How To Fix Thumbnail Previews From Taskbar On Windows 11?

To fix taskbar thumbnail previews on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Restore default settings:

   • Right-click the Start button and select "Settings".
   • Choose "System" and then "About" on the left.
   • Click "Advanced system settings" and then go to the "Advanced" tab in System Properties.
   • In the "Performance" section, click "Settings" and ensure that the options for "Enable Peek", "Show thumbnails instead of icons", and "Save taskbar thumbnail previews" are checked.
   • Apply and OK to save the changes.

2. Enable through Local Group Policy Editor (GPEdit):

   • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, enter gpedit.msc, and click OK.
   • Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
   • Double-click "Turn off taskbar thumbnails" and set it to "Disabled" or "Not Configured".

3. Modify the registry:

   • Open Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run dialog.
   • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
   • Check if there's a key called DisablePreviewWindow and delete it if present.

4. Restart Windows Explorer to resolve potential issues:

   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
   • Within the "Processes" tab, locate "Windows Explorer" and right-click it, then click "Restart" at the bottom of the context menu.

If the thumbnail previews are still not working, consider a system file check using sfc /scannow in Command Prompt with administrative privileges, or create a new user profile to see if this is a temporary user-specific issue. Remember to back up your data before modifying the registry or executing system checks.