How to Change Folder Thumbnail in Windows 11
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.
How to Change the Folder Thumbnail in Windows
By default, Windows picks a folder thumbnail or picture automatically based on the folder’s content. Windows may update the folder thumbnail to reflect the changes as you add or remove items from the folder.
If you want a specific thumbnail image for your folder that doesn’t change, you can set the folder thumbnail manually.
Step 1:Press theWindows key + Eto open File Explorer.
Step 2:Locate thefolderto change the thumbnail. Right-click on it and selectPropertiesfrom the context menu.
Step 3:In the Properties window, switch to theCustomizetab and click theChoose Filebutton.
Step 4:Locate and select thepictureyou want to use as a thumbnail and clickOpen.
Step 5:HitApply>OK.
For folder thumbnails, Windows supports all the popular file types, including JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, GIF, and more.
If the folder thumbnail change does not reflect immediately, pressF5to refresh the folder. Note thatFile Explorer will only show folder thumbnailsif the view type is set to medium, large, or extra large icons.
How to Reset Folder Thumbnail in Windows
Windows also lets you reset the folder thumbnail if you change your mind later. Here are the steps for the same.
Step 1:Press theWindows + Ekeyboard shortcut to launch File Explorer and navigate to the folder to reset the folder picture.
Step 2:Right-click on the folder and selectProperties.
Step 3:Under theCustomizetab, click theRestore Defaultbutton. Then, clickApply>OK.
How to Disable Folder Thumbnails in Windows
Although Windows makes it simple to change folder thumbnails, doing so for each folder separately can be time-consuming. If you don’t see the need for folder thumbnails, you can disable them completely. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1:Click themagnifying iconon the taskbar to access the search menu. Typefile explorer optionsin the search box and select the first result.
Step 2:Switch to theViewtab and check theAlways show icons, never thumbnailsbox.
Step 3:ClickApplyand thenOK.
It’s worth noting that the above process will disablethumbnail previewsfor files. To undo this change later, repeat the above steps and clear theAlways show icons, never thumbnailscheckbox.
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Last updated on 03 September, 2024
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