Preview Images in Windows Explorer

Scott Dunn

When Windows Explorer is open and I click on a.bmp file, it displays a thumbnail preview on the left side of the right pane. It used to do that for.gif,.jpg, and other file types, but not anymore. I haven't been able to reassociate those files to restore the feature. What should I do?

David Turner, Little Rock, Arkansas

This Windows Explorer feature is available in Windows NT, 98, 2000, and Millennium Edition, but it works in Windows 95 only when Internet Explorer's Desktop Update feature is installed. The folder you're searching in must be set to display Web contents. In Windows 9x, click Explorer's View menu and make sure as Web Page is checked. In Windows 2000 and Me, choose Tools, Folder Options, select "Enable Web content in folders," and click OK. If an HTML template has been applied to a folder whose contents aren't displayed in the image-preview area, select the folder in the left pane, right-click an empty part of the right-hand pane, choose Customize This Folder, and use the Customize This Folder Wizard to choose a new template or to remove customizations. If the image preview area in any version of Windows is too narrow, the area may suddenly disappear. Simply drag an edge of the window to make it wide enough to accommodate the image preview.

Now you should see an image on the left side of the folder when you select a.bmp,.jpg,.gif, or other compatible file format. Unfortunately, this feature can disappear when a poorly designed installation program tampers with the Registry settings for the image files Windows is to preview. Even if you know what software caused the glitch, uninstalling the guilty party won't necessarily restore the health of Registry entries corrupted by the rogue installer. You have to do that manually--a complicated procedure.

That brings up our usual warning: Boo-boos committed while editing the Registry can cause serious problems (such as preventing Windows from starting), so proceed at your own risk. Always back up Registry files before making any changes.

In Windows 9x, make copies of the User.dat and System.dat files in the Windows folder before you do anything else. In Windows NT, choose Start, Run, type rdisk, and press Enter. In the Repair Disk Utility, click Update Repair Info and follow the on-screen prompts. In Win 2000, choose Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup. In the Backup window, choose Tools, Create an Emergency Repair Disk. When prompted to do so, insert a floppy disk and check "Also back up the registry to the repair directory." Click OK.

Once you've backed up your Registry, you're ready to reset. Choose Start, Run, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor. Click the plus sign (+) next to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder icon, or double-click the icon itself. From there, navigate to the folder (called a key in Registry lingo) corresponding to the extension of the file type that Explorer is not previewing properly. For example, to fix the preview information for.jpg files, go to the.jpg key. If it has a plus sign next to it, click that to expand the tree diagram for the complete.jpg key. There you'll find a key called ShellEx. (If you don't see it, no problem: Just right-click the.jpg icon in the left pane and choose New, Key. Then type ShellEx and press Enter.)

Click the plus sign next to the ShellEx key to expand the keys underneath. There should be a key named {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}. If it's not there, take a deep breath, right-click the ShellEx key in the left pane, and choose New, Key. Then type {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1} and press Enter. (You can now exhale.)

Select the key to see its contents in the right pane. It should include an icon labeled (Default) and, to the right, a series of numbers in braces. If it doesn't, and you created the key yourself, double-click the (Default) icon in the right pane to edit its value data. If the key was already there but has the wrong value, right-click in the right pane and choose New, String Value. Type (Default) and press Enter. Double-click the (Default) icon to edit its value data. Then in the Value data box, type {7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC} (including the braces) and click OK.

Finally, proofread your typing, both for the new key and for the string value. If you did everything right, your preview should return whenever you select a.jpg file in any Explorer or folder window that is set to view Web content.

Of course, this example fixes only the.jpg file type. You need to repeat the procedure for the.gif key and any other key that refuses to show a preview. The method outlined above won't work for every file type, but you should be able to preview images having any of the following extensions:.art,.bmp,.dib,.gif,.jfif,.jpe,.jpeg,.jpg,.png, and.wmf. Have fun!

Expand Your File Search to All Local Drives

If you use Windows 95 but never installed Internet Explorer 4's Desktop Update, your Windows file searcher lacks a convenient way to search all local hard drives at once. To remedy this, choose Start, Find, Files or Folders. Leave the Named box in the Find All Files window blank. In the 'Look in' line, type the drives you use for global searches, separated by semicolons--for example: c:\;d:\;e:\;f:\. To save this setting, click Find Now, but click Stop as soon as the search function locates a few files. (Otherwise, you'll likely elicit an error message saying that the search exceeds the maximum number of files found.) Click the Options menu and confirm that no check mark appears next to Save Results. If Save Results is checked, click it to remove the check mark.

Next, choose File, Save Search. An icon named All Files should appear on your desktop; you can rename it something like All Drives Search if you wish. Right-click the Start button and choose Open or Explore. Move your new icon to a convenient folder within the Start Menu folder. Now, any time you want to search all your hard drives at once, just select this icon from your chosen menu in the Start menu and away you'll go.

Windows Toolbox: Manage Your Life More Easily With FooBar

Okay, I admit it: I downloaded Matrix Software's $30 FooBar shareware utility because I love the name. But FooBar is actually a handy-dandy floating toolbar with oodles of practical features. It supplies a place to jot down Web passwords, a tool for calculating bills based on a specific rate, and an activity time tracker. You also get a clock, a calendar, a to-do list, an address book, and a reminder that displays messages, plays sounds, and launches applications. Want more? There are sticky notes, a universal Open dialog box for launching files from your Documents folder, and customizable menus for opening apps and documents. You can get a trial version of FooBar from our Downloads library.

Windows Tips pays $50 for published tips and questions. Scott Dunn is a contributing editor for PC World.