Thumbnails won't display in folder view

My thumbnails won't display correctly in folder view. I have recovered
from Adware-Alert attack and feel my machine is clean ( Ran Malwarebytes
Anti Malware, SuperAntiSpyware, Spybot S&D, Smitfraudfix and Spyware
DR.)
My antivirus is F-prot for Windows.

I can't set a picture as desktop background but it's because I can't
see the picture in the browse folder. If I move the cursor over the
browse folders window I get an outline of a file with the file
information but it's like the picture is invisible.

I have tried all the suggestions and tutorials by Brink with no result.


Incidentally, I just had an automatic update to SP1 just before this
happened.

I have spent a couple of days haunting various forums and support sites
without coming across these exact symptoms.

I have attached a srceen shot of the file window and browse file
window.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated!


--
ruddervader

Windows Vista -
Double clicking an image opens
Windows Photo Gallery without
Previewing the image

Windows Vista -
How to Turn Folder Preview Thumbnails
On or Off in Windows Explorer in Vista

John,
Thank you for your help. I had actually already been to both the places
you suggested and tried those solutions. If I open my pictures folder
the files are all there and they look like they should if they were
thumbnails but there is no image, not even a generic placeholder. If I
double click where the thumbnail should be it opens Windows Photo
Gallery and the picture displays fine. Let me see if I can successfully
attach a screen shot so you can see what I mean. I really appreciate
your help!

Try the following fix:

File association fixes for Windows Vista
http://tinyurl.com/2xsewp
or...
http://forums.techarena.in/tips-tweaks/1020432.htm

If that fails...have a look at the following article
and rename or delete Pictures.pd4 as instructed.

(944221) Windows Live Photo Gallery stops
responding or will not start
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944221/en-us

Here's the path if you are using Windows Photo
Gallery.

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\
Windows Photo Gallery\Pictures.pd4

The file can also be found with an Advanced
Search for pd4.

Go to...Start / Search / Advanced Search.

Check the box..."Include non-indexed, hidden,
and system files" Enter pd4 in the Name field
and left click the Search button.

FWIW...

Renaming or deleting Pictures.pd4 will
revert Photo Gallery to what is was the
first time you opened it. Your pictures will
have to be cataloged again.

I had already looked at Shawn's tutorial and may try that when I have
time. It looks like a great resource! Unfortunately I don't have the
original DVD for this machine so I would have to sort out the SATA
drivers as well.

John,
Well, I am making progress or maybe just muddling the problem. I tried
your last two suggestions and then went through all my picture folders
and set the "Views" button to "extra large icons" and made sure the
"View" on the menu bar was set the same. (I did the file association
fixes for jpg, jpeg, mpg, bmp, gif, and tif)
Now I have picture thumbnails in all my picture folders and subfolders.
All my other folders are set to "Details". So far, so good!
Now when I go to personalize my desktop the browse window shows
placeholder icons for the images. (Blueish ones for .jpg and orangeish
ones for .bmp)(See screenshot 2). Now I can set .bmp files as background
but not .jpg.
I am grateful for your patience and expertise!

What happens if you right click a picture
in one of your folders or in Windows Photo
Gallery and choose... "Set as desktop
background"?

This is a bit of effort, but useful to have for the future - and when
SP2 arrives

Is your problem isolated right now to JPGs simply not working correctly? Or
is there more to it than that?

John,
If I have one of the few bmp images up as desktop background, open
photo gallery, right click on an image and click "set as background" the
existing background dissappears and is replaced with a solid black
backgound. Right clicking on any other image including bmp files and
clicking on "set as background" produces no results.
If I right click on the desktop and select personalize and select a bmp
file it will set as background but no jpg file will. For example, if I
open desktop background and change location to "Windows Wallpaper" I
only see placeholder icons in the file viewer pane. If I click on browse
I can see the thumbnails in the browse viewer pane but if I select one
and click "open" the background switches to the background color but no
image is displayed.
I can't help but feel that there is some obscure setting I am
overlooking but it escapes me completely!


--
ruddervader

John,
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I just spent 4 hrs. in a chat with
Microswamp Support and got nada. I was going to try a repair
installation but don't have a Vista SP1 dvd. I guess I could uninstall
SP1 and try the repair. Man this is frustrating!
Thanks again for all your hard work!

Longshot...but I'm wondering if you might have
an issue with corruption in your User Account.

Might be worth a try to create a new user account
just to see if the issue persists.

Windows Vista -
Create a user account
http://tinyurl.com/27waj4
or...
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...36e531033.mspx

John,
Well, after a week of beating my head against the keyboard I still have
not found a solution that works. I spent three nights with our friends
from India at MS Support and while they were very supportive they could
not figure out a fix. At their suggestion I uninstalled Vista SP1 and my
anti-virus (F-Prot).

I have gone to Organize, View, Folder Options and checked and unchecked
"Always show icons, never thumbnails" about a hundred times (With and
without restart).

I have gone to Control Panel, Ease of Acess, Make it easier to focus on
tasks, and checked and unchecked "Remove background Images" as well.

I have posted HJT logs on What The Tech, run spyare, adware and
anti-virus scans in normal and safe mode and "As Administrator". I think
I had an "Adware-Alert" attack which I cleaned up with MBAM. All scans
are clean now.

I ran Regedit and checked in "Windows Current Version", "Policies",
"System" in both Local Machine and Current User and found no reference
to wallpaper or desktop background.

This problem affects all users (created new user and Administrator).

This issue seems to have migrated into a desktop background issue. I
can see thumbnails in all my file folders now but I can't see thumbnails
if I "Personalize ",
"Desktop Background". I can see Solid Colors (and can change them) but
if I choose Windows Wallpaper from the Drop Down I only see generic
icons or place holders. They are highly pixelated icons. If I choose
Pictures folder I get the same thing. If I click on browse I can see the
thunbnail view but no matter what I click on I can't set it as
background. (Except for the few bmp files I have in My Picures).
I can never right click on a thumnail or any image and "Set as Desktop
Background".

I have Adobe Photoshop and Gimp installed but they were on here long
before this problem started.
BTW WindowsMedia Player seems to function normally.

I still feel that there is some obscure basic setting that I am
overlooking or the malware attack changed some fundamental Registry
Setting that I am not aware of.

There seems to be scores of similar issues posted around the net but I
have failed to discover a definitive answer for this particular
combination.

Maybe I should start a new thread as "Can't change Desktop Background"?

I apoligize about the lengthy rant.

ruddervader


--
ruddervader

I had same problem but I had all my display settings set to best performance while I was doing some testing.

Control Panel -> Performance Information Tools -> Adjust visual effects (top left) -> Adjust for best appearance

brought my desktop background thumbnails back.

Cheers