How to View Adobe Illustrator AI Thumbnails in Windows XP Explorer

March 16, 2009 by Lee Jones
Filed under: FIX-IT, HOW TO 

Yesterday I wrote about a method of displaying Photoshop PSD Thumbnails directly in the windows explorer folder.

How to View Adobe Photoshop PSD Thumbnails in Windows XP Explorer

illustrator box1 How to View Adobe Illustrator AI Thumbnails in Windows XP ExplorerSo today,  I thought it would be great if you could also see  Illustrator thumbnails in a folder.

Well now you can , and it’s just as easy as the Photoshop method.

The 2 step Instructions for doing this is shown below.

 

 

 

  1. Download and open the file, illustrator_thumbnails.zip (92kb)
  2. Copy aiicon.dll to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Shell - if the folder “shell”  doesn’t exist create it
  3. Run AI_Thumb.reg (double click on it ) 
  4. You now can view Adobe Illustrator (AI)  files in Thumbnails view within Windows Explorer.
  5. When in the folder where the .AI files are, Make sure that you select thumbnails from the views drop-down, or you may still see the icon as before.

ai dropdown1 300x104 How to View Adobe Illustrator AI Thumbnails in Windows XP Explorer

PLEASE NOTE: Illustrator CS3 & CS4 Users

The above will only work if you are running CS or CS2, for CS3 and CS4, Adobe changed the rules again, and now it checks every time Illustrator starts. you will have to edit a key in the registry, to prevent Illustrator from deleting the key every time it starts. although a fairly basic operation, i am not prepared to give out details on here, as editing the registry can cause extreme problems to your computers system if done incorrectly.

If you are OK with editing the Registry, leave a comment below, and i will send you the full details – Tested and works 100% with CS3 & CS4 Illustrator icons.

Let me know how you get on , and please leave a comment below. Your comments will help others as to how easy this useful technique is.

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE TO THIS POST

 

 

 

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Comments

60 Comments on How to View Adobe Illustrator AI Thumbnails in Windows XP Explorer

  1. Chris on Wed, 25th Mar 2009 4:30 PM


    2. Can you email me the registry key change needed for CS4?

  2. Lee Jones on Fri, 27th Mar 2009 10:19 AM


    3. Hi Chris

    Not a problem, the neccessary changes have now been sent directly to your email inbox.

    If anyone else would like a link for this information,
    just leave a message here, simply asking for the link and i will send it to you also

    Although this procedure is fairly simple, I cannot enter into any questions regarding this, and will not be held responsible for any problems that may occur should you mess up your registry…….. You should only attempt this if your confident in your abilities to perform registry changes, and your happy to do so.

    Best of luck…… Lee

  3. Julie on Mon, 6th Apr 2009 6:18 PM


    4. Hello Lee,
    Can you please send me the registry changes required to use this dll with CS4?
    Thanks,
    julie

  4. Fulg3r` on Wed, 8th Apr 2009 1:18 PM


    5. Hello Lee Jones. That’s a geat tip. I’m searching for a long time and now here i am, thanks to you. I have CS4 and i want to know if you have time to send me the registry file that make the changes for AI CS4. Thank you.

  5. Lee Jones on Wed, 8th Apr 2009 4:24 PM


    6. No problem Julie, it’s in your mail box

  6. Lee Jones on Wed, 8th Apr 2009 4:25 PM


    7. Of course I have time, and will be happy to send you an email
    with details of what yoy need to do !

  7. jppolk on Sat, 25th Apr 2009 10:17 AM


    8. hi Lee, can you also send the details to me please, it would be great to do this.

    thanks,

    JP

  8. Lee Jones on Sat, 25th Apr 2009 10:29 AM


    9. No problem – it’s on the way to you right now

  9. Carlitos Eid on Tue, 28th Apr 2009 9:05 PM


    10. hey Lee Jones can you send me the modified reg files for CS4 please
    thx

  10. Lee Jones on Tue, 28th Apr 2009 9:17 PM


    11. Sent

  11. Andy on Tue, 5th May 2009 3:48 PM


    12. I’d like further registry mod instructions for CS4 also plz

  12. Lee Jones on Tue, 5th May 2009 6:28 PM


    13. Sent it

  13. Nick D. on Thu, 7th May 2009 11:23 AM


    14. Hello. Great tip. can i please have the reg entry too? Thank you.

  14. Lee Jones on Thu, 7th May 2009 11:32 AM


    15. Hi Nick

    have sent you an email

    If anyone else want it, here is the link
    Please Backup your registry before yoy start

