Windows Explorer preview pane not displaying previews of PDFs

Hi @graham_6561, 

Thanks for reaching out, and sorry to hear you’re experiencing issues with PDF previews in Windows Explorer.

This issue is typically related to the PDF Shell Extension, which Acrobat uses to generate thumbnail and preview pane content in File Explorer.

Please try the following steps:

1. Repair or Reinstall the Shell Extension

• Open Acrobat.

• Go to Help > Repair Installation (Windows only).

• After repair, restart your system and check if previews return.

2. Ensure Preview Handler is Enabled

• Open Adobe Acrobat.

• Go to Edit > Preferences > General.

• Ensure “Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer” is checked.

• Click OK and restart your computer.

3. Verify Default App Settings

• Go to Windows Settings > Apps > Default Apps.

• Ensure Adobe Acrobat (or Acrobat Reader) is set as the default app for opening PDFs.

4. Check Windows Preview Pane Settings

• Open a File Explorer window.

• Go to the View tab and ensure “Preview pane” is enabled.

• Also, verify the preview works with other file types to rule out a system-level issue.

If the issue still persists, please let us know:

• Your version of Windows (e.g., Windows 11 23H2),

• Your version of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, and

• Whether you recently installed or updated either application.

We’ll be happy to assist you further.