The Performance Drain
By default, Windows 11 File Explorer acts as a visual gallery. When you open a folder containing photographs, videos, or PDFs, the operating system aggressively scans every single file to generate a miniature preview (thumbnail) of its contents. While this makes it easy to find a specific picture, it is a massive drain on system resources. If you open a folder with thousands of high-resolution RAW photos or heavy video files, File Explorer will completely freeze as the CPU struggles to generate the thumbnails. If you prioritize speed and stability over visual previews, you must force Windows to use generic icons.
How to Turn Off File Thumbnails
You can permanently disable the preview engine via the Folder Options menu.
- Open File Explorer (press the Windows Key + E).
- Click the three horizontal dots (…) located on the top command bar, far to the right.
- Click on Options at the bottom of the dropdown menu to open the Folder Options window.
- Click the View tab at the top of the window.
- In the “Advanced settings” list, locate the very first checkbox labeled “Always show icons, never thumbnails.”
- Click the checkbox so that a checkmark appears inside it.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
Instant Navigation
The change takes effect instantly. Windows 11 will completely terminate the thumbnail generation process. When you open a massive folder of media, every file will instantly load as a generic blue image or video icon. Navigation will be blisteringly fast, and your CPU will never again spike to 100% just from opening a directory.