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

    Although this procedure is fairly simple, I cannot enter into any questions regarding this, and will not be held responsible for any problems that may occur should you mess up your registry…….. You should only attempt this if your confident in your abilities to perform registry changes, and your happy to do so.

    Best of luck…… Lee

  15. Karl on Fri, 8th May 2009 10:26 PM


    16. Hello, Id like to have the instruction for cs4 thumbnail.

    Thank you very much!

  16. Lee Jones on Sat, 9th May 2009 8:03 AM


    17. A Link is above

  17. Karl on Sat, 9th May 2009 1:59 PM


    18. Hi~
    The RAR link is dead, please verify, Thank You

  18. Lisa on Tue, 26th May 2009 11:37 PM


    19. Can you email me the registry key change needed for CS4?

  19. aree on Fri, 19th Jun 2009 1:44 PM


    20. hey Lee Jones can you send me the modified reg files for CS4. please….
    thx.

  20. marlin lynwood on Sun, 28th Jun 2009 1:31 AM


    21. Hi Lee,

    Could you please send me the registry key change for CS3 thumbnails as well.
    Also, do you have any idea how to get thumbnails in eps files?…….

    Thx so much

  21. Lee Jones on Sun, 28th Jun 2009 9:11 PM


    22. Hi Marlin

    Here is the link

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

    I wish there was a way to view eps files in explorer, but unfortunately
    i don’t think it can be done – you will have to use Bridge like the rest of us !

  22. Lee Jones on Sun, 28th Jun 2009 9:21 PM


    23. Here is the link

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  23. Lee Jones on Sun, 28th Jun 2009 9:22 PM


    24. Here is the link for you

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  24. Lee Jones on Sun, 28th Jun 2009 9:22 PM


    25. Here is the link karl

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  25. UPDATE: View PSD & AI Thumbnails in Windows Explorer | LEE JONES on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 12:33 PM


    26. [...] Each post can be seen here: Adobe Photoshop PSD as Thumbnails Adobe Illustrator AI as Thumbnails [...]

  26. Herta Czenczek on Tue, 30th Jun 2009 4:15 PM


    27. I am using Adobe CS4 and I need to know the details to modify the registry to see illustrator thumbnails in my windows explorer.

    Thank you in advance for your help!

    regards,
    Herta

  27. Lee Jones on Tue, 30th Jun 2009 4:56 PM


    28. Here is the link for you Herta

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  28. Govea on Thu, 9th Jul 2009 3:44 PM


    29. Hi Lee,

    Could you please send me the registry key change for CS4 thumbnails to my email?. I can’t download from here.

    Thx so much

  29. Lee Jones on Sat, 11th Jul 2009 9:19 AM


    30. There is nothing to download, just click the link below and follow the instruction on that page

  30. akha on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 3:21 PM


    31. thanks for your information Lee. how about to show thumbnail of other CS4 (like indesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, Premiere, director, etc) ? :) there is something about thumbnail of illustrator CS4, sometimes it goes back not show again the thumbnail n i double click the register to make it visible.

  31. Lee Jones on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 3:35 PM


    32. Yes Akha it would be useful, But why and how ?

    We are talking thumbnails here – what part of Premiere / Dreamweaver would you expect to see in a thumbnail, i don’t think you have thought this through !

    Yes Illustrator CS4 will revert back to not showing thumbnails every time it starts up, unless you manually change the registry as stated before.

