Skip to main content
J
julieb26452343
Participant
April 9, 2015
Answered

File preview thumbnails aren't working for Acrobat DC files in Windows Explorer

  • April 9, 2015
  • 60 replies
  • 246822 views

I just upgraded from Acrobat XI to Acrobat DC on Windows 7, and now any new PDFs I create display with a generic PDF icon rather than a thumbnail preview of the file.  Files created in Acrobat XI are displaying correctly (see screenshot).  Is anyone else experiencing this and is there a resolution?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer AshuMittal9644438

    Yeah, this is still what I get!


    Hi djbilly

    This was fixed in our update released yesterday. Make sure you are on the latest update by visiting Help > Check for updates.

    Next, to enable thumbnail previews go to Preferences > General and then select Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer.

    Thanks,

    -ashu

    60 replies

    gener7
    Community Expert
    gener7Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 2, 2022

    This topic is locked due to age and numerous replies. If you are still having an issue with thumbnails, open a new topic and provide the pertinant details.

    F
    fredericj68671213
    Participant
    May 1, 2017

    NO IT DID NOT FIX IT

    M
    myDavey
    Inspiring
    March 27, 2017

    I just got a brand new computer

    Running Windows 10 64bit

    Fresh install of Acrobat DC

    Enabled the option to show preview thumbnails

    ..... NO THUMBNAILS.....

    If it doesn't work with a fresh computer and a fresh install, then when will it work?

    I guess this issue was not fixed in the October 2016 release...

    Back to Foxit etc...

    MikeWierz
    MikeWierz
    Participant
    May 1, 2017

    I just got a new computer running Windows 10 and Acrobat Pro DC Version 2017.009.20044 and the preview works fine.

    Just have to make sure that in the File Explorer under the View tab the Preview Pane option is highlighted

    F
    fredericj68671213
    Participant
    May 1, 2017

    Not on this MAC

    C
    Cstew2019
    Known Participant
    August 22, 2016

    I was gonna let you know, I was able to get it to work, but not 100% sure of the exact steps I took.... I did something like this.

    Install Adobe Reader DC. ( Already have Adobe Acrobat DC )

    In Adobe Reader, Set preferences to show Thumbnails in Explorer. Restart.

    Installed this... https://www.pretentiousname.com/adobe_pdf_x64_fix/     

    Uninstalled Adobe Reader DC.

    in Adobe Acrobat, Preferences>General> Unchecked Enable PDF thumbnail preview > Restart

    in Adobe Acrobat, Preferences>General> CHECKED Enable PDF thumbnail preview > Restart

    For whatever reason, after that it has been working well for me now for about a week or more with no issues. It doesn't have to regenerate the thumbnails every time.

    A
    Anonymous
    August 22, 2016

    Thanks I'll have a look. Adobe needs to provide an update to fix without messing around - I do appreciate your advice on this though

    A
    andrews69856535
    Participant
    June 6, 2016

    Hello

    Thumbnails now working since latest update but are quite slow to generate and task manager says process Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (32bit) and using 55% cpu ?

    Is this correct with Acrobat dc Pro on a 64 bit system ?

    rong9637377
    rong9637377
    Participant
    June 2, 2016

    Wasn't fixed for me. Was this fixed for anyone else?

    -Ron

    TanviRastogi
    Adobe Employee
    TanviRastogi
    Adobe Employee
    June 7, 2016

    Hi Ron

    Are you using Acrobat or Reader DC?

    Have you downloaded it from Adobe site?

    How have you installed Acrobat/Reader?

    Thanks

    Tanvi

    rong9637377
    rong9637377
    Participant
    June 10, 2016

    Hi Tanvi,

    I use Acrobat Pro 9.5 at work which I purchased (think I d/l from Amazon long ago).

    I also used Reader DC at work but trashed that thinking I would be getting my thumbnails

    back, but I didn't.

    I also use Reader at home on my laptop and also do not get thumbnails.

    Not sure where I d/l it, I think the Adobe site.

    Am I the only one in the world who no longer has thumbnail previews of their pdf's?

