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war between icons vs thumbnails disappearing

Shaw Cartier' 0 Reputation points
2025-11-28T19:01:38.3333333+00:00

If "always show icons, never thumbnails" is:

  • enabled, all Word thumbnails disappear.
  • NOT enabled, all graphic-type icons in folders disappear in folders.

It's not a file association issue, have tried multiple repair methods, deleting app cache as recommended. Have not tried Regedit.

Possibly interactions with an attempt to run .apk files on pc.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Windows for home | Other | Desktop, Start, and personalization
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-28T19:01:44.52+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    The issue you're experiencing with icons and thumbnails disappearing seems to be related to the settings in Windows Explorer. When the option "Always show icons, never thumbnails" is enabled, it indeed prevents thumbnails from displaying, which can affect applications like Word that rely on thumbnail previews. Conversely, if this option is not enabled, it can lead to graphic-type icons disappearing in folders due to potential conflicts or settings in the system.

    To resolve this, you can try the following steps:

    1. Check Folder Options: Ensure that the setting for thumbnails is configured correctly. Go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options > View tab, and make sure that "Always show icons, never thumbnails" is not checked.
    2. Clear Thumbnail Cache: Sometimes, clearing the thumbnail cache can help. You can do this by going to Disk Cleanup and selecting the option to clear thumbnails.
    3. Adjust Hardware Acceleration: Reducing hardware acceleration may help with display issues in Word. You can follow the workaround mentioned in the context to adjust the settings.
    4. Registry Check: If you're comfortable with it, checking the registry settings related to icon handling might provide insights. Ensure that the IconHandler subkey values are set correctly as per the guidelines provided in the context.

    If the problem persists, it might be worth exploring if there are any interactions with the .apk files you mentioned, as running such files on a PC can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior in the operating system.

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  2. Shaw Cartier' 0 Reputation points
    2025-11-29T21:40:28.25+00:00

    I've done 1-3 several times over the past couple days and there seems to be no impact.Modifying the registry hasn't been done yet, because I need to read up and make sure that it is done right. But so far, none of the other typical cures have worked.

    Thank you.

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  3. Lucus-V 3,255 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-01T02:35:14.84+00:00

    Hi Shaw Cartier',
    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. I'm happy to help.

    Could you please provide some screenshots so I can better understand the situation?

    I will investigate and try to provide you the best support.

    Thank you for your time.

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