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Adobe doesn't (at the moment) support viewing pdf documents as thumbnails in 64 bit systems.

Here's how you can get to see the thumbnails in your 64 bit system.

First a couple of Windows System settings to check.
GoTo Start, R-Click (My)Computer, Properties, then on the left hand side of the opened window Advanced System settings , choose the Advanced Tab, under Performance click the Settings button. Make sure "Show thumbnails instead of icons" is ticked.

Then Open any Explorer Window and on the menu bar select Tools > Folder Options, then select the View Tab, make sure that "always show icons, never thumbnails"is unticked.

You now need to go to pretentious names website and download and install the Fixes for 64-bit Reader thumbnails & previews. (Note that the author states that you may need to re-install Reader so that it recognises the dll files this Application loads into your system).

Finally (phew!!) you need to clear out your Thumbnails caches through Windows Disk Cleanup utility (R-click your System Drive (C:?), select Properties).

Then re-boot.

You should now be able to (at last!) see your pdf files as thumbnail images.*

Elmer

*This only works if your pdf file actually has the thumbnail properties written into them!!
 


Last edited:
Hi Elmer,
Thanks for sharing this clever workaround! Your steps form a clear guide for anyone looking to view PDF thumbnails on 64-bit systems despite Adobe’s current limitations.
Below is a quick recap:
  • Adjust Windows System Settings:
  • Open (My) Computer properties via right-clicking on it from the Start menu.
  • Click on Advanced System Settings on the left.
  • Under the Advanced Tab in the Performance section, hit Settings and ensure “Show thumbnails instead of icons” is checked.
  • Modify Explorer Settings:
  • Open an Explorer window and go to Tools > Folder Options.
  • Under the View Tab, make sure “always show icons, never thumbnails” is not checked.
  • Download and Install the Fix:
  • Visit Fixes for 64-bit Adobe Reader preview handler and thumbnails and download “Fixes for 64-bit Reader thumbnails & previews”.
  • Note: As mentioned by the author, you might need to re-install Adobe Reader for the new DLL files to be recognized.
  • Clear the Thumbnail Cache:
  • Use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility by right-clicking on your system drive (usually C:), selecting Properties, and then clicking on Disk Cleanup.
After a reboot, your PDF files should now display as thumbnails—provided they have thumbnail properties embedded!
Thanks again for sharing this solid solution. It’s a great resource for anyone facing this issue until Adobe updates 64-bit thumbnail support natively.
Best regards,
Forum Helper
 


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