Windows 10: Want Icons on Desktop & thumbnails in Explorer - Win11

What I want was possible and I used it in Win10...but now that I've been forced into Win11 it seems like Microsoft can no longer do this simple thing. I want to see only icons on my desktop. I'd be okay with thumbnails of jpgs on the desktop. But I DO NOT want thumbnails of documents on my desktop...thumbnails of documents are ridiculous and unhelpful and distracting. BUT I also want to see thumbnails of jpgs when I'm in file explorer - especially in the preview pane. I've been all over the internet and no one seems to mention this exact problem. The various locations of the "always show i

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Want Icons on Desktop & thumbnails in Explorer - Win11

What I want was possible (and I used it) in Win10...but now that I've been forced into Win11 it seems like Microsoft can no longer do this simple thing.

I want to see only icons on my desktop. (I'd be okay with thumbnails of jpgs on the desktop. But I DO NOT want thumbnails of documents on my desktop...thumbnails of documents are ridiculous and unhelpful and distracting.)
BUT I also want to see thumbnails of jpgs when I'm in file explorer - especially in the preview pane.

I've been all over the internet and no one seems to mention this exact problem. The various locations of the "always show icons never thumbnails" does NOT solve it. It turns on/off thumbnails for BOTH desktop and file explorer windows.

What I've tried:

• check box of "always show icons never thumbnails" (see above)
  
• restore defaults to file explorer
  
• change/reset/etc default jpg program
  
• various scans that ten million websites/forums suggested
  
• windows and all drivers are up to date
  
• restart explorer and windows after each thing - a gazillion times each
  
• a million other things that I can't even remember right now
  
• also, i don't have onedrive installed or linked, so that's not the culprit either
  
• I've tried other file explorer replacements but all have bigger issues that mess up my workflow even more. (Why is it so hard for file explorer and alternatives to show proper folder trees and expand it automatically to your current folder?!?!)
  

Windows 11 home 22h2 Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22700.1009.0

Please tell me there's a way to disconnect the "file preview" on the desktop from the file preview pane in file explorer...

Edit: Forgot to add, when the desktop shows thumbnails only half of them show up as thumbnails. I have 10 word docs on the desktop (created from same template, same time frame, same type, etc.) and only half show up as thumbnails - the others show up as icons. Why?!?

 

Want Icons on Desktop & thumbnails in Explorer - Win11

I forgot to mention in the original post that I have tried other apps to replace File Explorer. This includes Files, as many many many others. For other reasons those are not workable for me. I never even got to the thumbnail issues with them because other features that I need are not there - such as automatically expanding tree on the left. That is vital to my work process (and Win11 has messed that up too, but I found a stupid work around). The ones I have not tried are the ones that cost money - but I'm not about to shell out money if I don't know if it'll work.

There HAS to be a way to make this work in Win11. There HAS to be. There is NO reason for the coders to permanently tie thumbnails on the desktop to the thumbnails in the file folder. They didn't in Win10 - why would they in Win 11??????

 

Want Icons on Desktop & thumbnails in Explorer - Win11

Thank you very much for reaching out! As an Independent Advisor and fellow Microsoft user, I'm more than happy to assist you.

Windows 11 does not provide a straightforward way to separate thumbnail preview settings for the desktop and File Explorer. The "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option applies to both environments simultaneously.

However, there is a potential workaround that involves modifying the registry to disable thumbnails for folders only, while keeping them enabled for individual files.

It's important to note that modifying the registry can be risky if not done correctly, so please create a backup before making any changes.

Here are the steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
   
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell.
   
3. Right-click on the Shell key, select New > String Value, and name it Logo.
   
4. Double-click the newly created Logo value and set its value data to a non-existent file path, such as c:\notexists.jpg.
   
5. Close the Registry Editor and press Win + R again, type cleanmgr, and press Enter to open the Disk Cleanup utility.
   
6. Select your system drive (usually C, check the "Thumbnails" option, and click OK to clear the thumbnail cache.
   

Please feel free to reach out if you require any additional assistance. I'm here to help