How to Enable Thumbnail Previews for Pictures in Windows 7

Change your folder settings to see thumbnails instead of icons

Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Cory Stillman

Last Updated: June 26, 2023

It's only natural that you would want to view your pictures as thumbnails while skimming through folders instead of nondescript icons. Thumbnails allow you to preview each image before opening it, which can save you a lot of time when you have lots of photos. Displaying thumbnails for photos instead of icons is incredibly easy in Windows 7. This wikiHow article will teach you how to enable thumbnail view for all your pictures in Windows 7.

Things You Should Know

You can enable thumbnail view by going to Folder Options in your Control Panel.
If you can't find Folder Options, change the View by setting in the upper right corner to Large icons.
Uncheck Always show icons, never thumbnails in the View tab of Folder Options.

Steps

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You'll find it in your Windows Start menu. Here you will find all kinds of options for customizing the settings on your Windows 7 PC.
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Select Folder Options. Find the tab labeled Folder Options and click on it.
- If you cannot find this section, you may need to change the "View by" setting in the top-right corner of the Control Panel. Select Large icons to make the section appear most easily.
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It's the second tab at the top of the window. This is where we can change the settings to enable thumbnail view permanently.
Removing the checkmark from this box ensures that you'll see thumbnails instead of icons on photos and videos.
Once you click OK, your settings will take effect.
You can press Windows key + E to open the File Explorer, and click your Pictures folder in the left panel to see your photos. Click the Folder View menu at the top-right corner and choose Large Icons or Extra Large Icons to make sure your thumbnails are visible.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I stop seeing thumbnails only?

Community Answer

In the upper right hand side of the file explorer (under the search bar), there is a icon of a picture with a downwards facing arrow next to it. Click on the arrow and drag up/down to find your desired view.

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