File Explorer will not show image on thumnail view - only app icon

Question

I've been using files explorer to view photographs using the 'large icon view'. It recently stopped showing the image and now only displays the app icon (eg. Paint icon). It sometimes briefly flashes a view of the images but only momentarily. I have tried many fixes using ChatGPT to guide me but am now out of solutions. Please could someone help! Thanks

Answer 1

If you use a cloud service like OneDrive, for testing purposes, try moving a couple of images into another folder that is not synced to the cloud, to test if the thumbnails are then generated on those image files in that folder.

Answer 2

If File Explorer is only showing app icons instead of image thumbnails, it may be due to issues with the thumbnail cache or the settings in File Explorer. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Clear the Thumbnail Cache: Sometimes, the thumbnail cache can become corrupted. You can clear it by following these steps:
   • Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R.
   • Type cleanmgr and press Enter.
   • Select the drive where Windows is installed (usually C:).
   • Check the box for Thumbnails and click OK to delete the cached thumbnails.
2. Check Folder Options: Ensure that the option to display thumbnails is enabled:
   • Open File Explorer and go to the View tab.
   • Click on Options and then select Change folder and search options.
   • In the Folder Options window, go to the View tab and make sure that Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.
3. Restart Windows Explorer: Sometimes, simply restarting Windows Explorer can resolve display issues:
   • Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   • Find Windows Explorer in the list, right-click it, and select Restart.
4. Re-register Shell Experience Host: If the issue persists, you can try re-registering the Shell Experience Host:
   • Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
   • Run the following command:

          Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*ShellExperienceHost*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
     

   • Restart your computer after running the command.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be worth checking for any Windows updates or considering a system restore to a point when the thumbnails were displaying correctly.

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References:

• Application shortcuts on the desktop, Start menu, and taskbar show blank icons

Answer 3

Something that worked for me which sounds silly and easy enough to try. I right clicked on a Video and selected open with Photos and let the video play for a second after closing out photos and going back to file explorer I actually had photos and not the VLC icon for the file. What didn't pull up actually now works in the preview screen. It wouldn't hurt to try.