If PDF thumbnails are not showing up on your Windows 11 device, don’t worry! This issue comes to the fore due to several reasons such as wrongly configured File Explorer settings, corrupted thumbnail cache or the malicious graphics drivers. The good thing is there are many reliable tips and tricks to fix the PDF thumbnails malfunctioning and make them appear again. And that’s precisely what this extensive guide is going to discuss and help you overcome the hurdle so that identifying files is no longer a hassle on your PC. Keep reading to…
Fix PDF Thumbnails Not Showing Up on Windows 11
From tweaking the system settings to eliminating the File Explorer glitches to flushing out the infected thumbnail cache, you will need to take care of various aspects while dealing with the sudden disappearance of the PDF thumbnails. Have a quick look at these notorious culprits that trigger this problem on Windows 11:
- Disabled thumbnail preview
- Corrupt thumbnail cache
- Outdated Adobe Reader
- File Explorer glitch
- Missing PDF preview handler
- OneDrive Files On-Demand
- Incorrect system settings
- Corrupt user profile
- Faulty graphics driver
- Broken File Explorer settings
Having checked the loopholes, let’s look for ways to either block them for good or sort out the conflicting elements.
1. Enable PDF Thumbnail Preview in Adobe Acrobat Reader
It’s worth pointing out that Adobe Acrobat Reader comes with a built-in setting to generate PDF thumbnails. If it’s disabled, thumbnails will fail to show up. Therefore, I’d recommend you activate the thumbnail preview in the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- To get it done, open Adobe Acrobat Reader > Go to Edit > Preferences > Select General from the left panel.
- Now, check Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer > Click OK and restart your PC.
2. Check File Explorer Thumbnail Settings
Ensure that Windows has not been set to show icons instead of thumbnails on your PC.
- To begin with, launch the File Explorer on your PC and go to View > Options > Click the View tab.
- Next, uncheck Always show icons, never thumbnails > Click Apply and OK.
3. Enable Thumbnails in Advanced System Settings
Bear in mind that Windows performance settings may disable thumbnails to improve speed. Hence, it’d be apt to activate the thumbnails in the advanced system settings as well.
- Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter > Go to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance.
- Next up, ensure Show thumbnails instead of icons is checked > Click Apply and OK.
4. Restart Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is responsible for managing file previews. If this important feature starts malfunctioning or gets into a miscellaneous glitch, thumbnails won’t load.
- To do so, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Now, find Windows Explorer under the Processes tab > Right-click and select Restart.
5. Change Default PDF Viewer to Adobe Acrobat Reader
Make sure Windows has not been wrongly configured to use another program that doesn’t generate thumbnails.
- Right-click any PDF file > Select Open with.
- Now, choose Adobe Acrobat Reader and check Always use this app.
- In the end, be sure to click OK to confirm the action.
6. Disable OneDrive Files On-Demand
It’s also important to highlight that if PDFs are stored in OneDrive but not fully downloaded, thumbnails may not appear. Thus, try getting rid of OneDrive’s Files on-demand.
- To get it done, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray > Select Settings.
- Under the Sync and backup tab, disable Files On-Demand.
7. Clear File Explorer Thumbnail Cache
Corrupt or outdated thumbnail cache can prevent PDFs from displaying thumbnails.
- Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter.
- Then, select C: drive and click OK > Check Thumbnails.
- Next, click OK > Delete Files and then reboot your PC.
8. Update Adobe Acrobat Reader
An outdated Adobe Acrobat Reader could trigger a number of frustrating issues with PDF thumbnails.
- On your PC, launch the Adobe Acrobat Reader > Go to Help > Check for Updates > Install available updates and restart the app.
9. Install or Update Microsoft PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys is endowed with a native feature to generate PDF thumbnails in File Explorer.
- Download Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or GitHub > Open PowerToys and go to File Explorer Add-ons > Enable PDF Thumbnails.
10. Reinstall Adobe Acrobat Reader
Note that a corrupted installation of Adobe Acrobat Reader could be hindering thumbnails from showing up.
- Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter > Locate Adobe Acrobat Reader, right-click, and select Uninstall.
- Download and reinstall it from Adobe’s website.
11. Update Your PC
If you are running an outdated version of Windows willingly, you must be battle ready to face unexpected issues – every now and then.
- Go to the Settings app > Windows Update > Check for Update and install the latest update – if it has already been rolled out for your device.
12. Install a PDF Preview Handler
There are many third-party apps that offer better PDF thumbnail support. Should the problem continue to haunt your PC, consider installing a PDF preview handler.
- Download and install PDF Preview for Windows or SumatraPDF, which supports PDF thumbnails in File Explorer.
13. Reset File Explorer Options
Be sure that the misconfigured File Explorer settings are not preventing thumbnails from showing.
- Launch File Explorer on your PC > Head over to the View menu.
- Next, select Options > Click Restore Defaults > Click Apply and OK.
14. Update Graphics Drivers
A faulty or outdated graphics driver may make life rather difficult for Windows and even prevent it from generating thumbnails.
- Press Windows + X > Select Device Manager > Expand Display adapters > Right-click your GPU and select Update driver in the popup menu.
- Now, choose Search automatically for drivers and then proceed to update your graphics driver.
15. Perform an SFC and DISM Scan
Malicious system files may prevent thumbnails from generating properly. To nab those problematic files and flush them with enhanced security, perform an SFV and DISM scan.
- Press Windows + X > Select Terminal (Admin) > Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
- After completion, you have to type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
16. Create a New Windows User Profile
Be warned that a corrupt user profile might also be responsible for invoking thumbnail issues. Hence, create a new Windows user profile to customize everything from scratch by keeping the corruption at a fair distance.
- On your Windows 11 device, fire up the Settings app > Go to Accounts > Other users > Click Add account.
- After that, you need to create a new local user and sign in to check if thumbnails appear.
Signing off…
And that’s pretty much it! I hope these viable tips have helped you restore PDF thumbnails on your Windows 11 device. Feel free to shoot your feedback and the suggestions that have worked in sorting the culprits.
