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Author Topic: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails  (Read 8799 times)

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Geek-9pm

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Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« on: September 21, 2017, 12:59:58 AM »
When I use Windows XP it is easy for me to recall where I left a file or a folder. The thumbnails in Windows XP  helps me.

But In Windows 7 and 10 I can not find how to get the same thumbnails to show. Some pictures show in the folders, bu often the pictures themselves do not. Why? Also, I can not alter the pictures Windows 10 puts in the folder icons.

Here is what I mean. I have enclosed below a screen shot of a directory in Windows XP. To make the point, I am only showing  the lpwer half of the folder display. Notice that both folders and files have icons that help me identify an object visually. The documents  done with Notepad do no have a views. But PDF documents and Libre Office documents have some nice little thumbnails that help me spot a document I am trying to locate. If I can not remember the name,  the thumbnail has a visual clue that can help.

My question. Is this available in Windows 10? is so, How? It has now been over a year and I still get lost on Windows 10. I  do not see hat it is an improvement for a older person like myself. 

I prefer a  visual OS that I can use.  :o
Go ahead, tell me I am the only one that has this problem.  :-[


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strollin



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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2017, 05:54:31 AM »
I've never relied on program icons or picture to locate the file I'm looking for.  Too many files have the same icon and often icons for programs don't make sense to me.  I rely on the filename itself and, in fact, rarely use anything but the Details view for looking at folders and/or files.

I have no problem finding my files in Win 10 (or any other OS I've used).

It may be different for you since you are visually impaired but then don't you rely on your screen reader to read the folder/file names to you?

Geek-9pm

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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2017, 07:01:18 AM »
If I ever have too, I cm get by with a OS that does no have a graphical interface.
One can change the icons for almost anything. I design some icons myself. In is fun and it helps me later to find something.
Here is one of my DIY things.
And yes, often I have to use the magnifier for some things. And Windows 10 does have a very good magnifier. And I can not do FTP by icons s alone. I have to read the fin print and that is why I have to have the other things needed.
Here is a small sample of icons from Google images:

I had to do screenshot, crop and export to a directory. The I had to do FTP to a site I have. Had to do the .htaccess thing and make  a new directory. Got it wrong barbecue I had two places in the directory tree of my local disk that have the same name. So it took me about twenty minutes to do this post.It was fun. Part of it depended on finding things by look. But some things the name was more important.
I wish that MS would let users change more of the visual things in Windows 10.
Thanks or looking. 

DaveLembke



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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2017, 07:08:49 AM »
Quote
in fact, rarely use anything but the Details view for looking at folders and/or files.

I too use detailed view and sort by name, type, or size to find stuff fast where there are lots of files and say its a linux iso I can sort by size in a location and its right there as one of the larger files, or type can be used to find a file that is a exe tucked in a mess of other file types when I dont recall the exact name of the executable etc. If I know its name I just find it alphabetically through a A to Z or Z to A sort order in detail view.

Many years ago one of my tech buddies was trying to get me in on the thumbnail navigation method. He liked it, but for me, I think its because I have a DOS like DIR looking preference to looking through many files in one place and Detailed View to me I feel right at home with a DOS DIR type view in a Windows environment. 

BC_Programmer


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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2017, 12:28:07 PM »
Thumbnails are visible in Large, Extra Large, and Tile views. They require Shell Extensions for documents other than standard pictures, which are supported via windows itself.

PDF and certain other documents were available through shell extensions installed via shmedia.dll in Windows XP. These were removed in later Windows releases for a number of reasons, not limited to security issues with the thumbnail previews.

This means you need software which installs shell extensions or at least saves thumbnail information that can be accessed. Word and Open Office have a "Save thumbnail" checkbox in the save dialog. PDF Documents require a PDF Viewer that installs an extension- Most don't. I'd expect Adobe Reader probably does, and perhaps Foxit Reader. SumatraPDF does but it only works on 32-bit.
I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

patio

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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2017, 03:49:17 PM »
Quote
If I ever have too, I cm get by with a OS that does no have a graphical interface.

I found this ironic...or i'm missing something.
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

Geek-9pm

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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2017, 07:50:30 PM »
I found this ironic...or i'm missing something.
When I am on Windows XP ...
  - I am a as fast as a turtle.
When I am on Windows 10 ...
- I am a as fast as a snail.

Years and years ago, when I did machine level code, it was on an Intel development system that had a glass monitor, but it was really just a console that worked like a teletype.  One line at a time. You could not move the cursor and cut and paste. One day they gave us a new program the let use take advantage of the CRT and aurally do on screen editing.
As a comparison, Have you ever made a script using  the MS-DOS [program called edlin?   :o
https://www.computerhope.com/edlin.htm
Quote
While not as easy as the edit command, edlin allows the user to crudely edit files.
OK, Windows 10 is better than edlin.
But it makes me think about edlin.  :(


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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2017, 08:23:54 PM »
The difference is more like the difference between Lotus 1-2-3 and, say, Excel.

If you look for the pull-down menus in Lotus 1-2-3 you are familiar with in Excel, you won't find it.

if you try to use the slash commands in Excel, you'll find they don't work. (Though there are ways of getting it to work...)

I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

patio

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Re: Why I Like Windows XP Thumbnails
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2017, 08:38:21 PM »
You ...and everyone else missed my point...Oh well.
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "