Preview Icons Help!

[Evil_Cronos]

Alright I've been running Windows Vista Premium for about 2 and a half weeks and found little to complain about, but I knew that it wouldn't last. when viewing the icons of video files, the icons have (until now) shown a frame from the video similar to the preview on picture files. Now all of a sudden the icon is the basic icon for the type of file extension with no preview. I don't recall doing anything unusual, but I want to get these previews back anyone know what to do?

[Broni]

File's icon shows an icon of the application it's associated with.
I suspect, you lost correct file association.
It's easy to fix, but I need to know what application you usually open your video files with, and also when you go to Windows explorer, and look at any video file, what does it say in "Type" column?

[Evil_Cronos]

The type of file determins what program I open a file with and these files are AVI, MPG, and MPEG with DivX Player and WMV files with Windows Media Player 11. Under the type column is, depending on the folder, anyone of the metioned file types that are in that folder.

[Broni]

Open Windows Explorer.
Navigate to any avi file, right click on it, click on "Open with", click on "Choose Default Program" (it may be named slightly different, like "Others", depending on Windows version).
A list of programs will open.
Navigate to DivX Player, select it (click), put a checkmark in a box next to "Always use the selected fiel...".
Click OK.
You are done.

Repeat same procedure for other type of files  (for WMV, you'll pick Windows Media Player)

[Evil_Cronos]

I tried that and it didn't change anything. I've been playing around on this computer looking for anything that might effect the preview on the icons but nothing seems to fix the problem. It was working from the day I put the files on the computer til one day after I shut down the computer when I left the house and when I turned it back on later that day it didn't work.

[Broni]

I think, I misread your question.
Go Start, and type in:
regsvr32 shimgvw.dll (<===there is a SPACE there)
Hit Enter.

[Evil_Cronos]

If you meant to type that in Run or the Dos Comand prompt then when I do an error message comes up saying
"The module "shimgvw.dll" was loaded but the entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found.

Make sure that "shimgvw.dll" is a valid DLL or OCX file and then try again."

I've read about other people using that method on Windows XP but from what I've seen it doesn't seem to work on Windows Vista, which I'm running. Any other ideas?

[Broni]

Do you have thumbnails enabled?
Windows Explorer>Tools>Folder Options.
Click on View tab.
Under the Files and Folders tree heading, un-check (tick) the checkbox next to Always show icons, never thumbnails option.

[Evil_Cronos]

Yes, Only the video file seem affected though, my image file still have a preview for an icon.

[Broni]

That's strange...
I checked MS site (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249873) about that "entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found" error, and it may indicate, that your "shimgvw.dll" is corrupted.
But...I tried the above command on my Vista, and I got very same error.

BTW,

I've read about other people using that method on Windows XP

I have this particular dll on my Vista, so it should work.

While searching for "entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found", I got a lot of hits, but most of them involve coding, which gives me a headache (LOL).
I'll look for more, though.

[Broni]

I may be up to something.
Apparently, Vista is having problems with displaying some thumbnails (created by Nero, for instance).
You may want to read:
http://forum.osnn.net/archive/index.php?t-88746.html
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=542536
Some solutions worked for some people there, so you may want to poke around there.
Also, Google search for "vista video files thumbnails won't show" will give you more...

[Evil_Cronos]

After playing around from help site to help site I finaly found a solution that has worked for me. In case anyone else has the same problem this is what I did.

1. Uninstall Nero.
2. Got to http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/ and download the apropiate .REG fix and follow the directions on the web page.
3. Right click (for example) an AVI file, select properties, select change the program the file opens with to what ever program you want, even if it is already set to that program and click ok, apply and ok.

For folders to show previews for the files that it contains

1. Right click a folder and select properties, under the customize tag select change icon and restore default, apply and ok.

Thanks to Nicholas from Winhelponline for this info.

[Broni]

Good job!!!