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	w i n d o w s  9 8

	i m a g e   p r e v i e w  s   m i s s i n g

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	Important:
	This article contains information about editing the registry. 
	Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it 
	if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the 
	"Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a 
	Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.


	Problem:
	When you click an image icon in Windows Explorer, the picture preview 
	may not be displayed on the left side of the pane. 
	NOTE: Previews are available only if you have the View As Web Page 
	option enabled for the folder containing the image file. 


	Reason:
	This behavior can occur if the file association for the type of file you are 
	trying to preview has been changed by a third-party program. 


	Warning:
	Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may 
	require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee 
	that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be 
	solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

	For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys 
	and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and 
	Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in 
	Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. 
	If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).


	Solution:
	To resolve this issue, verify that the following entries exist in the
	HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<file type> registry key for the type of file you are
	trying to preview:

	Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<file type>\ShellEx]

	Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<file type>\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]

	Value: (Default)="{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}"

	The following file types use the registry values listed above:
	.art
	.bmp
	.dib
	.gif
	.jfif
	.jpe
	.jpeg
	.jpg
	.png
	.wmf


	Example:
	So, for example, if you highlight a bmp file (and your folder is set to
	"View as Webpage") and you do not see an image preview, check the Registry

	1.	START | Run - type "regedit"
		Once Registry Editor has begun select Registry | Expoert Registry
		File... and save a backup to your location of choice.

	2.	Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp (sometimes .BMP)

	3.	It should have a box with a "+" in it.  Click the box to expand the
		directory tree.

	4.	You should now see at least 2 Keys (which look like folders) called
		ShellEx and ShellNew.  ShellEx should have a box with a "+" - click it.
		You should see a new Key called "{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}"

	5.	If you don't then you need to create new keys:

		a) Highlight "ShellEx".
		b) In the Edit menu select New | Key - or right-click and select New | Key
		c) A new key called "New Key #1" will be created.  It will be highlighted.
		   simply rename this to {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}
		   Tip: copy this to the clipboard and paste (Ctrl+V) it in the new
		   key.
		d) Now select your new key "{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}" and
		   either from Edit | New, or right-click New - select "String Value"
		e) A new string value called "New Value #1" will be created.  Rename this
		   to {7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}

	6.	Do the same for each file type (see list above) which is affected.

	7.	Now exit Registry Editor and you will find that you can now see image 
		previews for the appropriate graphic types.


	Tip:
	There is another way which is quicker, but more risky.  It involves writing a text
	file with a .reg suffix which when run will automatically merge the data into the
	registry.  An example is shown below, which re-registers all .BMP files with Paint
	Shop Pro, and allows image previews.

	* Note that the file begins "REGEDIT4"
	* Each Key is enclosed with [square brackets]
	* The '@' symbol represents "String Value"
	* All program paths are in 8.3 DOS format - so \Program Files\ is now shown as
	  \\PROGRA~1\\
	* Note the double back-slashes in the paths


		REGEDIT4
	
		[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP]
		@="PSP.Image"
		"Content Type"="image/bmp"

		[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP\ShellEx]
		@=""

		[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
		@="{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}"

		[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP\ShellNew-]
		"Command"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\PAINTS~1\\PSP.EXE /New"
		"NullFile"=""

		[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP\ShellNew]
		"Command"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\PAINTS~1\\PSP.EXE /New"



	Source and additional information:
	Visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base or send an empty mail to
	mshelp@microsoft.com, using "Q192573, Q178746, Q191242" as the
	subject, to recieve these texts via e-mail.

	"Image Previews Not Displayed in Windows Explorer" (ID: Q192573)
	"Thumbnail Views Not Displayed for Some File Types" (ID: Q178746)
	"How to Enable Preview for Multimedia Files" (ID: Q191242)

	(http://support.microsoft.com/support).