No more preview?

It wasn't long ago that, when for instance running a couple of instances of VLC, I could by mouse-hovering over their taskbar icons, bring up miniature preview windows (as I have attempted to recreate in the image) where I could pause/unpause the player or else reach the controls even if their interfaces were hidden behind a webpage or minimized.



It was also somehow possible to set the size of these preview windows but I forget how.
But - no more, the previews stubbornly refuse to appear, hover as I might. Why is this?
Thank you.

Here is what I get from the thumbnail preview on the taskbar for VLC showing the controls at the bottom.

Look at these tutorials and see if they will help.

Taskbar List or Thumbnail Previews Mode - Change

Taskbar Thumbnail Previews - Enable or Disable

Have a look at this tutorial to change its size.

Taskbar Thumbnail Previews - Change Size

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, that sounds and looks right. I have searched the little mind these past days (to no avail, there was nothing there) to try and remember wether I had reinstalled Windows recently and so lost this and I suppose I had reinstalled, after all.
So, this preview thingy isn't default mode, but something one has to invoke? Anyway I'll report back asap.

Hi,
Appdata is a hidden folder
Hidden Files and Folders - Show or Hide

uh-oh Spaghetti-o's...that's normally one of the first things I change on reinstall, that and the senseless 'Hide extensions for known file types' but seems I forgot this time around.

Anyway, in the now-not-hidden Themes folder, there is indeed a Custom.theme file. Also, when I look under Personalization, I had created and saved a theme under the name Asus.
Aero Theme is also enabled as I can use Aero Peek to preview the desktop.

I must admit I don't know how to proceed from here, the prerequisites seem to be there.

Edit: I see in the guide I can use a tweaker program, but I didn't used to have to do that

OK, so I came to my senses and downloaded the Taskbar_Thumbnail_Previews_Mode.reg and abracadabra - now it's all back to normal.
Phew...
Yes, yes I know - rtfguide next time. Much obliged ppl!

Go to hear it's back for you.

You're Welcome

Again thanks Jerry. If you're half as glad as I am, I'm twice as glad as you because being able to pause VLC (phone rings, watch video - whatever) is one of those small comforts and conveniences you really don't appreciate 'til they're gone.

Edit - an afterthought:

When I woke up just now (7 am) it was with a feeling of genuine gratitude at the privilege of being a member of this excellent, well-functioning site. Yesterday and for some time before that, I had what I perceived to be a problem with having lost the Aero preview feature.

It does make a positive difference you know, even if life must somehow go on without it

I wrote about it here and within hours several thoughtful, intelligent people had read my post, thought about solutions and offered them up - just like that, without asking for or receiving payment but out of the communal feeling...to me, a perfect stranger. This impresses me like hell.

I then thought about what a convenience it is - and what a boon for a lazy guy like me - with the ready-made registry keys available here, one of which was ultimately the instantaneous, elegant solution to my little problem.

Also, it struck me how much work, pedagogic ability and clear, informed thinking that has gone into the many guides that walk even the bungling amateur like me effortlessly and step by patient step through complex solutions to issues one might have.

This mind boggle easily, it's true, but that is really mind-boggling. Again with no thought, on either the users or the authors part, of any financial remuneration whatever - the sheer satisfaction of being able to help and the sense of accomplishment that comes, I guess, with it is, it seems, payment enough.

Again I am impressed and cannot help but compare favorably sevenforums with commercial ventures like, oh I don't know, Facebook where every little thing the user does is turned into handsome profit for the owner via targeted advertizing and through the mindless (n.b. on the users part) submission and subsequent, convenient, collection of the minutest personal data on a scale that, if the NSA were to announce plans of such extensive, detailed mapping and collection of peoples most intimate data, it would lead to civil war or at the very least the immediate dismantling of that 'service' in its present form.

I don't know if anybody reads this and it really doesn't matter, I just had to get it off my chest. But if it is read - my heartfelt thanks to the many generous, thoughtful, clever, community-minded people who hang out here, and who help with one's little problems and who ultimately makes one grateful to be alive and a part of it all.

Ubuntu - we are one.