Windows 10: Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane in Windows 10

How to: Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane in Windows 10

How to Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10


Information The preview pane in File Explorer shows you the contents of a file, such as image or text files, without having to open it with an app.

Preview handlers show the content of text type files (ex: .bat, .html, .txt, etc...) in the preview pane.

This tutorial will show you how to hide or show preview handlers in preview pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 10.



Note Setting to hide or show preview handlers in the preview pane will not affect showing a preview of image files.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane using Folder Options
• Option Two: To Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Hide or Show preview handlers in preview pane of File Explorer











OPTION ONE [/i] To Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane using Folder Options
1. Open Folder Options.

2. Click/tap on the View tab, check (default) or uncheck Show preview handlers in preview pane in "Advanced settings" for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] To Hide or Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane using a REG file


Note The .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

ShowPreviewHandlers DWORD

0 = Hide
1 = Show


1. Do step 2 (hide) or step 3 (show) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Hide Preview Handlers in Preview Pane
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Hide_preview_handlers_in_preview_pane.reg

Download

3. To Show Preview Handlers in Preview Pane
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Show_preview_handlers_in_preview_pane.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. If you currently have File Explorer open, then refresh (F5) the window to apply.

8. If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews in File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Show or Hide Preview Pane in File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Add Preview pane to Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Reset Details and Preview Pane Width Size to Default in Windows 8 and 10

:)

 

windows 10 Preview Pane not working for media files

It's a bug in WMP's rich preview handler... and the only workaround is to disable the handler. Doing so would fix image previews, but the media can't be played from the Preview pane. (Preview
Pane Not Refreshing Preview Image for Video Files in Windows 10)

But if the folder views is set to icons, there is no point in disabling this handler, as thumbnail images render correctly anyway.

 

Windows 10 File Explorer video thumbnail display problem

The problem is with Windows Media Player's Rich Preview Handler. If this handler is disabled, the Preview pane refreshes the image correctly, but you lose the ability to "play" that video from the Preview pane. I mean, the control bar won't appear under
the preview image.

On the other hand, if the WMP Preview Handler is enabled (default), the preview image fails to update, but you can still play the video from the preview pane. Hope this gets fixed in future updates.

Here are the REG files to enable and disable the handler.

;-------------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Disable WMP Rich Preview Handler

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers]

"{031EE060-67BC-460d-8847-E4A7C5E45A27}"=-

;-------------------------------------

;-------------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Enable WMP Rich Preview Handler

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers]

"{031EE060-67BC-460d-8847-E4A7C5E45A27}"="Windows Media Player Rich Preview Handler"

;-------------------------------------

Preview Pane Not Refreshing Preview Image for Video Files in Windows 10

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/preview-pane-video-image-not-updated-windows-10/

 

@Kbird
You have this unchecked?

 

Hello kbird, *Smile

These preview handlers don't apply for image files, but check to make sure that you have thumbnail previews enabled. (Edwin beat me. *Tongue)

*Arrow Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews in File Explorer in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

If that doesn't help, it may because you do not have the Photos app or Windows Photo Viewer set as the default app. The app you currently have set as the default app may not support previews.

 

Thanks Guys , at least on this Computer ALL previews , not just Images , are now back . I would not of thought of the Preview as a Thumbnail , so would not of tried that.....not sure if that UNChecked , was the default in 1504? I had no issues till I got CE/1703 this week....

I'll boot the other computer and try it there too...

Thx , love 10Forums and the quick responses , this was driving me crazy(ier) *Smile

*** yep unchecking that and making sure the Preview Handlers box was Checked fixed it on the other computer too.

 

Glad we could help mate. *Smile