    Thanks, Ron

    D
    djbillyd1
    Participating Frequently
    May 15, 2016

    That is just as not true today as it was when someone, of your people, reported it on the 9th. I did a complete scrubbing of all Adobe Acrobat DC fragments. I cleaned the registry, the Program Files, the TEMP files, clean the disc, then reinstalled the updated Adobe Acrobat DC, from the Adobe site. I checked the version numbers and that was a farce. One was 15.xx.xx, something, and the other was 20.XX.XX, or something else. Regardless of the version, regardless of whether it was 32 bit, or 64 bit, the results were EXACTLY the same..., NO PREVIEW THUMBNAILS! Only that hideous looking "A" on a black background. So, what did I miss? Why did none of your "suggestions" helped, or worked? Why are we, the same people that have been screaming this issue for two years, still shouting the same thing? The software was defeated just like someone said on pages 2, and 3. No update has worked!

    aac_sa
    aac_sa
    Participant
    May 14, 2016

    I am so confused - i bought Acrobat Pro 11 - i have the latest update  11.0.16 and I cannot find any option to display a document page. I still get the Adobe logo which I have come to hate. In all fairness, I was never an Adobe fan to begin with. Very obnoxious company.

    It is beyond my imagination why any management team would allow one of their key products to fail so miserably. Customers have to look at their logo because they are incapable of fixing it? Excuse me - fire the current people and hire people who do know how to fix it - and make it work.

    Sadly Adobe has to big of a market share to even take notice.

    TanviRastogi
    Adobe Employee
    TanviRastogi
    Adobe Employee
    May 14, 2016

    Hi

    Can you please tell which OS version (Win7/8/10) you are using? Is it 32-bit or 64-bit?

    Thanks

    Tanvi

    R
    rvipinkumar
    Participating Frequently
    May 14, 2016

    @TanviRastogi: You have any solution to my problem? I am using Win-10, 64 bit.

    D
    djbillyd1
    Participating Frequently
    May 6, 2016

    "We had to remove the thumbnail preview functionality from Acrobat and Reader DC for technical reasons"..., are you serious? This is not a joke? You had to remove this functionality for technical reasons? Well, I guess I'll have to remove Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for technical reasons too. Reasons: It doesn't work!

    That's so idiotic!

    Rave
    Community Manager
    RaveCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    May 9, 2016

    Hi All,

    With the upcoming quarterly update releasing on 10 May 2016, file preview thumbnails issue has been fixed.

    Regards,
    Rave

    AshuMittal9644438
    Adobe Employee
    AshuMittal9644438Correct answer
    Adobe Employee
    May 11, 2016

    Yeah, this is still what I get!


    Hi djbilly

    This was fixed in our update released yesterday. Make sure you are on the latest update by visiting Help > Check for updates.

    Next, to enable thumbnail previews go to Preferences > General and then select Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer.

    Thanks,

    -ashu

      R
      rvipinkumar
      Participating Frequently
      May 4, 2016

      Being a 'software-guy' myself, I just don't comprehend why Adobe abandoned this piece of code from their software. There might be two reasons: They wrote a pretty crappy code in the thumbnail generation part that including it in the main code breaks it OR they don't really care about us customers... In most probability, it is the second one, since they would have got a good coding team by this time for re-writing the functionality.

      Any ways, as @djbillyd1 said, if they don't care about us, we find our own solution... I have installed Foxit reader, and the thumbnails are back. Thank you Adobe... this is the way to kick on your own ass... Just remember the fate of what happened with Lightroom 6/CC Import Design changes!!!

        G
        GideonLupine
        Participating Frequently
        May 4, 2016

        It is most likely a tactical plan for you to work the way they want you to work.

        If you used Adobe Bridge, then this would not be a problem. So by crippling Adobe Reader, they increase usage of Adobe Bridge which has been kinda flat for the investment.

        However, you don't use a canon to hunt pigeons. 95% of the time a preview works fine enough. No need for all the extra weight and firepower for a 1 oz bird you can't hit anyway. The bird is 5 ft away from me in plain sight. I will just use a cheap slingshot or Foxit Reader.

        Adobe is just confused to your illogical resistance to their master plan. After all, who does not love a master plan and a M777 155 mm Howitzer?

          D
          djbillyd1
          Participating Frequently
          May 4, 2016

          LOL!!! Boy, you are a nut! But you are right on point. That's the corporate way. They deny you the staple so that you will BUY the beef. They think if you don't buy the beef, then you don't eat. I, too, used FoxIt....

          Show more replies
          Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
          Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices