Corel Draw is a powerful designing software used by many professionals. However, sometimes users may face the issue of missing thumbnails in Windows 7. This article provides a simple solution to fix this problem.
Troubleshooting CorelDRAW Thumbnail Display Issues in Windows 7
If you’re experiencing issues with CorelDRAW thumbnails not displaying in Windows 7, there are a few things you can try to fix the problem. One common issue is a corrupted Windows thumbnail cache, which can be resolved by clearing the cache in the Disk Cleanup utility. If that doesn’t work, you can try repairing the CorelDRAW installation through Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel. You can also check the file association for CorelDRAW files by going to the Properties dialog for a file and checking the General tab to ensure that the correct program is selected. Finally, you can try disabling and re-enabling the Windows shell extension for CorelDRAW by navigating to C:\Program Files\Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics Suite [version]\Programs\ShellExt.dll and renaming the file to ShellExt.old. For more detailed troubleshooting instructions, check out Corel’s knowledge base article on the topic.
Methods to Reinstall Windows Shell Extension for Corel Graphics
To reinstall Windows Shell Extension for Corel Graphics, follow these steps:
1. Open the Programs and Features dialog by going to the Windows Control Panel and selecting Programs and Features.
2. Find CorelDRAW Graphics Suite in the list of installed programs and select it. Click the Change button above the list.
3. In the setup dialog, select the option to repair the installation. Follow the prompts to complete the repair process.
4. After the repair is complete, navigate to the setup folder for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. This is typically located in C:\Program Files\Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics Suite [version number].
5. Locate the file named CorelShellExt.dll and right-click on it. Select Properties from the context menu.
6. In the Properties dialog, select the General tab. If the file type is listed as Corel DESIGNER file, change it to CorelDRAW file.
7. Close the Properties dialog and open File Explorer. Look for a column titled Type. If the column is not visible, right-click on the column headers and select Type from the context menu.
8. Look for the CorelDRAW file type. If the icons and file thumbnails are not showing, right-click on a file and select Open with > Choose another app.
9. In the Open with dialog, select CorelDRAW Graphics Suite from the list of applications. Check the box labeled Always use this app to open .cdr files.
10. Close the Open with dialog, and the file preview pane should display the thumbnail preview for Corel graphics files.
If the above steps do not resolve the issue, check the Corel knowledge base article for additional troubleshooting instructions. You may also need to use the installation media (DVD or downloaded installer) to reinstall the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite application.
Why CorelDRAW Thumbnails May Not Display in Windows 7
If CorelDRAW thumbnails are not displaying in Windows 7, it may be due to a corrupt or incomplete installation of the software. To fix this issue, try reinstalling CorelDRAW from the installation media or setup folder. Another solution is to associate .cdr files with CorelDRAW by right-clicking on a .cdr file in Windows Explorer, selecting “Open with,” and choosing CorelDRAW from the list of available applications. If this doesn’t work, check that the file association for .cdr files is correct in the Control Panel. Additionally, make sure that thumbnail previews are enabled in the Windows Explorer settings and that your shell version is up to date. By following these steps, you should be able to see your CorelDRAW file thumbnails and graphics thumbnails in the file preview pane and thumbnail viewer.
Option Explicit
Dim objShell, objFolder, objFolderItem, objFSO, objStream, objWShell, objReg
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objWShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objReg = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\default:StdRegProv")
'Get the path of Corel Draw folder
Set objFolder = objShell.BrowseForFolder(0, "Select the Corel Draw folder", 0, "&Select")
If Not objFolder Is Nothing Then
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.Self
objWShell.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Corel\CorelDRAW\21.0\Draw\Recent Files\Last Folder", objFolderItem.Path, "REG_SZ"
End If
'Reset thumbnail cache
objReg.GetStringValue &H80000001, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons", "179", strValue
If strValue <> "-101" Then
objReg.SetStringValue &H80000001, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons", "179", "-101"
End If
'Make sure thumbnails are enabled
objReg.GetDWORDValue &H80000001, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced", "DisableThumbnailCache", dwValue
If dwValue <> 0 Then
objReg.SetDWORDValue &H80000001, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced", "DisableThumbnailCache", 0
End If
'Restart Windows Explorer
Set objStream = objWShell.Exec("taskkill /f /im explorer.exe").StdOut
Do While Not objStream.AtEndOfStream
strLine = objStream.ReadLine
Loop
Set objStream = objWShell.Exec("explorer.exe").StdOut
Do While Not objStream.AtEndOfStream
strLine = objStream.ReadLine
Loop
WScript.Echo "Corel Draw thumbnails should now be visible on Windows 7."
This code uses Windows registry settings to reset the thumbnail cache and enable thumbnails for Corel Draw files. It also sets the last folder used by Corel Draw to the selected folder and restarts the Windows Explorer process to apply the changes. Please note that this is just an example and it may not work in all cases. It’s always recommended to backup your registry before making any changes.
Solutions for Enabling CorelDRAW Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7
- Check File Associations
- Open the Control Panel.
- Select “Default Programs.”
- Click “Associate a file type or protocol with a program.”
- Find the file type you want to associate with CorelDRAW.
- Select “Change program.”
- Choose CorelDRAW as the default program.
- Clear Thumbnail Cache
- Open Windows Explorer.
- Click on “Organize” and then select “Folder and search options.”
- Click on the “View” tab.
- Select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.”
- Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files.”
- Click “Apply” and then “OK.”
- Go to “C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\” and delete the “IconCache.db” file.
- Restart your computer.
- Reset Thumbnail Preview Settings
- Open Control Panel and select “Folder Options.”
- Click on the “View” tab.
- Click “Reset Folders.”
- Click “Yes” to confirm.
- Restart your computer.
- Update CorelDRAW
- Open CorelDRAW.
- Click on “Help” and select “Check for Updates.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install any available updates.
