Several items can break your file thumbnails. An option in Settings, a faulty thumbnails cache, and corrupt system files are some of the reasons your thumbnails aren’t showing up in Windows 10. Luckily, there are a few ways to get around this issue.
Use the Supported View Type
File Explorer offers multiple view types so you can view your files in your preferred style. But, some of these view options don’t offer thumbnails. The following is how a picture folder looks without thumbnails. If you’re using one of these non-supported view types, that may be the reason you don’t see your file thumbnails. Change the view type and that should resolve your issue:
Enable Thumbnails in File Explorer
In the Settings app and File Explorer’s Folder Options window, an option hides and displays file thumbnails. If you or someone has modified this option, that’s a possible reason you don’t see your file thumbnails. To fix the issue in this case, modify the option either in Settings or in Folder Options.
From Settings
From Folder Options
Rebuild the Thumbnail Cache
Your Windows 10 PC uses the thumbnails cache to display file thumbnails in File Explorer quickly. If this cache has an issue, your thumbnails won’t appear properly. Luckily, you can delete this cache without affecting any of your files, and Windows 10 will then automatically rebuild this cache for you. There are two ways to rebuild the thumbnail cache.
Using a Graphical Method
Using Command Line
Open a File Explorer window, and you should see your file thumbnails.
Change the Default App for a File Type
If you don’t see thumbnails only for a certain file type, it’s worth changing the default file viewer for that file to see if that fixes your issue:
Scan PC for Viruses and Malware
A malicious item like a virus can cause your PC to malfunction. In some cases, this causes various File Explorer elements to not show up, including thumbnails. If this is the case with your computer, you should run a virus checker and get rid of any viruses from your machine. The good thing about Windows 10 is that it comes built with a virus scanner. This scanner is called Microsoft Defender Antivirus, and you can use this free tool to find and remove viruses from your system.
Uninstall the Problematic App
An app you’ve installed on your PC can also cause your thumbnails not to show up. If you’re experiencing the thumbnails issue right after installing an app, that app might be the culprit. In this case, remove that app and see if your problem gets resolved:
Fix Corrupt Files
Often, corrupt files cause various issues on Windows PCs, including causing File Explorer not to display any thumbnails. You don’t have to worry about anything if this is the case, as Windows 10 includes a command to find and fix corrupt files.
Reset File Explorer Options
It’s worth resetting the File Explorer options to see if your file thumbnails come back. Doing so should fix any improperly configured options in the File Explorer settings.
Free Up Space on Your PC
To create and save file thumbnails, File Explorer needs disk space on your computer. If your PC is running out of space, that may be the reason you don’t see your thumbnails. To fix this, check out our dedicated guide to free up disk space in Windows 10. The guide offers tips to get rid of unwanted files and reclaim your precious storage. And that should fix the issue with file thumbnails on your Windows 10 PC. If it did, don’t forget to let us know what method worked for you in the comments below.
