By default, You can not get the preview of Photoshop PSD files in Windows 7 Explorer. They will look like this Screenshot (The thumbnail you can see is of a PNG file):
We will perform some trick to enable the thumbnail preview of these PSD files in Windows 7 without any need of softwares.
Step 1
Download this open source dll file (new page will open). You will get something like this:
Step 2
Note: This method currently might not work for Windows 7 64 bit (please read the comments). We are trying to solve the problem, we will update the method as soon we get it universally working. (31/03/2010).
Differs a bit in 32 bit and 64 bit.
For 32 bit:
Place it in crogram filescommon filesadobeshell ( If the shell directory isn’t there create it.).
For 64 bit:
Place it in crogram files (x86)common filesadobeshell ( If the shell directory isn’t there create it).
Now save it as ” psdreg.reg ” (Without quotes. Change file type to all files, otherwise it will be a text file):
Step 4
Double click it and accept security prompt; Windows will inform you the values has been added:
Check your PSD files now:
Note:
1. Dont follow this method if you have folders containing GBs of PSD files; particularly if individual file size is like me (See first screenshot).
2. It will slow the explorer a bit.
3. You can use paid third party tools like Ardfry Codecs for Windows Explorer . In that case, apart from Windows explorer, you can get preview of PSD in Windows Photo Viewer, Windows Media Player (Windows Media Player can open any image file: try it) , Windows Media Center etc programs. I used trial version to check:
Note:
All the needed registry files plus those registry files you need to remove thumbnail preview in Windows 7 is here, Click here to download.
Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Self Assembled OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit SP 1 CPU Intel Core i3 2120 @ 3.30GHz Motherboard Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. H61M-DS2 DVI Memory Corsair 2GB x2 (Single-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz) Graphics Card 2047MB GeForce GTS 450 (ZOTAC International) Sound Card Onboard (Realtek High Definition Audio) Monitor(s) Displays LG Flatron E2040T Screen Resolution 1600x900
Keyboard Logitech MK220 Mouse Logitech MK220 PSU uMAX 750 watt. Case iBall Cooling Air/ Fans Hard Drives Western Digital 1 TB
Seagate 500 GB Internet Speed BSNL Broadband Antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials Browser Waterfox Other Info Dell Studio 15" Laptop
System Manufacturer/Model Number COMPAQ Presario Laptop OS Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Mac OS X 10.6 CPU Intel Pentium Dual Core @2.0GHz Motherboard Compaq Generic Memory 12GB Graphics Card NVIDIA Graphics For Mobile 512MB VRAM Sound Card IDT High definition Audio Monitor(s) Displays Laptop LCD Display Screen Resolution 1280*800 Bright View Widescreen
Keyboard Generic Laptop Keyboard Mouse Touch Pad Cooling Direct ; generic fan Hard Drives 500 GB Primary Master@7200rpm + 1 TB External HDD Internet Speed 3.1 Mbps wireless Broadband Other Info Generic Dock
System Manufacturer/Model Number Home built OS Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit CPU Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz Motherboard ASUS P4P800-VM Motherboard Chipset: Intel 865G + ICH5 Memory 2.50 GB RAM Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS Sound Card SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio (Chip) Monitor(s) Displays ViewSonic VX 1962 wm Screen Resolution 1680 X 1050
Keyboard Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 v10 USB Mouse Logitec optic USB Cooling Fan based Hard Drives Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 80 GB
ST380215A ATA Device 18.6 GB
Western Digital "My Book" external hard drive 750 GB Internet Speed 3.01 Mb/s download 0.64 Mb/s upload
System Manufacturer/Model Number COMPAQ Presario Laptop OS Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Mac OS X 10.6 CPU Intel Pentium Dual Core @2.0GHz Motherboard Compaq Generic Memory 12GB Graphics Card NVIDIA Graphics For Mobile 512MB VRAM Sound Card IDT High definition Audio Monitor(s) Displays Laptop LCD Display Screen Resolution 1280*800 Bright View Widescreen
Keyboard Generic Laptop Keyboard Mouse Touch Pad Cooling Direct ; generic fan Hard Drives 500 GB Primary Master@7200rpm + 1 TB External HDD Internet Speed 3.1 Mbps wireless Broadband Other Info Generic Dock
OS Windows 7 Ultimate x86 CPU AMD Phenom II 965BE Motherboard MSI GD 890 FXA Memory Apogee DDR III 4 x 1Ghz Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 295 Sound Card On Board :D
Keyboard Logitech NewTouch 100 Mouse Razer Deathadder PSU Vantec 750 Cooling Vantec "Modified" 12cm Aeroflow HSF Hard Drives WDC Caviar Black SATA III 1TB
I think CS5 has fixed this issue, I haven't done the tutorial or anything else except install and run Adobe Master Collection CS5 and my PSD documents have thumbnails. Interesting...
Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Alienware Aurora ALX R4 OS Windows 7 x64 (SP1) CPU Intel Core i7-3930K (3.2GHz, Turbo 4GHz) Motherboard Alienware Aurora-R4 x79 Memory 4x Samsung 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (16GB 1600MHz) Graphics Card Nvidia Geforce GTX 690 (Stock) Sound Card RealTek Integrated Audio Monitor(s) Displays Dell UltraSharp U3011 Screen Resolution 2560x1600
PSU 875W Some Dell PSU <.< Hard Drives Samsung P830 256 GB, WD Raptor 150GB, 2x 1TB HDDs Other Info Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz; 1GB; Windows 7 Ultimate)
OS Windows 7 Ultimate x86 CPU AMD Phenom II 965BE Motherboard MSI GD 890 FXA Memory Apogee DDR III 4 x 1Ghz Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 295 Sound Card On Board :D
Keyboard Logitech NewTouch 100 Mouse Razer Deathadder PSU Vantec 750 Cooling Vantec "Modified" 12cm Aeroflow HSF Hard Drives WDC Caviar Black SATA III 1TB
It might need to re-save the PSDs to a newer (CS5) format, I'm starting to think...
Edit: Something strange is going on thats for sure...cause now one of the PSDs that had a thumbnail doesn't...
Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Alienware Aurora ALX R4 OS Windows 7 x64 (SP1) CPU Intel Core i7-3930K (3.2GHz, Turbo 4GHz) Motherboard Alienware Aurora-R4 x79 Memory 4x Samsung 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (16GB 1600MHz) Graphics Card Nvidia Geforce GTX 690 (Stock) Sound Card RealTek Integrated Audio Monitor(s) Displays Dell UltraSharp U3011 Screen Resolution 2560x1600
PSU 875W Some Dell PSU <.< Hard Drives Samsung P830 256 GB, WD Raptor 150GB, 2x 1TB HDDs Other Info Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz; 1GB; Windows 7 Ultimate)