Problem with image thumbnails

I have this weird problem with image thumbnails on my Windows 8.1 system. I use BabelSoft's Media Preview, and even though I have it set to create thumbnails for all image formats, some images just don't show as thumbnails. Instead they show as an icon of the program I use to open images by default, Irfanview. What's even weirder is how sometimes, without me changing any settings or anything, these images will suddenly show as thumbnails, and then they'll go back to icons again. It seems to be affected by me rebooting the computer. I'll turn the computer on, and an image will show as an icon; I'll do a restart later, and the image suddenly shows as a thumbnail, or vice versa. Anyone know what might be causing this?

 

Jesse Newell...

A little bit about the installation process. BabelSoft's description of "all image formats" is likely incomplete. Looks like basically what happened was that Babelsoft did change the formatting for all types of images that it registers during its installation as image formats. The ones that it did not register are probably all of a certain type or types, like gifs or pngs or something like that. Those would be the ones appearing as Irfanview icons.

To possibly further complicate things, Babelsoft may have created its own dialog for thumbnails that will work only for the pic types it registers and then it may also have taken from Windows the functionality you would normally have for setting folder thumbnails. Next time you open the pics folder, using Windows, take a look at the setting for icon viewing. It is top right of the folder dialog with a drop down arrow. Maybe you could check to see what happens if you set that to Large Icons. There is another setting to look at, too. On the left side of the pics folder, toward the top, you will see "Organize". Click on that and select "Folder and search options" from the list. Click on the View tab and then the first check box should be unchecked.

Basically, Babelsoft could have performed a hundred or more registry tweaks to achieve what you are seeing (even have removed keys). Clearly, the software does not recognize all pic types for thumbs, so I wonder if you should consider another program. Overall, you could have a problem with the registry if you remove Babelsoft. Here is a thread about a similar problem:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=293094&highlight=thumbnails

The most recent 10 or so posts cover what likely happened with the Nexus software this poster was using...

 

Thanks. Just went through that thread. Unfortunately, if my problem is similar, and BabelSoft's Media Preview removed some registry keys, I'll never be able to fix the problem. I didn't create any backup of the registry before I installed Media Preview, and I don't have a Windows installation disc because Windows came preinstalled. So I'm ****ed. Should I try that Z-Installer thing?

 

Jesse Newell...

Question. Are the thumbnails you mentioned something you see when you open BabelSoft, or are you seeing these when you look at your Windows pic folder...the actual folder?

If you are looking at the Windows pictures folder when you see the problem, one thing you can try if you like. There is a dialog in Irfanview that can be found here:

Options->Properties and Settings->press the "Images only" button

This will make Irfanview your default viewer for all types of pictures. The icon should change to the Irfanview one for the ones that were BabelSoft. You can then try and see if the Large Icons settings will give you thumbnails back in your pics folder. The Organize->Folder and search options->View->no checkbox in "Always show icons, never thumbnails" setting also has to be correct (left side of the folder where you keep your pictures).

If you can do this, you will probably be OK just to use standard methods to remove BabelSoft.

Barring that, I would try Revo. See if it sees the installation. If it sees it, you should be able to remove the remnants of the program and, hopefully, everything will be fine.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/revo_uninstaller.html

One thing I recommended in the thread was an uninstaller called Comodo Programs Manager v. 1.2. 1.2 doesn't have Geek Buddy like 1.3 and on. Geek Buddy is a bundleware in CPM that you can't get around. Anyway, CPM 1.2 is what I use. I wouldn't recommend it for anything but a situation like this, because it only records what is installed after you install CPM. The idea is to reinstall the BabelSoft program over the top of what is there already, and then use CPM to remove the program. It might revert any nasty changes made during the installation.

Any of the above are good.

Personally, throwing out the CPM option, I would try Revo. If you know already the BabelSoft program isn't what you want, might as well just ditch it.

If you don't get the results you want with Revo...i.e. icon/thumbnail problems. Install CPM 1.2 and then reinstall BabelSoft. Then use CPM to get all of the program and see if that works.

 

I don't think you read my original post properly. Irfanview IS my default image viewing program. Babelsoft's Media Preview isn't an image viewer; it just creates thumbnails. My problem was

I've worked it out anyway so thanks. Uninstalled Media Preview and installed an alternative called Icaros instead. That seems to have done the trick.

 

Jesse Newell...

OK. Glad you got it worked out. I guess I thought you might have a bigger problem than you actually had...