Windows 10: File Explorer not previewing .docx files or .xlsx will preview txt pdf

Lately (I don't know how long, just noticed recently) Win 10 File Explorer won't show a preview of .docx or xlsx files. I have found a weird workaround:

Open File Explorer, Highlight (click on) the file I want to preview. Nothing but a ding sound indicating a little window that says "Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable." I click OK, and then I am able to preview the .docx file in File Explorer.

I used to be able to just click on a file, no matter the extension and it would be previewed in the Preview pane. What could have changed? I am using Win 10 version 1803.

Pam *Confused

:)

 

File explorer preview will not display .xlsx files

I can see previews of docx Office 2007 files and also pdf, jpeg, png, html, various text files txt, css, font files ttf and so on, but not Excel.

Any idea why this particular file format is not displayed?

Reading other posts, people are having similar problems. They can see xlsx, but not docx for example.

This all started about 2 or so weeks ago after two sets of particularly large updates in one week.

 

.docx previews as .xml file or don't preview at all in file explorer, but .doc previews correctly. How do I preview .docx files?

I am unable to preview .docx in file explorer. I have repaired several times, followed various suggestions in this forum and in internet search, all to no avail. One fix allowed it to preview as an .xml file, rather than saying "unable to preview file".
I am able to preview previous version .doc files correctly. What do I need to do to correct this issue????

 

pdf preview in Windows 10 file explorer

I have been using "preview pane" in file explorer forever. However, for some unknown reason, the preview pane for pdf files have become very small, to the point where the pdf file preview pane is too small and unreadable. preview pane for all other files
appears to be ok (large enough as before). this is only affecting pdf files.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Adobe reader.

I am looking for suggestions to get back to where the preview pane of pdf files is as large as before