PDF Icons used to Show Preview of Document - Now it shows PDF Icon

[_Michael_Voeller_]

I am using Adobe Acrobat 8 on a 64bit Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System. I just bought this computer and installed Adobe Acrobat 8 on it. On my other two computers (one vista, one xp) the normal Adobe Acrobat File Icons are changed to show a preview of the first page of the document. I work a lot with long lists of Pdf files, and the preview feature has been a great help. I am wondering if there is a setting on my new computer that I need to change to replicate this function that I have been enjoying on my other two computers.

[grantb9352542]

wow, awesome. thank you for the fix, been searching for exactly this.

[arvo-42]

I am having the opposite problem, so I am hoping that the solution to yours might also entail a solution to mine.  I just installed Adobe Reader 9 on Windows 7 Professional (32 bit), and now my pdf icons show up as previews.  It's a nifty feature, but I'd prefer to turn it off.  Does anybody know if there is a way I can get Adobe Reader 9 to use a fixed icon rather than a preview?  Thanks.

[Guest]

Did you ever find an answer for this??? I am sure you have since your post is rather old but just in case someone else gets here and needs it. I had the same issue and was searching for an answer. I saw this and since I fixed mine I thought I would tell you what I did.

Opened Windows Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options

Go to the View tab

Check "Always show icons, never thumbnails"

Hit Apply

All your PDF files on your desktop should now show with the generic PDF icon.

Reverse this to get the preview icon "thumbnails".

[Priscilla235291913esr]

thank you - this was so helpful

[Andrey Maddox24026125kos2]

I afgree. I hate those icons. They are annoying and make the list much longer. The previous version had jsut file names. How can I get rid of those icons?

[All-USA]

To show a PDF thumbnail / Icon:

1. Open Acrobat program

2. Select File, Open and then select a folder with pdf documents

3. Select View Menu, then select "Tiles"

Acrobat now shows a thumbnail / Icon / preview for pdfs in that folder

[Grammylk]

I just got a new computer with Windows 8 O/S and Reader XI . My preview icons have now disappeared and only the pdf icon shows. Will this fix also work for Windows 8? Thanks!

[Grammylk]

I didn't receive any replies so decided to try the fix anyway - it worked! Thank you!

[_xxminixx]

Tried the fix - it ran correctly on Windows 8 64 bit, Adobe Pro - but the icons remain Adobe Logo no matter what I do - tried changing file properties to every conceivable combo - no luck - posted question in support forum... we shall see what Adobe says...

[Vienna_Sydney]

I am using Adobe Acrobat X Pro on Windows 7, 64 Ultimate. I generate the thumbnails by opening the first one and then save as PDF in the directory. This will generate the correct thumbnails. I also browse through several directories, whilst the save as is open. So, now I have all thumbnails, showing the first page of the documents.

After about a week, or sometimes more, all thumbnails turn back into generic pdf's. I use the same procedure again, to regenerate all thumbnails. I have done this now for the past few months and is driving me nuts. I have no idea as to why and when they will turn back to generic ones. I has happened again today. Nothing downloaded, nothing installed

[Guest]

The pretentiousname.com 'Fix' is very helpful and quite generous for them to have provided it free of charge, but it is not a complete solution.

It does not solve the issue with thumbnail previews of PDFs when viewed through Windows Explorer on a Windows 7/8 64 bit machine but it does not solve the issue of thumbnail previews of shortcuts to PDFs when viewed through Windows Explorer on a Windows 7/8 64 bit machine.

You can open each folder that contains PDFs from within Acrobat Reader and it will generate the previews for both PDF files and shortcuts to PDF files, and having done that you will see the previews from Windows Explorer... but if you update a folder with a new shortcut to a PDF then you would have to first view the list of files in the folder from within Acrobat Reader before it works from Windows Explorer.

This is killing us as we have thousands of folders and tens of thousands of PDF files and having recently upgraded to 64 bit Windows we know understand why so many people are upset, but fail to understand why Adobe has chosen not to do anything about it despite years of knowing about this problem.  We feel particularly foolish as we have spent a considerable amount of money on Adobe products for our office (including AutoCAD).

Adobe has no viable solution, not even something like a script for Acrobat to automatically scan all folders and sub folders and build the thumbnail previews so that thumbnails will appear in Windows Explorer for either PDFs or shortcuts to PDFs.

[Guest]

Oops, I wrote that badly, so let me clarify my point...

The pretentiousname.com 'Fix' does solve the issue with thumbnail previews of PDFs when viewed through Windows Explorer on a Windows 7/8 64 bit machine but it does not solve the issue of thumbnail previews of shortcuts to PDFs when viewed through Windows Explorer on a Windows 7/8 64 bit machine.

[FiveWhy]

The fix seems to have worked for my issue, as well. If there are concerns about downloading and running an .exe file from an apparently kind-yet-unknown source, one workaround might be to use the following setting in Windows Explorer, which I've been resorting to for a while:

• Navigate to a folder with PDF files.
• In "view" settings, change to "arrange by type." In the Explorer window, choose the stack of PDF icons.
• Also, check to make sure the view setting is for medium, large or extra large icons.

Hope this helps.

[Vienna_Sydney]

Win 7/64

I have to resort going to a folder, open the first pdf file in the root folder, click on "save as" and scroll through the entire directory, then the next folder and so on. This will generate the thumbnails as you scroll through. However, they will turn back into generic icons a few weeks later. No idea what the cause, but I then go through the whole process again.

This does not work on my Win 8/64 machine. Although the icons a generated, they disappear again when the same folder is opened the next time.

[mbkeahey]

All of the thumbnails show up in Bridge.

[lisa_annd37346468 · Accepted solution]

Hello All. I had the same issue. I am using Windows Home Premium with Service Pack 1. All I did to get the preview of my pdf files was to Open Acrobat Reader PC / Edit / Preferences / General - I then checked the box to "Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer" save your settings let Acrobat Reader do what it needs to do. (this only takes a few seconds) and that is it you will now have your previews.