One of the built-in tools that we use the most on our Windows computer is File Explorer. Through it we can navigate through all the folders and files that are stored on our hard drive quickly and easily. When using it, on its left side it shows us a navigation panel that, by default, when we open it, is located in Quick Access, while the right panel shows the content of each unit, folder or element selected from the navigation pane.
As you may already know, all the content displayed in the right pane can be displayed in Details mode, List mode, or icons of different sizes. For example, if we choose a mode with large icons, we will be able to see a thumbnail view of the images, so that it will be easier for us to recognize them at a glance.
However, there are many users who prefer a full preview of our images, documents or other types of files. Even in many situations it can be interesting to be able to see the details of a file and know its type, modification or creation date, size, etc.
On Windows 10
If we use Windows 10 as our usual operating system, we show you how to enable or disable the Preview Panel and the Details Panel with a few simple steps.
Enable Preview Pane
In File Explorer, we can enable a Preview Pane that is displayed on the right side of the window. As its name suggests, we can use it to preview the content of certain types of files. For example, if we select an image file in the File Explorer, a preview of it appears; if we select a text file, we can preview its content.
If we want to see a preview of any file from the Windows 10 File Explorer, we must click on the “View” menu option that we find at the top. Within the “Panels” section, we mark the “Preview” panel option.
This will automatically make it possible for us to see a new panel on the right side of the Windows 10 Explorer window that allows us to see a preview of the file that we have selected. We can select multiple files one by one and preview each one whether it is text, images or videos. Similarly, we can also choose to display this panel more quickly using the keyboard shortcut “Alt + P”.
In order to deactivate it, simply perform the previous steps again and uncheck the Preview Panel option or press the keyboard shortcut “Alt + P” again.
Enable Details Panel
In File Explorer, you can enable a Details Panel that is displayed on the right side of the File Explorer window. As the name implies, we can use the Details Panel to find more information about each file, such as its size, the date it was created, and the date it was last modified. The data fields displayed in this panel vary from file to file. For some files, like images, we will be able to see a lot of data; while for other files, such as PDF files, we will see less data.
As with the preview, we can show it by opening the File Explorer, then clicking on the “View ” tab and then on “Panel” . Here, we check the “Details Panel” option. We can also do it with the key combination “Alt + Shift + P”.
When we no longer need it and want to deactivate it, just follow the steps above and uncheck the Preview Panel option, or alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut “Alt + Shift + P” again.
On Windows 11
In Microsoft‘s new operating system, showing or hiding the Preview Pane or Details Pane has a process similar to that of Windows 10, although due to its redesign, it changes the steps a bit, although they are still simple.
Activate Preview Pane
The Preview Pane in Windows 11 File Explorer allows us to see the preview of the content of the selected file without having to open it. It is important that both the Preview Panel and the Details Panel are mutually exclusive, so when we enable one, the other will be hidden.
We can show or hide the Preview Pane in Windows 11 File Explorer by using the command bar. To do this, once the browser is open, we click on the “View” section. This will display a list, where we must go to the bottom and select the “Show” option. This will display a side menu to the right where we select the “Preview Panel” . Similarly, we can also choose to display this panel more quickly using the keyboard shortcut “Alt + P”. Now, whenever we select a file, we should see the preview of the file in the Preview Pane of File Explorer.
In order to deactivate it, we simply have to perform the previous steps again and uncheck the Preview Panel option or press the keyboard shortcut Alt + P again.
Enable Details Panel
The Windows 11 Explorer Details Panel also allows us to know all kinds of information about files such as their size, the date it was created, and the date it was last modified. In order to activate it, simply click on the “View” tab, which will display a menu. Here we click on the “Show” section at the bottom. This will open a side menu to the right where we must click on “Details panel” . We also have a keyboard shortcut such as “Alt + Shift + P”.
Whenever we want to deactivate it, simply follow the steps mentioned above and uncheck the Preview Panel option, or alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut “Alt + Shift + P” again.
Fix if Preview Panel not working
In case the File Explorer Preview Pane is not working as it should, we can choose to try one of the following options in order to fix it.
Enable show preview handlers
From the Options section, we must have the Show preview controllers in the preview panel setting enabled for it to work correctly. To do this, from Windows 10 we open the Vista tab and click on Options, while in Windows 11 we click on the three points that are in the upper right, and in the list that is displayed we click on “Options” .
This will open the folder options, where we will click on the “View” tab. Within the Advanced Settings section, check the box for “Show preview controllers in the preview panel” and click Apply to save the changes and OK.
Disable Always Show Icons Settings
Within the Folder Options, we find the setting to Always show icons, never thumbnails. If this option is enabled, the Preview Panel will not show anything. It will be necessary to disable it so that it can display its content.
To do this, it will be necessary to go back to the “Options” folder and click on the “View” tab. Here, we need to uncheck the “Always show icons, never thumbnails” box. We click Apply to save the changes and restart the File Explorer to check that it works correctly.
Change File Explorer startup mode
Opening File Explorer from This PC instead of Quick Access can help us fix problems with the Preview Pane. Again we must return to the File Explorer Options window using the Start menu search box and typing “file explorer options” and select it.
Once the Folder Options window is open, within the “General” tab, at the top we click the drop-down box next to “Open File Explorer in” and select the “This computer” option. We click Apply to save the changes and restart Explorer.