By default Windows Explorer recognizes and generates thumbnails for a few pre-defined formats. It doesn’t generate thumbnails for many common file formats – which includes FLV, RM, RMVB, MOV, MP4, MKV. Luckily, there is a very simple fix for this.
Follow these steps -
Enabling Thumbnail For Generic Video File
Open Note pad and paste the following text :
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.EXTShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@=”{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}”
Replace .EXT with the desired extension (e.g. flv).
If you want to enable thumbnails for multiple file types you can do so by adding the appropriate registry entries as demonstrated below :
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.flvShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@=”{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.movShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@=”{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.mp4ShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@=”{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}”
This file would enable thumbnails for flv, mov and mp4.
Save the file with extension .reg (make sure save as type is “All Files” and not “Text Documents”).
Double Click on the saved registry entry and confirm the action. After this reboot.
Please note that Windows can only display the thumbnails if the appropriate codec for the chosen media type is installed. If the above tweak is not working try downloading a codec pack. I got this method to work for FLV, RM, RMVB, MOV and MP4 (with The Kmplayer installed and associated with these file types). But, as with most generic tweaks it failed on a couple of occasions – it didn’t work for MKV and PSD Files. But with a little bit of digging I found a way to enable thumbnails for MKV and PSD too.
Enabling Thumbnail for PSD
This trick requires that you have Adobe Photoshop installed.
Download this file. It is a zip archive containing two files. Extract them to a temporary folder.
Copy the psicon.dll to C:Program FilesCommon FilesAdobeShell. If the folder ‘Shell’ doesn’t exist then create it.
After copying, double click on the psicon.dll.reg and confirm your action.
Enabling Thumbnail for MKV
Download Haali Media Splitter from here and install it. [Note : Most Codec Packs install this by default, so if you installed a codec pack skip this step].
Launch “Media Splitter Settings” from Stat Menu.
Go to Options–>Explorer Integration–>Enable Thumbnail Extraction. Set it to yes.
Now move on to the next item which is “Thumbnails offset”. This value determines the position in the file from which the thumbnail would be generated. Remember the value is in milliseconds (1s=1000ms).
Apply the changes and restart your computer. That’s it!
Enabling Thumbnail for SWF
The easiest and simplest solution for viewing thumbnails of SWF files is SWF Live Preview (download it from here). It automatically creates a cache from directories (optional subdirectories) for faster thumbnail display, and allows you to select the frame to be used as preview image, as well as the size of the thumbnail. In addition, the program adds a new tab to the file properties dialog that displays detailed information about the Flash file selected, including Flash version, number of frames, compression and more.
Did you find this trick useful? Dont forget to leave your feedback.
Via – Neowin, Sizzledcore and A Red Herrings Space.
Please back up your registry or create a system restore point before applying these tweaks. I will not be responsible for any damage caused to your system.
#Updated on July 18th – Added info for SWF Files.
Thanks a lot for the link back buddy!
this is cool
I will use this for my Gimp .xcf files
pretty good ,
i just have one question . if it works with flv will it work with swf ?
I dont think it will work with SWF, as SWF isnt really a video file – whereas FLV is.
Anyway, I have added a section for SWF files too.
The FLV vids are previewing upside down while MPC Home Cinema play them just fine.
Not sure why that is happening. It works fine here. I have the FLV files associated with The KMPlayer. Dont know if that makes any difference.
I always preferred MPC to KMPlayer. It’s just preference I guess.
Does not work for FLV.
FLV was one of the file formats I specifically tested. It works fine.
If it doesnt work for you, then install KMPlayer and associate flv files with it.
To get Vista Explorer Preview Pane on Xp Please See:
http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4124
Vista Live Icon and Text File Thumbnails on Xp Explorer:
http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4088
Ported QuickView Windows 95 / 98 for Xp:
http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4113
Regards
You can use CapTrue Thumbnailer. It is a WMP plugin and shell extension. You can load your video into WMP and assign any frame of media file as a thumbnail. Thumbnailer is shareware, but Explorer thumbnails function is not limited
Look here for details: http://www.captrue.com/thumbnailer.html
i have the windows 7 release candidate on my computer
it used to show thumbnails and now they don’t. it wasn’t the OS change cause it worked afterwards for a while too. and i tried both your .reg method and haali media splitter method
they aren’t working
Using FLVPlayer, the .flv files still will not show thumbnails after following this method.
I moved to KMPlayer after reading the comments, removed FLVPlayer, and reassociated .flv files with KMPlayer. Still no thumbnails are displaying.
I see in the registry that this key is tacked onto every file type that I know for a fact shows thumbnails correctly, but adding it into .flv’s entry is not working.
I have Vista Ultimate and FLV player. Followed instructions for three files and ran the .REG file. It created the entries but they were blank. I have now updated the shell sub-directory with the value as above manually (in the registry for .MOV, .FLV and .MP4) but so far no thumbnails for these files.
Not working for me
You suggested to use KM Player, but I heard it is an illegal software.
I think it landed up in trouble for stealing portions of GPL code. I believe that issue has been taken care of now.
Great article and info thanks. I use ThumbView (Lite), it’s a great thumbnail plug in for Windows Explorer, extends its capability to see more thumbnails for more image file types as i can even see e.g. .PSD thumbnail on Explorer, search and open save dialog boxes for example, works on Windows All from XP to Seven, freeware. Get it here for free + more info etc:
http://www.seriema.net/thumbview/
Oh btw i just found that the above links from Getitto is also great and very informative/useful for even better explorer thumbnail and preview supports, thanks again man: http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?/topic/4088-get-thumbnails-of-more-file-types-and-vista-live-icon-preview-on-xp-explorer/
Oh sorry one more, btw anyone knows that how to get mp3 thumbnail (embedded album/cover art) for individual file (not folder view i meant) on XP explorer / shell just like Vista / Windows 7? Would be very cool and useful if there’s a plug in/tweak for that feature as well, thanks anyway.