PDF Thumbnail problem with Sumatra

[wards999]

Running a clean Windows 11 install and have the latest 64bit version of Sumatra installed
Note: PDF thumbnails are being generated and displayed correctly in other file managers (Windows Explorer, Tablucus, OneCommander) however it's just not playing ball in XYPlorer

In some folders, a few of the 64x64 thumbnails will appear correctly, many don't, and when jumping to 192x192 size all just shows the Sumarta icon.


My thoughts / tests :

1) Is this because XYPlorer is a 32 bit app and is having problems with the 64 bit version of Sumatra - so I tried uninstalling 64 bit Sumatra and installing the 32 bit version, but no joy
2) Could Sumatra be causing the error somehow? - so I installed PDF X Change and this then shows thumbs correctly, however I prefer to use Sumatra (for general speed and windows view size I find it a better app)


I've read lots of threads on the forum here with all the things people have tried, but to my mind this is something that should 'just work' (and in fact it does using PDF X-Change!) and I've run out of things to try myself..

[davidhelp]

I use Foxit PDF Editor and in the Windows file manager I can view Large Icons and see the main page of the pdf and also in the Preview pane I can see the pdf thumbnails of all the other pages. Same for other most of the views except List and Details which show just the Foxit icon.

In XYplorer I can see the main page of the pdf using most of the views in the main folder window and all the other pages in the Preview pane. I only see the Foxit icon for Small and Large icon view.

Windows 10 Pro
XYplorer 23.80.0200

[Horst]

I don't have problems in XY using x64 version 3.4.6 of SumatraPDF as thumbnail provider but I had some problems in Total Commander.
So I switched to the PDF-XChange Editor which I have installed since a long time for PDF editing.
With this all of the following are show thumbnails fine:
Explorer
Everything
Free Commander
Total Commander
XYplorer

I still use SumatraPDF as PDF viewer
Btw. the bitness of the thumbnail provider is not relevant.

[wards999]

Firstly, thanks @Horst for confirming that the 32/64 bit version of Sumatra make no difference.

Secondly and continuing my initial comment, it's odd that the smaller thumbnail sizes seem to work better than larger (to me this feels like Sumatra is doing something weird) when all thumbnail sizes work with PDF-XChange

I wonder if there a way to set PDF-XChange as the thumbnail handler but double clicking will default open the PDF in Sumatra? (and for this to work in Explorer too without having to right click and choose Open With)

[Horst]

Use the default apps dialog in Windows to assign SumatraPDF to PDF files
or the Open with dialog in Explorer and set always use this app...
This will not change the thumbnail provider
as long as you have installed SumatraPDF without any of the optional functions.

[wards999]

For some reason everything is now working in XYPlorer

I re-installed PDF X Change, but chose not to allow it be the default app for PDFs.

When I check with ShellExView, it's still showing SumatraPDF Preview as the system Thumbnail handler, yet all PDF thumbnails are now being created / displayed (at all sizes) in XYPlorer.


Very strange - but happy for now!