The default option of Windows 7 to display the thumbnails of files can sometimes become irritating for some users. Though the feature is quite helpful for finding files quicker, at times it may display your confidential files to others which can lead to unwanted consequences. If you wish to disable this feature and display file icons instead, this tutorial will help you do that. Here are the steps for disabling the file thumbnails in Windows 7:
1. Open the Windows Explorer by pressing Win key + E or clicking on the Computer icon in Start menu (or clicking on Start and typing explorer).
2. Make sure that the Explorer’s menu bar is visible. If it isn’t, press Alt to make it appear.
3. Go to Tools, followed by Folder options.
4. Click on the View tab and Check “Always show icons, never thumbnails” option.
5. Click on Apply and then OK to save the setting.
File thumbnails will now be disabled and only file icons will be displayed instead. You can follow the same procedure for enabling the file thumbnails whenever you want.