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Answered

PSD (and AI) thumbails in Windows 7 64 bit?

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
May 29, 2010
6 replies
83186 views

Does anyone have a fix for the missing Photoshop (and Illustrator) thumbnails (CS3) in Windows 7 64 bit Explorer?

Something easy to implement that doesn't involve purchasing and running an additional 3rd party commercial solution?

Please don't answer "Bridge". I should not be forced to use an extra resource hogging application to simply view my files in my normal workflow.

I used to use the psicon.dll and aiicon.dll workaround in XP without any problems whatsoever. I know there are people here that claim these caused information loss and other nonsense like that but they worked perfectly fine. However, I had to recently upgrade my OS and unfortunately this workaround doesn't function properly in Win 7 64 bit because of the different directory structure.

I'm sure these could be made to work by rejigging the registry edit files to point to Programs (x86) but I'm not that confident in my abilities there. I've searched high and low to see if anyone else has done this yet but haven't come up with anything promising.

I was also wondering if CS5 corrected this problem? Can anyone tell me if they are able to see their PSD and AI thumbs in Win 7 64 bit Exploer with CS5?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer the_wine_snob

Well, with one, or two exceptions, we're all just users here.

IIRC, the PSicons issue was placed into MS's court, and nothing has been done. For some OS versions, one could copy over the old .dll from previous PS/AI versions, and get the thumbnails, but at some point (XP? Vista?), even that no longer worked.

Maybe MS does not view Photoshop & Illustrator as viable apps.? Going back many years, I did see a response from MS, to the effect that things just could not be adequately updated for the then new OS release, and that all efforts to do so had been dropped. That translated to me to read, "ain't gonna' happen - sorry."

Good luck,

Hunt

khellstr

Known Participant

It is 2023 and we still don't have thumbnails for PSD nor AI files in Windows 11 File Explorer.
I can't understang how this is even possible..

R

reshacker

Participating Frequently

The secret is out!

I f you install an older version of PS or PSE on your Windows 7 system, your older PSDs will show thumbnails.

If you want your newer PSDs to show thumbnails you can open them in the older program and resave them, however, if they have features applied that the older program doesn't support you may have problems.

I don't know what the newest older version with thumbs support is but v2 has it and works for me.

So far this is the only FREE answer to this problem I've discovered.

There are many other files suffering from "no thumbs support" syndrome, like PDFs which do have a free download solution. I think it is wrong to pay for something that has been a standard feature up to now, especially when it APPEARS to be an easy fix.

Chris Cox

Legend

And you pick up all the problems with the OS APIs that the older shell extensions had.

Don't install the old shell extensions - you will run into problems.

There's a good reason why Adobe had to abandon those shell extensions (and Microsoft hasn't fixed the problems yet).

R

reshacker

Participating Frequently

Thanks Chris, I'll keep an eye out for those problems. In the mean time I haven't noticed any.

Thanks Marian I'll check out that link.

Nohjekim

Inspiring

I'm going to buy the plugin but I can't understand why they didn't just build this into Photoshop to start with and have a pluggin for the older versions.

It's not like they have 20 operating systems to deal with. Every new non Apple computer that I have seen, now comes with Windows 7 64.

acresofgreen

Inspiring

Another plug-in: http://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/

O

ONIRIKartwork

Participant

http://www.mysticcoder.net/mysticthumbs.html

gener7

Community Expert

There are third party fixes for psd and ai thumbnails in Windows 64bit.

free to try/$15 to buy http://mysticcoder.net/mysticthumbs.html 32 and 64 bit installers.

To view .ai thumbs download ghostscript 32 or 64 depending on your Windows version. Mystic has a link on their page.

32 bit version does the job here. Let us know how it works for you.

B

Brad S.Author

Known Participant

Thanks. I'd already found the Mystic site in my travels but I was trying to avoid it if possible. I'd like to try to get the .dlls working again but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It's terribly sad that I have to install 3rd party scripts to reinstate what should be basic functionality of the programs and OS.

gener7

Community Expert

Brad S. wrote:
Thanks. I'd already found the Mystic site in my travels but I was trying to avoid it if possible. I'd like to try to get the .dlls working again but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It's terribly sad that I have to install 3rd party scripts to reinstate what should be basic functionality of the programs and OS.

Brad,

I've spent more time in the Adobe and Microsoft technical forums on this issue than I can count. While you and I agree Explorer thumbnail support should be a done deal,it isn't. I would rather pay Mystic their $15 one time so I can have my Explorer thumbnails and move on. It's much easier to pay someone who will than to waste time and energy with someone who for their own reasons is not going to anytime soon.

Do not let "the principle of the thing" get in the way of getting the job done. Mystic appears to do this well. (I'm using the trial and they will get my cash if all goes well.)

Gene

A

Anonymous

Brad S. wrote:
Can anyone tell me if they are able to see their PSD and AI thumbs in Win 7 64 bit Exploer with CS5?

No, still no thumbnails!

B

Brad S.Author

Known Participant

Oh, that sucks

The people scream til they're hoarse, and no one is listening. Typical.

the_wine_snobCorrect answer

Inspiring

Well, with one, or two exceptions, we're all just users here.

IIRC, the PSicons issue was placed into MS's court, and nothing has been done. For some OS versions, one could copy over the old .dll from previous PS/AI versions, and get the thumbnails, but at some point (XP? Vista?), even that no longer worked.

Maybe MS does not view Photoshop & Illustrator as viable apps.? Going back many years, I did see a response from MS, to the effect that things just could not be adequately updated for the then new OS release, and that all efforts to do so had been dropped. That translated to me to read, "ain't gonna' happen - sorry."

Good luck,

Hunt

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