View thumbnails in windows explorer

[garfld]

I promise, I have searched this forum and the internet.

I am using Windows 10 on an old desktop computer with a 24" monitor.

When I am using Windows Explorer to search a folder, is there a way I can see a thumbnail of a .psp image, just like I can see a .jpg image?

Does the new PSP 2022 come with a thumbnail viewer? Is it installed automatically? Do I have to be using PSP to view the thumbs? I would like a separate easy way to view thumbs without waiting (for ever) to open psp (like Irfanview 64 thumbnails)

Thank you. I used to use PSP all the time and knew a lot of tricks but not so much anymore.

[LeviFiction]

This has come up several times with several solutions on these forums. Including someone who brought up an old topic about a month ago - https://forum.corel.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=58840

Yes PSP does come with a thumbnail viewer that is supposed to be installed and run automatically. Not sure why it doesn't always work. There are ways to check and force it to work if you want to try otherwise there are also 3rd party viewers. Two of which are linked to in the topic link above. Those are the easiest as those will be just a simple installer taking over producing the thumbnails.

With PSP we have to diagnose why the default one isn't working. So if you want to do that continue reading.

---

First we need to know if the plugin that's supposed to show the thumbnails exists, and is registered with Windows.

PSP's default thumbnail plugin for Windows Explorer is usually found at "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" for the 64-bit version. If you want to know if that one is registered and running I recommend downloading this software from nirsoft - https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html. Once you download the zip and run the program a dialog will pop up and take a couple of minutes to find all of the plugins.

I had to scroll down to find this entry, but what you're looking for is the one highlighted in pink, PSPThumbExtractorClass. If it's here, then the plugin is registered. The last column (you have to scroll to see it) tells you if the file for this class is missing or not. If it is check the "filename" column to see where Windows is looking for this plugin. THen verify that it exists on your haddrive.

IF the PSPThumbExtractorClass is not registered then we need to register the plugin. Again, first find the exact path to the thumbnail viewer. It's in the base folder of the PSP Install. In the example above for my 64-bit version you can see where I found the file.

Once you know where the file is we need to register the plugin. This is easy enough, though annoying.

1) Open your Start Menu
2) Type "CMD"
3) Right-click on the COmmand-line program and choose "Run as Administrator" as you need to ensure admin privileges to do this.
4) Next you'll type the following command.
regsvr32 "Put Your Path To the DLL file between the quotation marks"

For example the path to the DLL for me was "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" So I would type

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll"
5) Hit Enter

If it succeeds it should tell you. And Windows Explorer should start showing thumbnails.

[garfld]

Thanks! Sounds complicated but I'll give it a try later.

[fs999]

Thank you LeviFiction !
It was not registered. Now it is !

[twins225]

---

First we need to know if the plugin that's supposed to show the thumbnails exists, and is registered with Windows.

PSP's default thumbnail plugin for Windows Explorer is usually found at "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" for the 64-bit version. If you want to know if that one is registered and running I recommend downloading this software from nirsoft - https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html. Once you download the zip and run the program a dialog will pop up and take a couple of minutes to find all of the plugins.

pspthumbplugin.png

I had to scroll down to find this entry, but what you're looking for is the one highlighted in pink, PSPThumbExtractorClass. If it's here, then the plugin is registered. The last column (you have to scroll to see it) tells you if the file for this class is missing or not. If it is check the "filename" column to see where Windows is looking for this plugin. THen verify that it exists on your haddrive.

IF the PSPThumbExtractorClass is not registered then we need to register the plugin. Again, first find the exact path to the thumbnail viewer. It's in the base folder of the PSP Install. In the example above for my 64-bit version you can see where I found the file.

Once you know where the file is we need to register the plugin. This is easy enough, though annoying.

