By default, You can not get the preview of Photoshop PSD files in Windows 7 Explorer. They will look like this Screenshot (The thumbnail you can see is of a PNG file):
We will perform some trick to enable the thumbnail preview of these PSD files in Windows 7 without any need of softwares.
Enable Thumbnail view for PSD files : Steps
Download this open source dll file (new page will open). You will get something like this:
Step 2
Note: This method currently might not work for Windows 7 64 bit (please read the comments). We are trying to solve the problem, we will update the method as soon we get it universally working. (31/03/2010).
Differs a bit in 32 bit and 64 bit.
For 32 bit:
Place it in :
1 2 | c:program filescommon filesadobeshell # If the shell directory isn't there create it. |
For 64 bit:
Place it in :
1 2 | c:program files (x86)common filesadobeshell # If the shell directory isn't there create it |
Paste it :
Step 3
Open notepad; Copy the code given below:
For 32 bit:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSharedDLLs] "C:Program FilesCommon FilesAdobeShellpsicon.dll"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.psdShellEx] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.psdShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}] @="{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}] @="Photoshop Icon Handler" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}InProcServer32] @="C:Program FilesCommon FilesAdobeShellpsicon.dll" "ThreadingModel"="Apartment" |
For 64 bit:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSharedDLLs] "C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesAdobeShellpsicon.dll"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.psdShellEx] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.psdShellEx{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}] @="{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}] @="Photoshop Icon Handler" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{0B6DC6EE-C4FD-11d1-819A-00C04FB69B4D}InProcServer32] @="C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesAdobeShellpsicon.dll" "ThreadingModel"="Apartment" |
Now save it as “psdreg.reg” (Without quotes. Change file type to all files, otherwise it will be a text file):
Double click it and accept security prompt; Windows will inform you the values has been added:
Check your PSD files now:
Note:
1. Dont follow this method if you have folders containing GBs of PSD files; particularly if individual file size is like me (See first screenshot).
2. It will slow the explorer a bit.
3. You can use paid third party tools like Ardfry Codecs for Windows Explorer . In that case, apart from Windows explorer, you can get preview of PSD in Windows Photo Viewer, Windows Media Player (Windows Media Player can open any image file: try it) , Windows Media Center etc programs. I used trial version to check:
Note:
All the needed registry files plus those registry files you need to remove thumbnail preview in Windows 7 is here, Click here to download.
