Thumbnails have always been an integral part of the representation for different items such as audio, video, folder, etc., in a way that can be understood by everyone comfortably. We have been used to such an extent that its absence creates a lot of trouble for the users.
Several users have reported that they can’t see picture thumbnails in Windows 10 or facing a “thumbnails not showing Windows 10” error in recent days, creating trouble for all.
Do not worry related to the above-mentioned issues, Here, I am now going to help you in solving this issue. But before doing so, we should know the causes behind it.
Causes of Thumbnails Not Showing In Windows 10
Some possible reasons for the error “image thumbnails not showing Windows 10” are as follows:
- Registry Errors
- Corrupt cache files
- Storage Limitations
- Malware & Virus Attack
- Crowding up of thumbnail database
Now, we will discuss some easy-to-use solutions to fix the latter issue.
Solutions to Fix Windows 10 Thumbnails Not Showing Issue
There are several resolutions for the latter, such as:
- Free thumbnails cache
- Verify File Explorer Settings
- Resetting File Explorer Settings
- Update or modify registry settings
- Group policy editing
- Amend Visual Effects Settings
Solution 1: Free Thumbnails Cache
- Launch Disk Cleanup by searching it in the search menu.
- Select the drive for cleanup and click OK.
- Wait until the scanning finishes.
- Check the boxes next to Thumbnails and Temporary Files in the Files to Delete section on the Disk Cleanup for (C:) window and click OK to start freeing up the cache.
- It will clear the entire cache memory, which may contain corrupt files, and resolve the issue of thumbnails not showing Windows 10.
Solution 2: Verify File Explorer Settings
- Open File Explorer Options by searching the same.
- Verify the check box next to “Always show icons, never thumbnails” under the View tab is not selected.
- Click the OK
Solution 3: Resetting File Explorer Settings
If you are having issues even after not selecting the checkbox mentioned above, then you should proceed as follows:
- Launch File Explorer Options
- Click on the Restore Defaults button under the General
- Under the View tab, again select Restore Defaults.
- Finally, finish the process by clicking on Apply > OK
Solution 4: Edit Group Policy
You can edit the group policy and can get rid of the “some thumbnails not showing Windows 10”error by following the given steps :
- Open Local Group Policy by typing “gpedit.msc” in the Run application and pressing the Enter key.
- Go to the following location from the tree on the left pane. User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
- Double click on Turn off taskbar thumbnails from the right panel.
- Select Disabled > OK on the next window.
- Now, move to the following location from the main window: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows components > File Explorer.
- Again, double click on Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons on the right panel.
- On the next window, check Disabled and click
- Restart the system to apply the modified group policy.
Solution 5: Amend Visual Effects Settings
- Search & open View advanced system settings.
- On the System Properties window, select Settings in the Performance section under the Advanced tab.
- Under the Visual Effects tab, check the Save taskbar thumbnail previews & Show thumbnails instead of icons options from the list on the Performance Options window.
- Click the OK button, and you will find your issue ”thumbnails not showing Windows 10” resolved.
These methods can certainly make the Windows 10 thumbnails missing visible and resolve your issue. But due to certain drawbacks, sometimes these can be a headache as well.
Also Read: How to Recover Windows Files Encrypted by Ransomware
Drawbacks of Manual Solution
Certain drawbacks which restrict a user from opting the manual methods are as follows:
- Requires technical expertise
- They can cause system crashes or other problems.
- Lengthy processes
- Chances of data loss and accessibility issues
You can stay protected and overcome these drawbacks, by opting for a third-party solution as per the expert’s recommendation, which can solve all these issues in a jiffy.
Third-Party Solution to Resolve “Thumbnails Not Showing Windows 10” Issue
The most recommended and trusted third-party solution for fixing the “picture preview not working Windows 10” issue is Windows Data Recovery. It is an excellent solution for repairing, recovering & restoring issues of Windows OS safely and effectively.
It has several exciting features such as multiple recovery modes, auto-files search, physical drive recovery, etc., which makes it the perfect choice for queries like video thumbnails not showing Windows 10; Windows 10 not showing picture thumbnails; jpg thumbnails not showing Windows 10 and so more.
Summing Up
We learned the various causes and methods like editing the group policy, amending the visual effects settings, clearing cache memory, etc., to resolve the “thumbnails not showing Windows 10” issue. And, in last we learned about the perfect third-party solution to resolve the issue more efficiently. I hope that this blog has cleared all your queries and made you technically sound to address the before-mentioned issues efficiently.
