Windows 10: Win10 File Explorer Preview for Word Docs not working

Hi,


Software: Windows 10 and Office 365, both patched to date.


Problem: File Explorer will not the preview of a Word document in the preview pane. It returns the error: "Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment." You click ok and then you do get a preview.


Repair steps taken:

I ran Office Quick repair.

I ran Office On-Line repair.

I have uninstalled and then installed office.

I used the Office tool to uninstall and remove all traces.

I did the thumbnail check box.

I confirmed the registry entry : %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache

I added the folder INetCacheContent.Word

I cleared and reset the options in Internet Explorer.

What caused the problem:

When I first ran into this, it was on a computer that Office 365 was installed from office. com recently.

When we could not preview Outlook files because the default for Office 365 was now 64-bit and Outlook preview required 32-bit.

I uninstalled Office 365 64-bit and installed Office 365 32-bit.

We were able to preview Outlook msg files but not Word files.

This error was repeated on a different computer recently. When I uninstalled the Office 365 64-bit and installed Office 365 32-bit.

Word preview did not work and caused an error every time you select a Word document.

Any insight in how to correct this issue with the error popping up, would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Victor

:)

 

Windows 10 File Explorer Preview Pane Word Doc fix

I had the same problem. I went searching for an answer too, and found this.

To enable the Preview pane, open File Explorer and follow these steps:

• In the File Explorer window, click the View tab. The View tab is shown.
• In the Panes section, click the Preview Pane button. The Preview pane is added to the right side of the File Explorer window.
• Select several files one by one.

I was in Word when I opened File Explorer then the View tab. I only had to click the Preview Pane button. A separate column appeared in my list of word files and then I was able to previes all the the docx files. I checked and it seems to work across
files, so once the Preview Pane **** selected it was selected for all the directory files.

You've probably already tried this, but I didn't see where you said you were in Word when you clicked the Preview Pane button.

I've spent the last few years with Win10 and Word 365 and I feel like I've gone backwards. I knew the commands very well, even being able to do some pretty sophisticated design work in Word. Now, I feel like a beginner all over again. I really wish that
MS hadn't screwed so heavily with the commands. To me, I know they're there, but now their location is hidden. Scheese!

 

Windows 10 File Explorer Preview Pane Word Doc fix

Hmmm; Well, This works displaying a Thumbnail (TN) for NEW Word docs on the desktop, but not for re-saving an existing doc to the desktop or in a folder.

It DID work a few times creating a new Word doc in a folder ... which was exciting.

But for some reason after I tried re-saving an existing doc as a TN, neither it or a new Word doc will show in Preview Pane in a folder. They will still show as a TN on desktop, but not in a folder.

And of course this does not resolve the issue for all my existing Word docs in various folders (Unless I would open all, re-save as Thumbnail, and it worked in folders ... which now it does not).

Again: For some reason Preview Pane does not work on only Word docs.

Does File Explorer, or some other component, need to be somehow 'Fixed' or re-installed?

Tx! Al

 

Windows 10 File Explorer Preview Pane Word Doc fix

Seriously, what's so difficult to understand about these simple steps?