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Windows 10 File Explorer Preview Pane Size

Anonymous
2024-02-02T03:19:02+00:00

It's been a long time since I had a Windows 7 machine at work, but still have one at home I use as an internet only machine. That said, in Windows 7, when you resized the Windows Explorer window with preview pane turned on, the size of the preview changed. In Windows 10, resizing the Windows Explorer keeps the preview pane size a static size. I don't like this in my house, I don't like this when I use my mouse. If I could change it, I certainly would, Microsoft change it back they should.

Enough levity, I don't understand the purpose of making the preview pane static, in Windows 7 I used it to zoom in and out on the preview, while the size of the files detail portion of the window remained static. Now it just shows more of less of the file details when resizing, (i.e., nothing useful).

Does anyone have any advice to change to the Windows 7 preview pane style? For those telling me I can move the slider to resize, I already know that, I just like having the file details (Folder / Filename, Date Modified, etc.) remaining the same all the time so I don't need to keep adjusting the slider to see the date on the file / folder just to resize the preview.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-02-03T21:23:53+00:00

    Tommy.

    Thank you for the reply. I follow your recommendation to use the feedback hub.

    I will simplify my concern:

    Open Outlook in one window. Open Windows explorer in another. Make sure preview pane is turned on for both apps.

    Resize the window in Outlook. The preview pane gets larger or smaller as your increase or decrease the size of the window respectively.

    Do the same thing in Windows Explorer. Instead of the preview pane getting larger or smaller as it does in Outlook, the file and folder details section of the window increase or decreases. In Windows 7, Windows explorer operated the same way Outlook does now.

    It is baffling to me how resizing the window in Windows Explorer is better with a static size for the preview pane, but in Outlook it changes with the size of the window. Why is it different now and was the same before?

    I used the preview pane all the time in both apps, If I want to zoom in, I make the window bigger, if I can see what I need, I can make the preview smaller. Simple concept, and helpful tool. With Windows Explorer you CAN do the same thing but the details section always have to be reset to the size I want it to see file / folder name, file size and date. File date is extremely important as I use it as a tool to validate which file is most current when there is not a revision as part of the file name.

    I don't have access to Windows 11 yet, but we just replaced a workstation in the office for another employee. I will look there to see if this "issue" is corrected in Windows 11 or if it remains.

    Ultimately, I was hoping there was a setting I could adjust to select which section of the window was resized when the window was reduced or enlarged. NOTE: If you decrease the size of the window eventually the preview pane will shrink the size of the preview when only the leftmost 32 characters of the file name are visible.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-02-03T06:45:39+00:00

    Hello Matt Beilke.

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    Regarding to your information I assume that you want to back to Windows 7 File explorer Preview Pane Size.

    Microsoft itself does not provide any way to revert to the previous version of the Resource Manager's preview pane.

    It is recommended that you provide feedback about this issue through the Windows Feedback Hub by using Win+F, and the

    development team will regularly review submissions for ideas or fixes. 

    Please share the feedback link here after submitting as it will allow others on the forum to vote for your submission, including me.

    More votes will lead to more visibility and higher priority to the development team.

    You can also search on the internet, perhaps there are some third-party software that can meet your needs.

    I won't be able to help you, but I'll leave that question open in case one of our amazing volunteers has ideas for you. 

    Best Regards,

    Tommy-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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