# Windows explorer problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837 "2003-08-31T18:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/1 "2003-08-31T18:30:29Z")
I’m running Windows 98 on my old computer, and suddenly my Windows Explorer program won’t show thumbnails of my .jpg files when the webpage view is turned on. It seems to run normally otherwise, and rebooting has done nothing. The help guide seems unhelpful. Any hints? **Elfbabe** was queried about this before she returned to college, but basically wrote it off as “some sort of windows problem of some sort” and went back to setting up our new computer. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/2 "2003-08-31T18:35:04Z")
I think it’s some sort of windows problem of some sort. I’m truly sorry, but that was just too easy to pass up. I’m sure someone with something helpful to contribute will be long shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/3 "2003-08-31T18:43:16Z")
Was it perhaps a 1920’s style windows problem? I’m sorry… so, so sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/4 "2003-08-31T18:51:16Z")
Which version of IE are you using? If you’re using an older version of IE, I’d say the simpliest solution is to download the newer version, uninstall the old, and install the new. If you’ve got the newest version, then check the settings to make sure someone didn’t tell it to _not_ load images. You could also do a cache clear and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/5 "2003-08-31T19:04:52Z")
**Tuckerfan** , I think he meant .jpgs don’t show up as thumbnails in Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer. **QtM** , I can’t seem to remember Win98 off hand, but try to mess in the Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options settings, and look for some setting that defines the views for a given folder or something along these lines. Someone with Win98 will come around eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/6 "2003-08-31T19:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xash \* > \*\ ***Tuckerfan** , I think he meant .jpgs don’t show up as thumbnails in Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer. > > **QtM** , I can’t seem to remember Win98 off hand, but try to mess in the Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options settings, and look for some setting that defines the views for a given folder or something along these lines. > > Someone with Win98 will come around eventually. \*\* :smack: Of course, you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/7 "2003-08-31T19:18:27Z")
This may be a dumb question, but is the Explorer window big enough? If it’s too small, the thumbnail/description area is not displayed. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/8 "2003-08-31T19:20:56Z")
From [here](http://www.contextmagic.com/faq.htm): > [@](#): > > To enable the Thumbnail view for a folder in Windows Explorer: > > - If you have not already done so, install the Windows Desktop Update component. > - Right-click the folder for which you want to enable the Thumbnail view, and then click Properties. > - Click to select the Enable Thumbnail View check box, and then click OK. I’m not sure about that first step, it may not be necessary. But this should do it, barring corrupt explorer files. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/9 "2003-08-31T21:56:05Z")
**Xash, QED** those seemed quite hopeful suggestions. Alas, they do not cause my old thumbnails to appear. Quelle dommage! According to [this](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;192573), apparently some 3rd party program has changed things around. I don’t know why; the associations for the jpgs are the same. But the further recommendations for fixing it are hung with dire warnings about mucking up windows if done incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/10 "2003-08-31T22:01:29Z")
**Qaddie** , you might try downloading Spybot Search & Destroy to make sure it wasn’t some sort of malware that did this to you. Deleting whatever it is _might_ fix the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/11 "2003-08-31T22:02:09Z")
You can try running a reinstall of Win98, but if it’s a registry setting, then a reinstall probably won’t fix it. If the instructions you found to fix the problem involve editing the registry, go ahead and do it, but back the registry up first, and just follow the steps exactly and carefully. Also be sure you have a boot diskette so you can recover should you fatally hose the registry. Copy the registry files before you edit to the diskette so you can replace them if need be. The files are named SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/12 "2003-08-31T22:27:20Z")
If it’s a registry thing, you can try restore. You have to boot to a Dos prompt & type: scandisk /restore Pick an earlier copy. Takes about 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/13 "2003-08-31T22:28:58Z")
Oops. I meant: scanreg /restore I forgot some of my W98 stuff. But the manual is under: start:h ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/14 "2003-08-31T22:42:56Z")
well, I ran spybot and cleaned up a few things, but no changes. As for reinstalling and all that; frankly I’d rather run a code blue on a pulseless non-breather. In _that_ setting I know what I’m doing. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/15 "2003-08-31T23:17:36Z")
Is it only JPEG files that that don’t have a thumbnail view? There are some BMPs in your C:\Windows folder that you can click on to see if they’ll show up in the thumbnail area of the web page view. [This article](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;192573) from the MS Knowledgebase says that each picture format has a setting in the registry that enables it to be thumbailed in the Windows Explorer web view. It also tells you what registry key you need to add or change. I still use Win98SE, and if you’re uncomfortable editing the registry I can email you some .reg files that might fix you up. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/16 "2003-08-31T23:23:25Z")
**Qadgop** , I experienced the same problem, along with some other unpleasant effects. [Here](http://65.69.77.33/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5694)’s the history of my problem, what caused it, and the solution that I found. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/17 "2003-09-01T02:40:59Z")
**horseflesh** , you seem to be on to something. I can display .bmp extensions, but not .gif or .jpg. But I’m still not clear from your link just what to do about it. Further suggestions? Glad you’re not dead, **horseflesh**! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/18 "2003-09-01T02:46:13Z")
**Poly** , I’m mucking about with regmon even now. I’m not sure if our problems are the same, but I’ve dearly wanted a better registry monitor to see what’s been happening in this system. I’ll keep ya informed! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/19 "2003-09-01T03:05:39Z")
OK, regmon.exe is running. Will it ever stop, and what the hell is it doing? ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837/20 "2003-09-01T03:49:15Z")
Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I’m just pining. Copy the following text in the quote to notepad, then save it somewhere as Fixjpg.reg. > [@](#): > > REGEDIT4 > > [HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT.jpg\ShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}] > @="{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}" Then double-click the Fixjpg.reg and reply Yes or OK to any prompt that comes up about merging the file to your registry. This will do the suggested fix in the MS knowledgebase article I linked to earlier. You might need to reboot for it to take effect. If it does work, right-click the file, choose Edit, and substitute .gif where you see .jpg. Save the file, then double-click it again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-problem/198837.md?page=2)