Why Won’t Windows 11 Taskbar Show Thumbnails? Proven Solutions Inside

Are Your Windows 11 Taskbar Previews Missing? (6 Simple Fixes That Work)

Your Windows 11 taskbar should show small picture previews when you hover over apps. These tiny windows help you see what’s open without clicking. But sometimes they stop working.

This makes using your computer harder. You can’t quickly peek at different windows. Everything feels slower.

Why Your Thumbnails Stop Working

Several things can break your taskbar previews:

• File Explorer crashes – The main program that runs your taskbar gets stuck
• Wrong settings – Your computer might have thumbnails turned off
• Broken files – Important system files get damaged
• Group rules – Work computers often have strict rules that block features
• Bad updates – New Windows versions sometimes have bugs
• User problems – Your account might be corrupted

Quick Fix: Restart File Explorer

Try this first. It works most of the time.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
2. Find “Windows Explorer” in the list
3. Click it once to select it
4. Click “Restart” at the bottom right

Your screen will flash black for a second. Then everything comes back. Check if your thumbnails work now.

Check Your Visual Settings

Windows lets you turn off fancy graphics to make things faster. But this also turns off thumbnails.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Right-click the Start button
2. Choose “System“
3. Click “Advanced system settings“
4. Click “Settings” under Performance
5. Go to the Visual Effects tab
6. Make sure these boxes are checked:
   • Save taskbar thumbnail previews
   • Show thumbnails instead of icons
7. Click Apply, then OK

Advanced Fix: Edit the Registry

This sounds scary, but it’s not too hard. Just be careful and follow exactly.

Warning: Back up your registry first. Wrong changes can break your computer.

Step by step:

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type “regedit” and press Enter
3. Say yes when asked for permission
4. Go to this location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
5. Look for “DisablePreviewWindow“
6. If you find it, delete it (right-click and choose Delete)
7. Go to this location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband
8. Find “NumThumbnails“
9. Double-click it
10. Set the value to “10“
11. Click OK
12. Restart your computer

For Work Computers: Group Policy Fix

If you have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, your IT department might have blocked thumbnails.

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter
3. Go to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
4. Find “Turn off taskbar thumbnails“
5. Double-click it
6. Set it to “Not Configured” or “Disabled“
7. Click Apply, then OK
8. Restart your computer

Fix Broken System Files

Sometimes Windows files get damaged. This can break thumbnails.

1. Search for “cmd” in the Start menu
2. Right-click Command Prompt
3. Choose “Run as administrator“
4. Type this command and press Enter:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5. Wait for it to finish (this takes time)
6. Then type this and press Enter:

   sfc /scannow

7. Wait for it to finish
8. Restart your computer

Other Solutions to Try

If nothing else works, try these:

1. Create a new user account – Your current account might be broken
2. Check for Windows updates – Microsoft often fixes bugs
3. Remove third-party taskbar tools – Programs like ExplorerPatcher can cause conflicts
4. Click taskbar icons twice – Sometimes this forces previews to show

When Updates Break Things

New Windows versions sometimes have bugs. Recent updates have broken thumbnails for some people.

Here’s what to do:

1. Check Settings > Windows Update regularly
2. Install all available updates
3. Report bugs using the Feedback Hub app
4. Be patient – Microsoft usually fixes these problems quickly

Missing taskbar thumbnails make Windows 11 harder to use. But these fixes usually work. Start with the easy ones first.

Most problems come from:

• Crashed File Explorer
• Wrong visual settings
• Broken registry entries
• Work computer restrictions

These problems are fixable. Your thumbnails will come back. Then you can work faster again.

Try each method in order. Don’t skip steps. Take your time. One of these solutions will work for you.