Preview Pane missing or not working; Cannot preview Files in Windows 10 Explorer

Windows File Explorer offers a preview pane, where, when a file is selected, a preview of the file content is displayed for some of the files. Text, PDF, Images are some of them that support this.

However, if, for some reason, the Preview Pane doesn’t display anything, and displays the “No preview available” message when you select a file, then this post is going to show how to fix it. It is possible that it is not restricting with certain file types, but with all or few media file types. One of the users reported that images work, but not the media files such as audio and video.

Preview Pane not working in Explorer

If the Preview Pane missing or not working and Cannot preview Files in Windows 10 Explorer, then there are three ways to fix the problem:

1. Enable Preview Pane
2. Run System File Checker
3. Add More File Types to Preview Pane

Preview Pane is extremely helpful when you have many text and media files and want to preview without opening them. It can be a little tricky when there is a custom file type, but it will work if the software supports it.

1] Enable Preview Pane

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Switch to the View section.
3. Select Folder/File Options button.
4. In the Folder Options section, switch to the View tab,
5. Select the checkbox against —Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane.

2] Run System File Checker

SFC or System File Checker is a utility from Microsoft which can scan and restore corrupt Windows System Files. There may be corruption in the files related to previewing handlers, and this tool can help you fix it.

3] Add More File Types to Preview Pane

Use the PreviewConfig Utility to add more file types to Preview Pane. The tool helps you fix if Preview Type is set to another, i.e., if the text file is set to Media file instead of Plaint-text.

If you have a custom file type ; and wish to register a plain text or a multimedia preview handler, you can do so using this utility for this custom file type.

I hope the post was useful, easy to understand, and one of these tips helped you to preview files as expected.

pdf preview in Windows 10 file explorer

I have been using «preview pane» in file explorer forever. However, for some unknown reason, the preview pane for pdf files have become very small, to the point where the pdf file preview pane is too small and unreadable. preview pane for all other files appears to be ok (large enough as before). this is only affecting pdf files.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Adobe reader.

I am looking for suggestions to get back to where the preview pane of pdf files is as large as before

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Hi Stephen. I’m Greg, an installation specialist and 8 year Windows MVP, here to help you.

Right click Start button to open Task Manager, show More Details, then choose Processes tab, scroll down to Windows Processes, then further down to Windows Explorer. Right click to Restart, click OK. Restart PC.

If this doesn’t help then try changing temporarily from Adobe Reader to Edge as the default .pdf reader at Settings > Apps > Default Apps. If that fixes it then the issue is with Adobe Reader.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it’s resolved.

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Open Acrobat Reader. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

In the Preferences dialog box, choose General in the Categories list, and then select the Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer check box.
Enable PDF thumbnail previews

Wait for a few seconds while Acrobat is configured to show thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer.

Restart then check again.

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thanks for suggestion. i tried both, but neither worked. even with using Edge as pdf reader, and resetting and restarting, pdf previews in explorer, regardless of which default pdf viewer used, resulted in very small window in preview pane.

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1) Please work through this Checklist to make sure the install is set up correctly, optimized for best performance, and any needed repairs are done: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.

2) If any steps cannot be performed then try whichever method works to enter Safe Mode with Networking which may work better to perform the steps: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2984712/windows/.

3) If no Safe Mode, from the Advanced Startup Options use the Command Prompt at boot to run the Repair Commands in the Checklist: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-advanc.

3) If nothing else works then you can reinstall Windows while keeping your files, programs and most settings by running a Repair Upgrade. Install the Media Creation Tool from this link, choose Upgrade Now, follow the prompts: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m. . If this doesn’t help, do it over and choose to Save Nothing, which comes close to a Clean Install but doesn’t clear the hard drive to get it cleanest.

The Repair Upgrade in Step 3 will also update you to the latest Fall Creators Version 1709 (which you need anyway) f you don’t yet have it, and by the most stable method.

4) Or you can create the bootable media to do the gold standard Clean Install in this link, which compiles the best possible install of Windows 10 that will stay that way as long as you stick with the tools and methods given: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.

5) There is also an automated Refresh which reinstalls Windows while leaving out the factory bloatware that throttles Windows and causes endless issues, lets you save your files. https://www.howtogeek.com/265054/how-to-easily-.

Feel free to ask back any questions and let me know how it goes. I’ll keep working with you until it’s resolved.

Over 100,000 helped in forums for 11 years. I don’t quit for those who are polite and cooperative.

How can I get a file preview in file explorer in Windows 10?

In previous versions of windows you could have a file preview pane in file explorer so that you could see the content of a file (Word or Excel etc.) before you opened it.

Is there a way to set the preview pane in Windows 10 — I have not been able to find it. If it isn’t there I may need to revert to Windows 8.1 as I use it all the time — because we give our files numeric names in my company so the name gives you no idea what the file is!

