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Fix Preview Pane Not Working in Windows 10 and Windows 11


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  • Andr-Tech
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Fix Preview Pane Not Working in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Fix Preview Pane Not Working in Windows 10

The absence of the Preview Option in the File Explorer indicates that the feature has been disabled.

Your first step should be to enable it:

  1. Click on the Windows Start button in the bottom-left corner.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Go to the View tab.
  4. Select the Preview Pane Option in the ribbon.

You'll see the Select a file to preview option in the right-hand pane. If you disabled this previously, enabling it will immediately resolve the problem.

If you do not see this option despite the preview option being highlighted, close the File Explorer and open it again. Try the Folder Options if this does not resolve the issue.

Try tweak the Folder Options settings:

You can access folder options by navigating to File Explore > View tab and clicking Options on the right end of the ribbon.

Here's what you need to check:

  1. Verify that Show preview handlers in preview pane checkbox is checked.
  2. Make sure the checkbox Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.
  3. In the Open File Explorer to dropdown under the General tab, choose This PC instead of Quick Access.

Restart File Explorer.

Fix Preview Pane Not Working in Windows 11

Enabling Preview Pane

Step 1: Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Click the View menu at the top, go to Show, and check the Preview pane option.

The Preview pane will appear on the right of the Explorer window. You may browse a folder and select any file to preview it. The Preview pane may not appear if the File Explorer window is too narrow. You’ll need to maximize the window view to make the best of the Preview pane.

Check File Explorer Options

While the Preview pane is enabled, it may fail to function normally if the handlers are not enabled. These handlers are responsible for displaying the read-only style snapshot of the file you select.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Right-Click the Start icon and select File Explorer from the list.

Step 2: Click the Three-Dot menu icon at the top and select Options.

Step 3: In the File Explorer Options window, switch to the View tab, and tick the ‘show preview handlers in the preview pane’ checkbox.

Step 4: Uncheck the ‘Always show icons, never thumbnails’ box. Then, hit Apply followed by OK.

Restart File Explorer.

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