SOLVED Registry tweak for thumbnails

[Pazzoom]

Has anyone already worked through a registry tweak for viewing image file thumbnails in Windows 7? The standard fixes have not worked for viewing my Corel Draw thumbs in the folders. I seem to recall that a registry entry will fix the problem.

Thanks.

Jim

 

[Fire cat]

Hey Welcome to the forums!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=view+corel+draw+thumbnails+windows+7

Sorry - But seriously, google is your friend. Here is the fix:

1. Go to your Control Panel then PROGRAMS AND FEATURES (ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS)

2. Select CorelDraw X4 (or whatever version you have) and click

3. Select Modify from Corel's uninstall options window

4. Scroll down to UTILITIES you should notice your "windows shell extension' box un-ticked, go ahead and tick it .

 

[Pazzoom]

Already did that, and the other standard fixes, as well. And I've been all over Google looking at the same few answers everywhere. I need a refresher on how to make the registry edit myself.

Thanks.
Jim

 

[Fire cat]

Well, I think Elmer of Trainableman would be more qualified to answer then.
Registry tweeks are great - but dangerous... I'll never venture out of tuts for the moment.

 

[Pazzoom]

Yes, I am always nervous about messing around with the registry, but when things need a real fix, it has been very useful.

Thanks again.

 

[TrainableMan]

It would have to be Elmer, he's the one that likes images on everything.

I'm curious, what are the file extensions on the images that will not show as thumbnails?

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Well thanks for the votes of confidence and compliments

It would have to be Elmer, he's the one that likes images on everything.

(I think!!) Fellas.
Corel Draw is out of my bounds though. Or maybe not? Is Corel - PaintShop Pro??

 

[Pazzoom]

Most of the standard bitmap files show up fine. Corel's CDR (for Corel Draw) files should be visible in any Windows environment. Any file associated with CorelDraw should have a preview thumbnail available. My PDF files are also not showing on Windows 7, but should. I'm running Windows Vista on another machine & all these files show up fine, so long as the view settings are set right.

But CDR thumbs & Windows Explorer are problematic. Often, it takes some playing around to make everything work. Different machine environments require different fixes.

Thanks, Guys.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

See this little tut wot I rote to (hopefully) solve your PDF file issues. I'm assuming you have 64 bit as that tends to be the most problematic.

There's also the PSP Thumbnail Handler which covers

• psp (Images, PSP 6 or 7)
• tub (Picture tubes, PSP 7)
• jsl (Shapes, PSP 7)
• pfr (Picture frames, PSP 7)
• pspimage (Images, PSP 8+)
• psptube (Picture tubes, PSP 8+)
• pspshape (Shapes, PSP 8+)
• pspframe (Picture frames, PSP 8+)

but not (sadly) CDR's

I'll look into the CDR issue. See what I can find out.

EDITED: UPDATE Sadly cannot find anything more about CDR files than you already know

 

[TrainableMan]

My best guess...
If it is not a picture type recognized by windows then it would require that you load the appropriate codecs to display, just as some movie types will not play in WMP unless you install those codecs. Do you have a Viewer installed for CDR images?

You might also reset the thumbnail image cache to see if that helps.

 

[Pazzoom]

The disk cleanup didn't work, but it was a good idea that I hadn't thought to try.

Yes, I think you're right, the CDR image data has to be loaded in by Corel. I seem to recall, a long time ago, making a registry entry or correction when I had trouble on another computer.

But no, the system giving me trouble now is a 32 bit, not 64-bit. My 64 bit machine (a Gateway running Vista) is displaying everything just fine. I did have trouble with the 64 bit at first, but finally got it working.

An example of the silly tricks people play to make it work: The Photopaint (Corel's photo/bitmap editor) images wouldn't display thumbs on my Gateway, so I had to associate the files with an earlier version of the program still on the machine. That worked in for me in Vista, but not in Windows 7.

Thanks again for the time & trouble.

 

[Fire cat]

Maybe run CorelDraw in compatibility mode?

Just an idea...

 

[TrainableMan]

Just "spit-balling" ideas ...

Or maybe try installing it in compatibility mode? I really think it may have something to do with the file associations. You mentioned registry and that IS where file associations are stored.

I thought I read something about a Corel viewer program; installing that might fix something (I'm thinking it may form a file association that windows explorer would use the viewer to show the image).

 

[Fire cat]

True.

Try Irfanview. I've done some research, and people have been able view .cdrs with it.
http://www.irfanview.com/

And even if it doesn't work, irfanview is so awesomely awesome that I would strongly recommend that you keep it

 

[Pazzoom]

Or maybe try installing it in compatibility mode? I really think it may have something to do with the file associations. You mentioned registry and that IS where file associations are stored.

Windows 7 does find Corel Draw X4 to be "incompatible," but the "fix" it offers (to run it under the old XP environment) gives worse results than the way it runs now -- which is fine except for not showing thumbs in Explorer. I agree, though, that there is a hangup somewhere in the file association, since the thumbs are supposed to be visible as previews. Corel is, of course, willing & eager to sell me the upgrade to X5 with a promise of total compatibility. Always, just a few more dollars for today's solution... Sort of like the government.

Thanks.

 

[Pazzoom]

True.

Try Irfanview. I've done some research, and people have been able view .cdrs with it.
http://www.irfanview.com/

And even if it doesn't work, irfanview is so awesomely awesome that I would strongly recommend that you keep it

Thanks, FC, but I don't like having any more software than I really need. I hate loading up on lots of little apps to do the things that should be fixable with a simple tweak or two. Irfanview doesn't list CDR file types in their list, anyway.

And I already have Corel's Scrapbook included with the program that will give me a separate window of previews (one more thing to do each time I want to open an existing graphic) and I also have Adobe's Bridge previewer that I never use when working with Abobe files. Since my main work is graphics, adding that one more step, & having more stuff open all the time only drives me nuts.

What would be really nice (in a perfect world) would be for "Windows-compatible" applications & software systems to work well with Windows. But that day may never quite make it. Windows keeps changing the core & everyone keeps trying to keep up. Same is true, at a different pace, for Apple systems. That's why I'm going to buy a Toyota computer & run a Ford OS on it -- while cruising down the highway.

Thanks again.

 

[cybercore]

Has anyone already worked through a registry tweak for viewing image file thumbnails in Windows 7? The standard fixes have not worked for viewing my Corel Draw thumbs in the folders. I seem to recall that a registry entry will fix the problem.

Thanks.

Jim

Tweak tool - http://www.thewindowsclub.com/taskbar-thumbnail-tweaker-resizer-for-windows-7-released

Mamually - http://beingpc.com/2010/03/how-to-increase-the-size-of-taskbar-thumbnail-preview-in-windows-7/

 

[Pazzoom]

Thanks, cybercore, but the taskbar thumbs thing is a whole different issue users are having. I'm working on a thumbnails vs. icons view for Corel graphics files in Explorer.

Thanks.

 

[Pazzoom]

Update Monday-October 25, 2010

Good news! Parallels just downloaded a maintenance update to the virtual machine that houses Windows 7 on my iMac, & I got all my CorelDraw thumbnails. Now I can see my graphics files in the folders and work a lot faster.