The thumbnail size in Microsoft Windows 10 was too small for me. I would have to open each file just to make out what the heck the photo was. I was pleased to discover that you can change the default size of image thumbnails to and make them larger or smaller. You can do this from the Windows menus or via the registry.
Option 1 – Keyboard + Mouse Shortcut
While viewing the photos in a window, hold the “CTRL” key and scroll the wheel on your mouse to enlarge or decrease the size of the icons.
Menu Options
- Select “Start” and open “File Explorer“.
- Select the “View” tab.
- Make sure the ribbon is expanded. Pressing CTRL + F1 will toggle it for you.
- Select the desired setting. “Extra Large Icons“, “Large Icons“, “Medium Icons” or “Small Icons“. If you don’t see these option, look at our FAQ section at the bottom of this page.
Registry Hack Method
- Hold down the “Windows key” and press “R“.
- Type “regedit” and click “OK“.
- Navigate to the following location in the registry.
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Software
- Microsoft
- Windows
- CurrentVersion
- Explorer
- Look for an entry on the right side for “ThumbnailSize“. If you can’t find it, then right-click on “Explorer” and select “New” > “DWORD Value” and type “ThumbnailSize” for the name and press “Enter“.
- Double click “ThumbnailSize” and set the value to a number between “32” and “256“. The higher the number, the larger the image thumbnails.
- Close the registry editor and you’re ready to view your photo thumbnails in the size you wish.
FAQ
I don’t have the options for icon sizes on my Windows computer. Why?
It should have it. Make sure you aren’t viewing the photos in a different application or viewing the photos in a compressed ZIP or RAR file. The photos need to be extracted first.
Why is my computer not showing me thumbnails for photos at all?
Thumbnail preview may be disabled. Open “Control Panel” > “Folder Options” > “View” and ensure that “Always show icons, never thumbnails” is unchecked.
If that doesn’t work, try these steps.
Lori says
My Icons have the same size in “large icons” and “extra large icons”. The only difference is that there is a white border around the icon. i’ve tried all the ways and no it’s just stuck there.
at a some point i must have fidgeted too much but i cannot remember where. probably to spare some ram with basic fuctionalities or viewing…. help. i am shortsighted and small icons drive me nuts
Philip Charles Cohen says
Windows 10 File Explorer: Is there any way that just the default “large” thumbnail size can be changed to 128 pixels? I find the “Extra large” images take up too much screen space and the “Large” is too small to be easily comprehended …
Julie Virzi says
I have had windows 10 for 5 yrs, home edition 64, I have the ribbon set to view large, but it automatically reverts to small, is there a way to make it stay at large, this drives me nuts
Al says
It would be nice if “Explorer” on regedit had the “thumbnail” or “new” options but there is nothing there. The “large” and “extra large” option for thumbnails just gives me the same size, which is too small. This is only one of many problems I’ve had with windows on a brand new machine. Linux beckons.
Christina says
I fixed the problem of my computer not printing photos in the size I wanted and only displaying and printing in thumbnail size. Downloaded the photos app in the windows store, it’s the same icon as windows photos but it is pink coloured. I can now print my photos and view as I did with the old windows viewe.
Wilfried & Deanna Mueller-Crispin says
See above – this is a windows issue and those programmers should all get fired – they do not care about the end-user – it’s all self-serving!!!
Wilfried
David says
The problem is, that while windows icons expand or contract in relation to the surrounding border, the icons that you have gone to the trouble of creating do not. You may have a great picture of your “favorite artist.ico” at whatever pixel size you’ve made it – looking at you at whatever icon size you have it in your folder of icons.
Sadly, when it comes to actually using it for it’s express purpose, Windows 10 fails (yet again) by shrinking it to small icon size while at the same time changing the border size only. Hence us all yet again wasting valuable time trying to find some thoughtful person or program to compensate for this painful self-serving program. So, sorry to advise I am still looking…I just needed to explain the problem more clearly, to perhaps save someone time looking here.
PS…You’ll no doubt have discovered by now that Max has obviously missed the point.
Bjorn says
I’m not 100% certain but I belive the max pixel size for the icons/thumbnails in Windows could be 256, which would be the “Extra Large” size and so with 256 set you won’t get larger than the ‘Extra Large’ size in normal cases.
So the question then becomes, does it even work if you set a larger size than 256 or do run the chance of wrecking Explorer then?
An alternative solution if one needs bigger than ‘Extra Large’ would be to look at custom DPI scaling and se if one can enlarge only icons and leave the rest in Windows the same size.
David Buchanan says
I have Windows 10 Home and the “Option 1 – Keyboard + Mouse Shortcut” works. If there are a lot of files in the directory there is a bit of a delay.
Cheryl says
My Icons have the same size in “large icons” and “extra large icons”. The only difference is that there is a grey border around the icon. No scrolling or anything helps.
I tried it also with different sizes in registry ThumnailSizes. Nothing helps.
I saw that others are having this same issue with Windows 10 – I got a new computer a few months ago and since then this issue has been happening- please help!
Wolfgang Kern says
My Icons have the same size in “large icons” and “extra large icons”. The only difference is that there is a grey border around the icon. No scrolling or anything helps.
I tried it also with different sizes in registry ThumnailSizes. Nothing helps.
Bruce says
This was 100% helpful. I lost a weeks worth of business because of the thumbnail issue. I’m back in business again.
Don Morton says
NOT at all, I want to open all my Music Folders with Large Icons but there is NO way to do that unless I go to each and every folder and engage them separately. I want to know-how to automatically open all folders of my music folder with large Icons automatically.
Max says
Solution:
Open File Explorer
Navigate to folder.
Right click an empty space within the File Explorer window and select View from the dialogue menu, then choose Large Icons.
That will now be the default view for that folder.
rm says
anon says
March 1, 2018 at 9:56 am
Doesn’t work. I’m on Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit and the ‘ThumbnailSize’ isn’t even a string available in those directories.
It works in WIN 10 Pro. I had to add the tag to the registry as DWORD like mentioned above and set the value to 256. Thumbnails are about 30% larger. It worked for me anyway
Mark Yonadi says
I’m using Windows 10, tried the registry trick and from Kris, Control + Scroll, neither worked.
Please give us the slider back from Windows 7. Extra large is still too small to view pictures without opening them.
If somebody knows a way to get the thumbnails larger in file explorer, please post it.
thanks
Rodney says
I need to make icons larger than the extra large option. I have a huge monitor and poor vision, so I can’t see what the pictures are without opening each one. I could really use an option for bigger thumbnails and I’m really surprised there isn’t an option to make them very large. I use the magnifier, and it works to see the thumbnails, but then scrolling doesn’t work right so I have to keep running the magnifier up and down.
I have to believe this is a simple task for a computer to display a larger size icon. I just need somebody knowledgeable to tell me how. Thank you!
wasname says
Is there any software which can do the trick and make the thumbnails even larger?
Kris says
The registry trick doesn’t works in Windows 10 Pro 64 bit. But I believe it works in Windows 7.
But thank you for your article, I just realize we can use Ctrl + Scroll to resize the thumbnails, I got what I need :)
Dave Oliver says
win 7 had a slider that enlarged the thumbnail more. Is it available?
anon says
Doesn’t work. I’m on Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit and the ‘ThumbnailSize’ isn’t even a string available in those directories.
Steve Ricard says
Can you make the image size LARGER than Extra Large Icons in File Mgr? X LG is too small to see when trying to move pictures from one file to another or deleting some. Thanks.