Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

File Explorer Icons and Thumbnails not Displaying.

Jul 20, 2017 5:04PM PDT

How do you fix icons and thumbnails from not displaying in file explorer?

Already Unchecked always show icons, never thumbnails in folder options. Tried deleting iconcache. Tried copying files from old user into current user folder. Sometimes icons and thumbnails display in some folders, and sometimes they don't show up.

OS: Windows 8.1 Pro.

Sad TIA

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
I'd need to know more.
Jul 20, 2017 5:12PM PDT

Windows can't make icon preview thumbnails of files it can't decode. So nothing may be broken here.

What I find is this leads into a long discussion about file content and what native Windows can decode.

To be clear, I'm talking the other issues than what you read in prior discussions from https://www.google.com/search?q=why+doesn't+windows+show+thumbnails

- Collapse -
Example
Jul 20, 2017 5:26PM PDT
- Collapse -
Example 2
Jul 20, 2017 5:39PM PDT
- Collapse -
Example 1
Jul 20, 2017 5:42PM PDT
- Collapse -
Didn't really show me much.
Jul 20, 2017 5:43PM PDT

OK, there are many priors and I see you trying the usual.

If you were here we could have a long chat about Windows and it's image decoders. They can't handle all images and videos. It's that simple.

So depending on the file that didn't decode to a thumbnail, we tackle that file encoder/decoder.

Post was last edited on July 20, 2017 6:02 PM PDT

- Collapse -
Some insight
Jul 20, 2017 5:52PM PDT

When I open up file explorer, and click on a folder with images, the example 1 above is what appears. Sometimes it loads the images fine. This is only happening on this computer. My other computer, when I open file explorer, and click on a image folder. Everything loads fine, and I have no problems.

Could it be multiple users accounts interfering with the encoder/decoder of the file display in file explorer or, something more technical, such as a network port issue?

- Collapse -
Yes.
Jul 20, 2017 6:04PM PDT

Image decoders can vary over PCs and accounts. Also, different antivirus suites can affect image decoding.

This issue has been with Windows for a few decades now. Remember I'm talking about the bigger issue and not the usual settings, cache and MRUBag size issue.

- Collapse -
Answer
How I work this issue.
Jul 20, 2017 6:11PM PDT

I take a file that doesn't decode and then I look at its encoding. This can be daunting the first time.

EXAMPLE JPEG SNOOPING TOOL.
http://www.impulseadventure.com/photo/jpeg-snoop.html

Let's say I have an image that doesn't decode. I can use this to see what's different about it from other pictures.

Post was last edited on July 20, 2017 6:12 PM PDT