You get to see a preview of the images or videos on your PC in the form of thumbnails before you open them. This makes it easier for the user to know what is in the file even without opening it. For various reasons, users have reported that image and video thumbnails are not showing in Windows 11.
In this article, we will be discussing how you can fix the image and video thumbnails not showing in Windows 11. There are numerous causes of this issue, including corrupted system files, minor bugs, malware, etc. If you encounter this issue on your Windows 11 PC, here is the guide to help you out.
Also Read- How to Enable Windows Mobility Center on Windows 11
Fix Image and Video Thumbnails Not Showing on Windows 11
If the thumbnails do not show up, you may not be able to preview the fileโs content. You can follow the steps below to fix the image and video thumbnails not showing on Windows 11.ย
1. Enable Thumbnails
If the thumbnails are disabled in Windows 11, you may face this issue. Enable the Thumbnails and then see if you still encounter it or not. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- Press theย Windowsย key on your keyboard, search for File Explorer Options,ย and open it.
- Head to theย View tab and uncheck the checkbox forย Allow show icons, never thumbnails.
- Once done, click onย Applyย and thenย OKย to save the changes.
2. Restart Windows Explorer Process
If the thumbnails are not disabled but still encounter this issue, you should restart the Windows Explorer Process. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- Pressย Ctrl + Shift + Escย key combo to open theย Task Managerย on your PC.ย
- Click onย More Detailsย to expand the Task Manager.ย
- Head to theย Processes tab and selectย Windows Explorer.ย
- Click onย Restartย to restart the process, and you will be good to go.
3. Modify Advanced System Settings
If the image and video thumbnails are not showing on Windows 11, then you can try modifying the advanced system settings. Given below are the steps to make changes to the advanced system settings-
- Press theย Windowsย key, search for View Advanced System Settings,ย and open it.
- Head to theย Advancedย tab here, and click on theย Settingsย button.
- Under theย Visual Effectsย tab, check the checkboxes forย Save taskbar thumbnail preview, andย show thumbnails instead of icons.
- Once done, click onย Applyย and then onย OKย to save the changes.ย
4. Run SFC Scan
Another troubleshooting step to follow is running the SFC scan to fix the issue caused due to corrupted system files-
- Press theย Windowsย key and search forย CMD.ย Run the Command Prompt as administrator.ย
- Now, type the commandย sfc /scannowย and pressย Enter to run the command.
- Once done, restart your PC and the issue should be fixed.ย
5. Rebuild Thumbnail Cache
The Thumbnail cache holds all data for the thumbnails, and when it gets corrupted, you may face similar issues. In that case, you should try rebuilding the thumbnail cache. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- Open Windows 11ย Settingsย app by pressing theย Windows + Iย key combo.ย
- Here, click on the System >ย Storageย option on the right side.
- Next, click onย Temporary Filesย and then check the checkbox forย Thumbnails.
- Click onย Remove Files to delete the thumbnail cache.
6. Restore File Explorer Options To Default
If you still face this issue, you should try restoring the file explorer options to default. Restoring the file explorer should most probably fix the issue you have been facing. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- In theย Start Menu, search forย File Explorer Options and open it.
- Here, head to theย Viewย tab and then click onย Restore Defaults.
- Once done, you should be able to see the image and video thumbnails.ย
Final Words
These were some possible troubleshooting steps to help you fix Image and video thumbnails not showing in Windows 11. If you have been facing such an issue, then you can follow the steps given in this article to fix this issue.ย