Windows 10: Explorer preview pane works for word and excel files only but when handler is unchecked,...

I use windows 11 pro and have great difficulty get the preview to work for all most common file types simultaneously. Yes, it's bizarre.I have just obtained a new laptop 2 days ago and factory reset it. Hence no thumbnail cache issues could be the problem but I still ran a disk clean up nonetheless as I try ever possible option.I started installing all the same apps from my old laptop and transferring my files.I have WPS instead of word and acrobat reader. This is what I've been using for years. Every app I just installed, has the latest version.I enabled the preview pane and tested some f

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In explorer Preview pane does not display excel & word documents, PDF files are visible in the pane.

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

When the Preview Pane in Windows 11 Explorer doesn't display Excel and Word documents but shows PDF files, it typically indicates an issue with the file preview handlers for Microsoft Office documents. Here are steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

1. Enable File Preview in Microsoft Office Applications

For Word:

• Open Word, go to File > Options > General.
  
• Scroll down to the Start up options.
  
• Ensure that the “Show the Start screen when this application starts” is unchecked.
  

For Excel:

• Do the same in Excel through File > Options > Advanced.
  
• Scroll down to the General options.
  
• Ensure that “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” is unchecked.
  

2. Repair Office Installation

• Open Control Panel and go to Programs and Features.
  
• Find Microsoft Office in the list, right-click it, and select Change.
  
• Choose the Quick Repair option first. If that doesn't fix the issue, try Online Repair.
  

3. Reset File Associations

• Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps.
  
• Scroll down and click on “Reset” under Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults.
  
• This will reset file associations, which could help if the issue is due to incorrect associations.
  

4. Install or Repair the Microsoft Office Preview Handlers

• Sometimes, the preview handlers might not be correctly installed or might need repair. Reinstalling Microsoft Office can help.
  
• Alternatively, for Office 365 users, there might be updates available that address this issue. Make sure your Office suite is up to date.
  

5. Use the Registry Editor

Caution: Be careful when using the Registry Editor. Misusing it can cause system issues.

• Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers
  
• Check if there are entries for Microsoft Word and Excel preview handlers. If they are missing, adding them back can help, but this step requires knowing the correct CLSID keys for Office preview handlers, which can vary.
  
• Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.
  

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Preview Pane in Explorer No Longer Working with Excel Files

System Parameters:

Windows 10 Pro, Version 1803 OS Build 17134.345 64 bit

Excel for Office 365 MOS (16.0.1129_20045) 32 bit

Issue:

Windows/Excel recently updated. Presumably, this was done to "fix" a problem (which reminds me of when I "fixed" my pet).

Now, when I look at a list of files in Windows Explorer, the "Preview" pane will no longer preview excel files; and if I leave the "Preview" pane open, the computer hangs.

Need help with making the preview function of explorer work again with excel files. Any takers?

 

In explorer Preview pane does not display excel & word documents, PDF files are visible in the pane.

In explorer Preview pane does not display excel & word documents, PDF files are visible in the pane. Kindly help