Want Icons on Desktop & thumbnails in Explorer - Win11

Well, since microsoft is absolutely horrible, here's the solution to my own question that I stumbled upon - in case anyone else wants file explorer to NOT show thumbnails for word docs, but show thumbnails. (I can't find a solution for pdf files, but they're not the major problem for me. And I assume this will work with other Office files.)

I want to see jpg thumbnails in file explorer but when I turn on the thumbnail option (in options of file explorer) then all the numerous current word docs i'm working on that are saved on my desktop --- half of them turn into thumbnails and half are still icons. Not logical at all.

If you want to fix this...the solution is hidden in Word - not file explorer (*sigh*).

Follow the instructions on this place to find the two hidden places to "create" thumbnails in Word. https://office-watch.com/2022/thumbnails-office-word-document-tricks/

The first (in the info section that controls all files) - it was already unchecked. I checked and unchecked and saved. No change, but still worth trying.

Then for the files that showed up at thumbnails.... I had to open the file. Make a change (I just added a space somewhere). Then hit F12 to bring up the save dialogue. The little "thumbnail" checkbox was NOT checked - but I checked and unchecked it and then saved the file. (You must make a change of some sort to the file for it to re-save it and the change to take effect.

Do this to all WORD files that show up at thumbnails. Then go into file explorer settings. Change it to show icons. Save changes. Then go back in and tell it to show thumbnails.

Somehow the "brilliance" (/s) of microsoft has Word sometimes save thumbnails for files that I NEVER TOLD IT TO DO SO. But if I go back in, make a change to the file and then check and uncheck that box, the thumbnail that should have never been there will go away.

Why do we accept the so many numerous problems with microsoft? I'm changing to LibreOffice. This is ridiculous. And I've very close to moving to Linux.

Thank you for the response. However, that did not work. I went through the steps twice and restarted. Everything is still the same.

I forgot to mention in the original post that I have tried other apps to replace File Explorer. This includes Files, as many many many others. For other reasons those are not workable for me. I never even got to the thumbnail issues with them because other features that I need are not there - such as automatically expanding tree on the left. That is vital to my work process (and Win11 has messed that up too, but I found a stupid work around). The ones I have not tried are the ones that cost money - but I'm not about to shell out money if I don't know if it'll work.

There HAS to be a way to make this work in Win11. There HAS to be. There is NO reason for the coders to permanently tie thumbnails on the desktop to the thumbnails in the file folder. They didn't in Win10 - why would they in Win 11??????

You might want to consider using a third-party app like Files. It might offer a different approach or workaround that could help resolve the problem. Here's the link to it: Files • Home

Note: There is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Thank you very much for reaching out! As an Independent Advisor and fellow Microsoft user, I'm more than happy to assist you.

Windows 11 does not provide a straightforward way to separate thumbnail preview settings for the desktop and File Explorer. The "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option applies to both environments simultaneously.

However, there is a potential workaround that involves modifying the registry to disable thumbnails for folders only, while keeping them enabled for individual files.

It's important to note that modifying the registry can be risky if not done correctly, so please create a backup before making any changes.

Here are the steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell.
3. Right-click on the Shell key, select New > String Value, and name it Logo.
4. Double-click the newly created Logo value and set its value data to a non-existent file path, such as c:\notexists.jpg.
5. Close the Registry Editor and press Win + R again, type cleanmgr, and press Enter to open the Disk Cleanup utility.
6. Select your system drive (usually C:), check the "Thumbnails" option, and click OK to clear the thumbnail cache.

Please feel free to reach out if you require any additional assistance. I'm here to help