previews for folders.

Therefore, you can speed up browsing in Windows Explorer by disabling thumbnail previews using the steps listed below:

  1. Click the Organize button on the toolbar within Windows Explorer.
  2. Choose Folder and Search Options from the menu.
  3. Click the View tab.
  4. Check the Always show icons, never thumbnails option.
  5. Click OK.

[tags]vista, windows, vista tips, vista help[/tags]

  • John

    Thank you.
    It solved my problem.

  • http://0 Mal McMillan

    This question relates only to the “details” mode of display of a folder’s contents in VISTA’s Windows Explorer. I find that the only way I can get a picture folder to display contents the same way (95/98/XP style) instead of that useless (to me) format that ends with 5 blank star-shaped boxes is to include in the folder a dummy file with a non-graphic extension (say .exe, .cdr. .pdf or whatever).
    I once found the trick to disable this “Photo gallery” Details format. But I recently had to reformat my disk and re-install Vista. Now I can’t remember how I did it.

  • Barbara

    I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the help you gave me with this infromation. I had the reverse problem, I wanted to see thumbnails and not the icons. I did searches for a few days trying to find out how to get this done. With your infromation, I just did the reverse and got it done in a minute or two. Again thank you very much for posting this and how easy it was to get it done.

  • Darryn

    For those who still want Image previews, but not Video previews.

    Try This.
    this requires you to edit your registry – DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK – create a backup of anything you change!

    Navigate to
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\
    delete
    {c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}

    on my system
    {c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}
    is “Video Thumbnail Extractor”, with InProcServer32 pointing to “%SystemRoot%\System32\mediametadatahandler.dll”, I suggest you check it’s the same before deleting it & make a backup first.

    *While this appears to have no side effects other than disabling the video thumbs & appears ok on my system. I make no guarantees, use at your own risk.

  • edi151

    Your advice on how to turn off those horrible thumbnails only works sometime on my Vista Home Premium.

    Most often I have to reset view to “details” for almost every folder in Windows Explorer. A time waster that’s driving me nuts. I just absolutely refuse to use thumbnails.

    Any advice on how to turn them off for everyting except photos.
    XP didn’t have this problem.