5 Answers 5

I’m pretty sure that the OP is asking about how to view the contents of text-based files, such as Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, text files, etc. The preview pane doesn’t necessarily show all of these.

I for one would like to know how to enable this so I could quickly preview .js, .php, .pug, or any other «text-based» file.

I found an easy way to do this is to go into your registry editor (run: regedit), then go into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> CLASSES and find the entry for the file extension you want to be able to preview. Right-click on the folder with the entryname and select New -> String Value from the context window. Make sure it has the following properties:

• Name = PerceivedType
• Data = text
• Type = REG_SZ

It’s not the most automatice, or elegant solution, but it works.

How to View Files in Windows 10 Without Opening Them

Don’t like to wait for programs to boot up when you’re looking for a specific document? With the right tools, you can preview a variety of files in Windows 10 without opening their applications.

Your Windows 10 PC is probably home to Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, photos, videos, audio files, and more. Wouldn’t it be great if you could view or play each of those files quickly and easily without having to open them through their associated applications? You can perform that feat with help from a file viewer.

Beyond helping you check out your own files, a file viewer can help you view unknown files that are sent to you. In some cases, you may not know which program to use to open such a file. In other cases, you may not even have the necessary application on your computer.

The File Explorer in Windows 10 comes with its own preview pane that can display certain types of files. However, you can also enlist the aid of several third-party programs, including QuickLook, WinQuickLook, Air File Viewer Pro, File Viewer Plus, and All Video Player HD.

File Explorer Preview Pane

QuickLook

QuickLook offers a cool and convenient way to display files. Install this free app, and it integrates into File Explorer. There’s now no need to manually open any type of preview window or pane. In File Explorer, just select the file you want to view and press the spacebar. The QuickLook window quickly pops up to display the file in a dedicated window.

You can view a variety of file types, including Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, HTML files, and even ZIP files. You can even play many audio and video files. In order to use the program with Microsoft Office files, you’ll need to install a free plug-in, which you can find on the developer’s Available Plugins page.

You can also easily navigate through multi-page documents and scrub through audios and videos. As with File Explorer, you just resize the window to increase or decrease the size of the viewed file. And you can open a file through its native application just by clicking on the Open button.

WinQuickLook

Cool File Viewer

With the free version of Cool File Viewer, you can view a limited number of file types and play certain audio and video files. However, the true power of this program comes with its in-app purchases or the $20 paid Pro version.

The full Cool File Viewer Pro program gives you the ability to view PDFs, all types of images, and a variety of video and audio files. You can view and extract compressed files in ZIP and RAR formats. Plus, you can view and edit Microsoft Office documents.

Cool File Viewer doesn’t integrate directly into File Explorer but runs as a small standalone window. You can position the window alongside File Explorer and then drag and drop each file you want to see into Cool File Viewer.

Another way is to click on the Choose button in Cool File Viewer and select the file to view. You can also peek at files through File Explorer by choosing the «Open with» command and then Cool File Viewer.

File Viewer Plus

The free version of File Viewer Plus can display files from Microsoft Word and Excel as well as PDFs, image files, and HTML files. You can also play a variety of audio and video types. To view additional files, like PowerPoint presentations, you’ll have to shell out $29.99 to upgrade to the paid version.

Like Cool File Viewer, File Viewer Plus runs as a standalone window that you can position next to File Explorer if you wish. Drag and drop each file you want to view on top of the window or grab a file by selecting it from the File | Open command. You can also view files directly in File Explorer by using the «Open with» command and selecting File Viewer Plus.

The File Viewer Plus window is feature packed. Open a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, and the toolbars and commands for Word or Excel appear. You can then change the formatting and other attributes to view the file in different ways.

With the paid version, you can retain whatever formatting changes you make and then save, convert, or print the file. Open an image file, and you can adjust the brightness, contrast, sharpness, size, rotation, and other effects.

By default, File Viewer Plus displays an info pane next to the displayed file with its metadata and other details. However, you can turn off this pane and the toolbars to view the file full screen.

All Video Player HD

Looking for a program that can play video and audio? Look no further than All Video Player HD. With this utility, you can tune up a variety of video formats, including MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, MP3, M4A, and M4B. The app is versatile as you can access and play videos and audio files a variety of ways.

Drag and drop a file from File Explorer onto the All Video Player HD window, and it immediately starts playing, or just open a file from within the program itself. You can add an entire folder of video or audio files, and All Video Player HD will queue them up to play one after another. You can easily view a history list of past audio and video files that you’ve played and replay any of them.

All Video Player HD can even play videos from ISO files and certain DVDs by loading the .vob files from the disc’s VIDEO_TS folder. The app can also play videos and audio directly from the web through a URL. You can view any file’s metadata, such as the size and frame rate. The basic version is free but saddles you with ads. Pony up $4.99, and the ads go away.