Folder Preview Picture Change

Borna_mir · Oct 11, 2007

Hi there:

I have a strange situation in this regard, I assigned a few pictures to some directories exactly the way you mentioned here, it worked fine but one of these pictures has been attached to my "Program Files" directory too!!!!!! It happened all by itself and since there's no customize option about "Program Files" directory, I can't change or remove this picture from folder preview of my "Program Files"!!!

Any suggestions?
thanks alot.

Brink · Oct 11, 2007

Hi Borna mir,

Go back to the one that you changed with this picture and change it back to the default (Restore Default) picture. It should restore the Program Files folder with it like it did before.

Curious, which folder did you change that changed the Program Files folder to?

Shawn

Dr.Zaius · Oct 12, 2007

My issue seems simpler but probably more intractable: sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Initially I thought it depended on whether or not there were subfolders, but that ain't it.

Refreshing, rebooting, or simply waiting doesn't help either. I'm talking about just regular old folders with nothing but JPEGs in them but some (if not most) leopards absolutely refuse to change their spots!

Brink · Oct 12, 2007

Hi Dr. Zaius,

Welcome to the forum. :party:

Vista can be picky when it comes to what it will allow to be changed or remembered. Try resetting the folder view settings to see if that will help. Look at method two in this tutorial for how.

How to Reset Windows Explorer Folder View Settings to Make Vista Remember

Shawn

Borna_mir · Oct 12, 2007

Dear Shawn:

It was an ordinary folder including some pictures that I had customized!! I had similar problem with another folders too!! so finally I decided to forget customizing folders and reset everything to its default condition. using your method on "How to Reset Windows Explorer Folder View Settings to Make Vista Remember" solved the problem with "Program Files" too.

Thanks a lot, Borna

Brink · Oct 12, 2007

Borna,

I am glad to hear that it solved your problem for you. Could you tell me the full path or location of that ordinary folder? I would like to run some tests by placing a folder in the same location to see if I can come with a way to prevent the problem you had when customizing.

Thank you for the feedback,
Shawn

Dr.Zaius · Oct 13, 2007

The method did not work for changing the preview image, but it definitely seemed to make folder settings more stable in general. Many thanks for that! :D

Brink · Oct 14, 2007

Dr. Zalius,

Glad to hear that it helped for your folder settings. Where are the folders located for the ones you want to change the preview picture? I have noticed that some system file folders will not change at all.

Shawn

Dr.Zaius · Oct 15, 2007

Mainly just subfolders of JPEGs in "C:\Users\DrZ\Pictures." I have found a work-around that's not really a solution but does the trick consistently on my machine at least.

I chose a single pic for the preview thumbnail, then copied and pasted it into the folder making sure it was the only image on that level.

I hoped that would set the preview permanently so the out-of-place copy could be deleted, but it wants to revert back unless you leave it. Not ideal, but easy as falling off a log!

Brink · Oct 15, 2007

Dr. Zaius,

I created a folder with subfolders in it that had some PNG files in both in the same location as yours. I used a JPEG from the C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper location for the preview picture for both the main folder and subfolders. I had to hit F5 on one of them to refresh the window, but they all changed to the preview picture. I updated the tutorial with these new findings. I hope it helps.

Nice workaround you found though.

Shawn

Borna_mir · Oct 17, 2007

Hi, Here's the address of that "ordinary folder":

C:>Cool>Famous People>Sad But True Pictures>Our Country

This folder only contains pictures.

Borna

Brink · Oct 17, 2007

Borna,

I created the exact same folders with the same names and location as yours. I even threw in some pictures in the folder. It allowed me to change the display picture without any problems for all the folders. Strange and frustrating that you cannot. You might try temporarily relocating these folders into the C:\Users\(your username)\Pictures folder to see if they willl change there; or/so you can recreate new folders in the original location to see if that will help and transfer the pictures back over when done.

Shawn

Dr.Zaius · Oct 18, 2007

Refreshing in and of itself didn't help, but it did give me an idea that turned out to work.

:party:

Going to properties/customize/change icon, clicking "restore defaults" then selecting the desired preview file as normal did the job. Inexplicably still have to restore the default icon again each time I want to change the preview image, but no biggie. Thanks for all your efforts Brink, and hopefully this will also work for you, Borna.

Brink · Oct 18, 2007

Dr. Zaius,

Glad you found a solution for your problem. Thank you for the feedback.

Shawn

Brink · Oct 23, 2007

Updated to add step 7 for problems with changing preview picture.
10-23-07

Shawn

Bitshifter · Oct 31, 2007

I have a more elaborated question about the folder preview display:
Is it possible to have the preview show more than one picture by user definition?
I'll explain: some of my folders (mostly music folders containing albumarts) have multiple folders within them + songle MP3's not in folder.
Example: The folder: H:/Avril Lavinge will have 3 Folders within it (Say H:/Avril Lavinge/Under My SKin, H:/Avril Lavinge/My World and H:/Avril Lavinge/Let Go, along with these folders there are 3 more files, MP3, named 1.mp3, 2.mp3 and 3.mp3)
The subfolders are set the way I like it, with thumbnail preview all good. My question sums to this: Whenever viewing the master folder (i.e. h:/Avril Lavgine) the preview will show one of the sub-folder's preview (which is good), but in addition it will add MP3 icon previews as well.
Can I change the preview so it will show only the subfolders' albumart/thumbnails?
Thanks!

Brink · Oct 31, 2007

Hi Bitshifter,

Welcome to the forum. :party:

Only if you put the MP3's in an additional subfolder in that folder.

Sorry,
Shawn

Bitshifter · Oct 31, 2007

Thanks. That is what I thought. Oh well.

Renegade466 · Feb 13, 2008

Hi, I've had a similar problem for a while now and didnt know where to turn

So I have alot of folders on my external hard Drive K: , mainly Music, videos etc. I want to change the preview picture to the album art jpeg/png in the folder. It just looks like this by default

So
I try the 'Properties/Customize/Choose File' method but it doesnt seem to work. Even when I do Restore Default first.

The wierd thing is though, I tried the same thing with some folders in my internal drive C: and it works :/

So it seems only my external drive wont allow me to change the folder previews, any idea what I can do??

Folder Preview Picture Change

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