Have you ever encountered this problem: image files no longer display thumbnail previews and only show generic file icons instead? Don’t worry — MiniTool is here to help. Below, we’ll walk you through effective ways to resolve the issue of missing picture thumbnails in Windows 10.

Missing Thumbnail Previews in Windows 10

When browsing a folder containing photos or videos, you normally expect to see visual thumbnails. For widely used formats like PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, and video types such as MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV, MOV, and FLV, Windows usually generates thumbnail previews. This makes it much easier to identify and locate specific media files quickly.

However, there are times when thumbnails stop appearing and are replaced by default file icons. This can be quite frustrating. If you're looking to restore thumbnail previews in File Explorer, you're in the right place. Here are several proven solutions to fix this issue.

How to Fix Missing Photo Thumbnails

If thumbnails aren’t showing up in Windows 10, try these 6 practical fixes. Let’s dive into each one.

Confirm Thumbnail Preview Is Turned On

The first step is to verify that your folder view settings support thumbnails.

Note: Each folder in Windows maintains its own view settings. Adjusting one folder doesn’t automatically apply the changes system-wide.

Step 1: Open the folder in File Explorer where thumbnails are missing.

Step 2: Go to the View tab and select one of these layout options: Extra large icons, Large icons, Medium icons, Content, or Tiles.

These views support thumbnail display. After selecting one, check if thumbnails appear. If not, proceed to the next solution.

Ensure Thumbnails Aren’t Disabled

Sometimes, the missing thumbnails issue stems from system settings that disable thumbnail generation.

Follow these steps to verify:

Step 1: Access File Explorer Options by either:

• Typing file explorer options in the Windows search bar and selecting the top result.
• Opening File Explorer, clicking File, then choosing Change folder and search options or Options.

Step 2: Navigate to the View tab and make sure the box for Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.

Step 3: Click Apply, then OK to save.

Alternatively, check performance settings:

Step 1: Open Control Panel and switch to Large icons view.

Step 2: Click System, then select Advanced system settings.

Step 3: Under the Advanced tab, click Settings in the Performance section.

Step 4: Ensure Show thumbnails instead of icons is checked. For better results, also enable Save taskbar thumbnail previews.

Reset File Explorer Settings to Default

Another way to fix missing thumbnails is to reset File Explorer’s view settings to their defaults.

Step 1: Search for File Explorer Options in the Windows search bar and open it.

Step 2: Go to the View tab and click Restore Defaults.

Step 3: Click Apply, then OK.

This will revert all folder views to the standard configuration, which may resolve the thumbnail issue.

Clear the Thumbnail Cache

A corrupted thumbnail cache can prevent images from displaying properly. Clearing it often resolves the problem.

Here’s how:

Step 1: In File Explorer, right-click the C: drive and select Properties.

Step 2: Click Disk Cleanup.

Step 3: In the window that appears, check the box for Thumbnails, then click OK and confirm deletion.

This will delete the existing cache, and Windows will rebuild it the next time you browse image folders.

Enable OneDrive Properly

According to user reports, OneDrive settings can affect thumbnail display. To ensure thumbnails work:

• Make sure you’re signed into OneDrive.
• Navigate to C:\Users\username\OneDrive.
• Right-click the folder and choose Always keep on this device.

This ensures files are fully available locally, which may help restore thumbnails.

Use Command Prompt to Fix the Issue

Running a few commands in Command Prompt (as administrator) can repair system files and reset the thumbnail cache.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

Step 2: Run the following commands one by one:

<code>sfc /scannow</code>

<code>taskkill /f /im explorer.exe</code>

<code>del /f /s /q /a %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\thumbcache_*.db</code>

<code>start explorer.exe</code>

The first command scans for system corruption, while the others restart File Explorer and clear the thumbnail database.

Now you’ve got 6 reliable methods to fix the “thumbnails not showing” problem in Windows 10. Try them step by step to restore your image previews!

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