Taskbar Thumbnail Previews - Enable or Disable

How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

The usual method used in Vista to disable the taskbar thumbnail previews does not work in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the thumbnail previews of open items on the taskbar in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

   Warning

In Windows 7, you will need to have a Aero Theme selected and not one of the Basic and High Contrast Themes for taskbar thumbnail previews to display.

Aero Requirements to be Enabled in Windows 7

NOTE: If Aero is not enabled, then taskbar thumbnail previews will not display even when enabled.

• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)
• You must be have True Color (32 bit) set instead of High Color (16 bit).
• The desktop composition and Animate controls and elements inside windows options need to be enabled in Visual Effects.
• The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager and Themes Services need to be set as Started and Automatic.
• Refresh or update your WEI score. You will need an WEI score minimum of 2.0 in both Graphics & Gaming graphics in order for Aero to be activated.
• Activate Windows 7.

EXAMPLE: Taskbar Thumbnail Preview

OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews using "7+ Taskbar Tweaker"

NOTE: This will allow you to enable or disable the taskbar thumbnail previews and list mode using a free program called 7+ Taskbar Tweaker. It is a standalone EXE file, so there is nothing to install. You just run the exe file. The download for it is in a RAR file, so you will also need a program like 7-Zip to open the RAR file and extract the EXE file since Windows 7 does not support opening RAR files by default.
1. Download the 7+ Taskbar Tweaker RAR file for your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 or Windows 8.

2. Extract and run the 7+ Taskbar Tweaker exe file.

3. To Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7/8
A) Under Hovering in the Taskbar items section, select (dot) the Nothing option. (see screenshot below step 5)
4. To Enable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7/8
NOTE: This is the default setting.

A) Under Hovering in the Taskbar items section, select (dot) the Show thumbnail preview option. (see screenshot below step 5)
5. Close 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.

OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews by Changing Taskbar Thumbnail and List Mode Threshold

NOTE: Changing the threshold (NumThumbnails value) to 0 will disable taskbar thumbnails, and allow you to still use a Aero theme with a list (list mode) of open windows.
1. For how, see: Change Taskbar Thumbnail and List Mode Threshold in Windows 7 and Windows 8

OPTION THREE

Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews by Changing Theme in Windows 7

   Note

PRO: Taskbar thumbnail previews disabled, and you have a list of opened windows for the taskbar item instead.

CON: No Aero theme.

1. To Enable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7
NOTE: If you still want to use a Aero theme and have taskbar thumbnails previews disabled, then see OPTION TWO or OPTION FOUR instead. This is the default setting.
A) Select an Aero Theme in Personalization. (see screenshot below)

2. To Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7
A) Select one of the Basic and High Contrast Themes in Personalization. (see screenshot below)

OPTION FOUR

Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews by Changing Thumbnail Display Delay Time

   Note

This is more of a workaround instead by setting the taskbar thumbnail preview display time to a long delay time that would effectively be the same as disabling them.

PRO: Taskbar thumbnail previews disabled, and you can have a Aero theme.

CON: You will not even have a list of opened windows for the taskbar items.

1. To Enable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7/8
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Default_Taskbar_Thumbnail_Delay_Time.reg

Download


B) Go to step 3.
2. To Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7/8
NOTE: This sets the delay time to 100000 ms (1000 milliseconds = 1 second) to effectively disable them.
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
100000ms_Taskbar_Thumbnail_Delay_Time.reg

Download




3. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg and .zip files if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable Explorer Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Live Previews in Windows 7
• How to Change Taskbar Thumbnail Live Preview Delay Time in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change Taskbar Thumbnail Previews Display Delay Time in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change or Save a Theme in Windows 7
• How to Change Taskbar Thumbnail and List Mode Threshold in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Internet Explorer Individual Tabbed Browsing Taskbar Preview Windows in Windows 7
• How to Change the Size of Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Previews
• How to Change the Space Size Between Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Previews
• How to Change the Margin Size of Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Previews
• How to Turn On or Off Taskbar Animations in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Last Active Click in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[Venths]

Thank you. A great Option, many of us and myself have been waiting

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Venths.

 

[derekimo]

Thank you Shawn, This has been needed quite a bit lately.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Derek.

 

[ickymay]

This can also be done in GPedit :

• Click on Start button and type GPEdit.msc in Search text box, then hit Enter.
  Navigate to User Config -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar in left pane of Local Group Policy Editor.
  Scroll down to and double click on Turn off taskbar thumbnails in right pane of Local Group Policy editor.
  pick enabled button and click OK to make the change effective.
  Logoff and logon again or restart computer if needed.
  To re-enable Taskbar preview feature in Windows 7, just set the value to Disabled or Not Configured.

 

[Brink]

This can also be done in GPedit :

• Click on Start button and type GPEdit.msc in Search text box, then hit Enter.
  Navigate to User Config -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar in left pane of Local Group Policy Editor.
  Scroll down to and double click on Turn off taskbar thumbnails in right pane of Local Group Policy editor.
  pick enabled button and click OK to make the change effective.
  Logoff and logon again or restart computer if needed.
  To re-enable Taskbar preview feature in Windows 7, just set the value to Disabled or Not Configured.

