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The article explains how to fix preview pane not working on windows 11. Windows File Explorer already has a feature called the Preview Pane that allows you to preview the file’s contents in the preview pane. The Preview Pane, one of the features included in Windows File Explorer, displays a preview of the file that is now selected. This implies that you can preview the contents of files before opening them. Follow the steps are given below.
One of the best of Windows File Explorer features is the “Preview Pane”, which allows you to quickly browse the contents of a file without having to open it. Without opening the selected file, you can examine its contents in the preview pane. Various files such as images, documents, PDFs, movies and other file types can be previewed using the Preview Pane feature. File Explorer preview pane not working properly? We’ve included a ton of workarounds in this post that you can utilize to resolve this issue. Any of the techniques below can be used to fix this issue and get the Windows 11 preview window working again. Here is the article to resolve the preview pane not working in Windows 11.
6 Ways to Fix Preview Pane Not Working in Windows 11
Make sure the preview pane is not turned off
The absence of the preview option in File Explorer indicates that the feature has been disabled. Your first step should be to enable it. To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1: click on windows To start button in the lower left corner.
Step 2: Open file explorer.
Step 3: I go to the show guide.
Step 4: Select the preview pane option on the ribbon.
you will see the Select a file to view option in the right pane. If you previously turned this off, turning it on will immediately resolve the issue. If you don’t see this option despite the preview option being highlighted, close File Explorer and open it again. Continue implementing the fixes below if this does not resolve the issue.
Rule out file specific issues
In cases where the preview pane displays a preview of specific files but is unable to get a preview of others, this indicates that these formats are not supported. Therefore, you cannot view them. Also, if the file is very large and loaded with text and graphics, the preview pane may take some time to load, so take your time and let it load properly. If the preview pane does not see any files, the problem is most likely caused by some operating system issues that require further investigation.
Adjust folder options settings
Before moving on to other OS fixes, it is imperative to make three changes to the File Explorer folder options. you can access folder Options sailing to Explore Files > View Tab and clicking options at the right end of the tape. Here’s what you need to check:
Step 1: check if Show preview handlers in preview pane checkbox is selected.
Step 2: Make sure the checkbox Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.
Step 3: At the Open File Explorer to suspended under the Generally guide choose this computer rather than Quick access.
After customizing the above settings, click To apply and OK. Consider restarting File Explorer after changing folder options settings. If these tweaks don’t resolve the issue, it’s time to rule out other possible issues with the operating system.
Check hard drive response issues
If you are using an HDD instead of an SSD, there may be hard drive response delays that cause delays in viewing files or prevent this from happening. Although rare, it is essential to rule out hard drive problems by running a CHKDSK check. To do this, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Run Command prompt as an administrator.
Step 2: Type the following command
Step 3: chkdsk
Step 4: Press Enter.
Depending on your hard drive load, the process may take some time. If there are no errors reported, you can move on to the next fix as the problem does not originate with the hard drive. If it reports an error, follow the onscreen instructions to fix it.
update graphics driver
If you are having trouble viewing graphics-intensive images or documents that contain graphics-intensive images, it may be a graphics driver issue. To rule this out, update your graphics driver. Follow these steps to update the graphics driver:
Step 1: I go to the Device Manager right-clicking on the To start button.
Step 2: Expand the category to video adapters.
Step 3: Right-click on the relevant video driver and select update driver.
Adjust advanced system properties
Windows allows users to control how the system handles visuals. You can choose to display them looking their best or optimize them for the best performance. So if you’ve already selected the best performance, it’s best to change the settings to the best look to allow the operating system to load the graphics efficiently. To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1: Right-click on the To start button and go to Definitions application.
Step 2: Navigate to the System Definitions.
Step 3: In the left sidebar, scroll down to the About section.
Step 4: click on the Advanced system settings under related settings in the right panel
Step 5: click on settings button in the Performance option on the Advanced tab in the System Properties window.
Step 6: Change the performance options window settings for Adjust for best appearance.
Step 7: To hit OK after clicking To apply.
Conclusion
Here they are final from our article how to fix preview pane not working on Windows 11/10. To add other file types to the Preview Pane, use the PreviewConfig utility. If the text file is set to Media File instead of Plain Text, the utility will help you adjust the Preview. We really hope that the above-mentioned troubleshooting techniques will help you to fix the problem. The article is now finished and you know how to fix preview pane not working on Windows 10/11.