1) Open your Start Menu
2) Type "CMD"
3) Right-click on the COmmand-line program and choose "Run as Administrator" as you need to ensure admin privileges to do this.
4) Next you'll type the following command.
regsvr32 "Put Your Path To the DLL file between the quotation marks"

For example the path to the DLL for me was "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" So I would type

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll"
5) Hit Enter

If it succeeds it should tell you. And Windows Explorer should start showing thumbnails.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but I am now running Windows 11 and PSP 2022. I always had to download the PSP Handler in previous versions and had no problem. Nothing I have tried in Windows 11 is working (I have tried Sage Thumbs, PSP Handler).
I found the extension, but which steps should I take next?

[LeviFiction]

In that program you should be able to scroll to the right, look at the other two columns I mentioned. The last column will tell you if the DLL is missing or not. And the filename column will tell you which file it's looking for.

I am not familiar with Windows 11 so I have to assume this one thing still works like it used to.

[twins225]

In that program you should be able to scroll to the right, look at the other two columns I mentioned. The last column will tell you if the DLL is missing or not. And the filename column will tell you which file it's looking for.

I am not familiar with Windows 11 so I have to assume this one thing still works like it used to.

Not sure what you mean by "In that program"? The screenshot I took was from windows explorer and there are no other columns to the right of the size column.
I did go ahead and try the registry steps and got an error. I will work on it today and see if I can duplicate the error to post here.
Thanks.

[twins225]

In that program you should be able to scroll to the right, look at the other two columns I mentioned. The last column will tell you if the DLL is missing or not. And the filename column will tell you which file it's looking for.

I am not familiar with Windows 11 so I have to assume this one thing still works like it used to.

Not sure where my last reponse went, so hopefully it doesn't show as a duplicate.

Anyway...I am not sure what you mean by "In that program"? The screenshot is from Windows Explorer and there are no other columns to the right of the size column.
I did try the registry steps you mentioned and got an error.
However, I just tried it again and got this message.

So then I checked to see if the thumbnails were showing and they weren't. So I did a restart and checked again...still no thumbnails.

[LeviFiction]

I'm referring to the program I pointed to previously by nirsoft

PSP's default thumbnail plugin for Windows Explorer is usually found at "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" for the 64-bit version. If you want to know if that one is registered and running I recommend downloading this software from nirsoft - https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html. Once you download the zip and run the program a dialog will pop up and take a couple of minutes to find all of the plugins.

That finds which dll is currently registered to handle the thumbnails. As I wasn't sure if simply registering a new one would take over I didn't want to offer that option by itself. That program to view all windows extensions helps to diagnose the problem.

[twins225]

I'm referring to the program I pointed to previously by nirsoft

PSP's default thumbnail plugin for Windows Explorer is usually found at "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 (64-bit)\PSPPThumbShellExt64.dll" for the 64-bit version. If you want to know if that one is registered and running I recommend downloading this software from nirsoft - https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html. Once you download the zip and run the program a dialog will pop up and take a couple of minutes to find all of the plugins.

That finds which dll is currently registered to handle the thumbnails. As I wasn't sure if simply registering a new one would take over I didn't want to offer that option by itself. That program to view all windows extensions helps to diagnose the problem.

Thank you. I will look further at the download you're speaking of.
But, I got this message, so shouldn't that have solved the problem?

[LeviFiction]

No idea. As I said I wasn't sure if just registering it would always fix it. Need to diagnose it. It's also possible that the thumbnail viewer doesn't work with Windows 11, or it's being blocked as an unsigned application. Or that there is a settings in your Windows 11 for this. As I also said I'm not using Windows 11 and know nothing about it. I'm just making assumptions. But diagnosis. Knowing exactly what Windows is looking at is the first step.

[twins225]

No idea. As I said I wasn't sure if just registering it would always fix it. Need to diagnose it. It's also possible that the thumbnail viewer doesn't work with Windows 11, or it's being blocked as an unsigned application. Or that there is a settings in your Windows 11 for this. As I also said I'm not using Windows 11 and know nothing about it. I'm just making assumptions. But diagnosis. Knowing exactly what Windows is looking at is the first step.

It definitely appears to be a Windows 11 issue (no surprise there!).
I downloaded the application you mentioned...the thumbnail viewer IS listed and the file is NOT missing. Although registering was successful, there is still no change in thumbnails.
Frustrating. Thanks for your help anyway though.