Hello Ickymay,

Sorry, but this option in gpedit.msc no longer works in Windows 7 even though it is still there.

 

[ickymay]

This can also be done in GPedit :

• Click on Start button and type GPEdit.msc in Search text box, then hit Enter.
  Navigate to User Config -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar in left pane of Local Group Policy Editor.
  Scroll down to and double click on Turn off taskbar thumbnails in right pane of Local Group Policy editor.
  pick enabled button and click OK to make the change effective.
  Logoff and logon again or restart computer if needed.
  To re-enable Taskbar preview feature in Windows 7, just set the value to Disabled or Not Configured.

Hello Ickymay,

Sorry, but this option in gpedit.msc no longer works in Windows 7 even though it is still there.

oops yes kinda obvious really when it says "supported in Vista only" in the configuration window ! DOH

Oh well there goes my moment of glory

 

[Brink]

LOL, no problem.

 

[desolator4u]

Didn't seem to work for me. By default, when i hover my cursor over the items in my taskbar, I see the full name of that window with an X beside it to close it. I do not get the thumbnail preview. I downloaded and merged the reg file, restarted, nothing changed. I also checked in the registry location, and the ExtendedUIHoverTime key was not added. Could this be because my onboard gfx doesn't support Aero?

~Des

 

[mxosder16]

Hi Des,
I would suggest taking a look at option 1

 

[desolator4u]

Hi Des,
I would suggest taking a look at option 1

I skipped over it cause I like to do my tweaks manually. I did try the program though, and it still doesn't make the preview come up (it was enabled by default) but it had some nice options that i'll be sticking with, such as middle click on item in taskbar to close it.
I suppose thumbnail previews is another feature like Aero that my gfx doesn't support....
Too bad, coz I don't like the apps i've seen that emulate it.


~Des

 

[medicoanonimo]

Hello
I have windows 7 Home premium and none of those have worked for me, only the one choosing an "aero free" theme, but I enjoy using the Scrolling of windows..

What else do you recomend?

Thank you

 

[Brink]

Hello Medicoanonimo, and welcome to Seven Forums.

What happened when you tried the other methods? Usually OPTION ONE works the best.

Did you restart the computer after trying OPTION THREE?

 

[juanantoniod]

7 Taskbar Tweaker Messed Up my System

Hello,

Over the weekend, I was fiddling around with this, and I tried using 7 Taskbar Tweaker. Not only did it not do what I wanted (show the Taskbar preview windows in list form instead of thumbnails), but it also turned off my Quick Launch Toolbar. Not only did it turn it off, but it prevented the Quick Launch Toolbar from staying on; I know because I turned it back on, then later rebooted my system, and my Quick Launch Toolbar was gone again, even though I had turned the thumbnail views back on.

In summary, I would not recommend using 7 Taskbar Tweaker, because most of the settings it changes you can do yourself by using the Windows 7 Taskbar options menus. Furthermore, I would not want anyone else to run the risk of messing up their system permanently, as it did to mine.

Luckily, I had a Macrium Reflect backup image that I had created a couple of weeks ago, so I used that (with great results, btw), and got my system back and working properly again.

Good luck, and please let me know if you have a way to keep "Aero Peek", but as a list instead of thumbnails.

Best regards,

~Antonio

 

[desolator4u]

In summary, I would not recommend using 7 Taskbar Tweaker, because most of the settings it changes you can do yourself by using the Windows 7 Taskbar options menus. Furthermore, I would not want anyone else to run the risk of messing up their system permanently, as it did to mine.

Sorry to hear that, but I find 7 Taskbar Tweaker to be a light weight and awesome little app i've been using for a few months now since I found it here. I used it to un-grounp all similar taskbar items that use the same program (so I can reorganize them without restrictions), bring back the classic right click menu and use the middle mouse click to close windows and apps quickly from the taskbar.

~Des

 

[moinmoin]

Option Five:
Start the regedit.
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
New: DWORD (32-bit)
Name: TaskbarNoThumbnail
Value: 1

*edit* don't work, sorry

 

[Brink]

Hello MoinMoin,

Sorry, but that option that worked in Vista no longer works in Windows 7.

 

[moinmoin]

Yes i have test it now. You're right.

 

[kdm1230]

using option 4

Hey folks!

I tried option 4 to enable the windows toobar preview and
they had downloads; so I downloaded the file (enabling one) and unzipped the file and double clicked on it. It asked me if I wanted to continue so I clicked okay which i think added the registry into my computer.

Since then, display on my internet explorer and some folders look really weird.
Just to give you guys an idea, if i go on a google or hotmail, every tabs are surrounded by the box with thick line and the colors of the texts are blue or green where it is supposed to be black.

I tried chaning the display theme on personalization tab under control panel and that did not fix it. I am clueless.
This is starting to really bothering me a lottttt because I just bought a new laptop and this thing is making things look so funky.

does anyone have a solution to this?