# Want Windows to show actual docs from thumbnail preview

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 2, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955 "2017-06-02T20:19:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/1 "2017-06-02T20:19:32Z")

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On my work laptop, pointing at the Word icon on the taskbar will show the open Word docs as thumbnails, and then pointing at a certain thumbnail preview will make that doc appear behind it. My laptop does not show the actual doc when I point at the thumbnail. How can I change this? Thanks.

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### Author: ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/2 "2017-06-02T20:32:18Z")

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It’s one of Windows many little weirdnesses, but I think you need to enable AeroPeek, which would seem to be an unrelated feature, to get what you want.

Right-click anywhere on your empty desktop, select “Personalize”, then “Taskbar”, then choose “Use Peek…”

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### Author: ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/3 "2017-06-02T22:52:37Z")

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Windows 10 doesn’t have AeroPeek there. And Peek was already on, and turning it off and on again didn’t have the effect I mean.

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### Author: ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/4 "2017-06-02T23:11:18Z")

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Hmm… Try checking the settings in Control Panel, System, Advanced System Settings, Performance, Visual Effects

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### Author: ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/5 "2017-06-02T23:25:29Z")

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I had gone there before, because of reading a web page. Aeropeek isn’t there, and Enable Peek is already on. I turned it off and on again just now, and the effect is still not happening.

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### Author: ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-windows-to-show-actual-docs-from-thumbnail-preview/787955/6 "2017-06-03T01:21:04Z")

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Ok, it’s probably that your graphics card is not Aero compatible or you installed some piece of software that is not compatible with Aero and it’s been automatically disabled. If the latter, I think there’s a way to enable it as long as you’re not currently running the incompatible program, but I’m on my phone and can’t look that up right now.