    You need to go here for the update i made:

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/update-view-psd-ai-thumbnails-windows-explorer/

  32. akha on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 11:49 PM


    33. thanks sensei it work, arigatou gozaimazu :D

  33. Cornelis Brouwers on Thu, 23rd Jul 2009 9:45 AM


    34. Great stuff about the thumbnails. I like to have the link too. Thank you very much!

  34. Lee Jones on Thu, 23rd Jul 2009 9:57 AM


    35. Hi Cornelis

    Here is the link

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  35. Phillip Irish on Thu, 23rd Jul 2009 10:48 PM


    36. Hi Lee,

    Could you please send me the registry key change for CS4 thumbnails to my email?.

  36. Kamal S on Sun, 26th Jul 2009 10:47 PM


    37. Hi,

    what a pleasure to find your solution … i just google ( photoshop cs4 thumbnails winxp ) and found your solution. would u Plz, send it to me.

    Thanks in advance.

  37. Lee Jones on Mon, 27th Jul 2009 9:20 AM


    38. Glad to have been of help to you Kamel

    here is the link

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  38. neil on Mon, 27th Jul 2009 6:52 PM


    39. I have CS4 and i would like it if you could send me the registry file so i can view the thumbnails fo AI CS4. I sure would make my life easier. Thank you

  39. Lee Jones on Mon, 27th Jul 2009 6:56 PM


    40. No problem Neil

    Here you go

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  40. remi on Tue, 11th Aug 2009 9:07 AM


    41. HI Lee,
    Can you please send me the registry changes required to use this dll with CS4?
    Thanks,
    Remi

  41. Lee Jones on Tue, 11th Aug 2009 9:42 AM


    42. Chris & Remi – just go here

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  42. sunny on Tue, 8th Sep 2009 11:47 PM


    43. can i have the registry changes please

  43. LISA on Wed, 9th Sep 2009 4:05 PM


    44. I HAVE THE STEPS ON THE REGISTRY FILES FROM YOUR BLOG BUT THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE FILES WAS DISABLED. CAN YOU EMAIL ME THE FILES?

  44. Lee Jones on Fri, 11th Sep 2009 11:17 PM


    45. Hi LISA

    these are the links , tested and working OK

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/AI_thumbnails

    http://lee-jones.com/blog/Illustrator_Reg

  45. Phallu Morgan on Thu, 24th Sep 2009 12:37 AM


    46. Please email me the STEPS ON THE REGISTRY FILE changes for Illustrator CS4

  46. Dereek Dilabbio on Wed, 14th Oct 2009 3:18 PM


    47. I would deeply appreciate the CS4 tweak for any/all products as I have the Full quite yet do not see any thumbs.

    Thank You

  47. Rodney on Wed, 28th Oct 2009 5:15 PM


    48. I would like the reg info.
    Thanks

  48. Karen on Wed, 11th Nov 2009 4:57 AM


    49. hey Lee Jones can you send me the modified reg files for CS4 please
    thx
    karen

  49. Bob on Fri, 13th Nov 2009 9:43 PM


    50. Hi Lee,

    If you’d be kind enough to email me the correct reg edit for use with CS4 I would appreciate it.

    Thanks,

    Bob

  50. joel on Mon, 16th Nov 2009 6:51 PM


    51. Could you kindly send the instructions for the Registry Key change for CS4?

    Thanks so much!

  51. Scot on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 7:58 PM


    52. Hey there. I would like the registry tweak. I would also like to know if this edit affects the Photoshop icon DLL, and if you have an InDesign DLL/tweak as well.

    Thanks for your help. It’s invaluable.

  52. Jamie on Thu, 10th Dec 2009 7:45 PM


    53. Hi Could you please email the instructions to me as well :)

  53. Nick on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:43 AM


    54. Hi – your viewer looks good – but will it work / install itself correctly under Windows 7?

  54. Eric on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:08 PM


    55. Howdy–thanks for the help; can i please get the registry change info?

  55. Steve on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:18 AM


    56. Lee:
    Please send the registry change instructions needed to see illustrator cs4 files in windows 7 explorer. I assume they will work with a 64 bit OS. Thanks for your help.
    Steve

  56. Joe on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 6:16 PM


    57. Lee,
    I would appreciate it if you could email me with the registry change info for CS4

    Thanks,
    Joe

  57. Mark on Sat, 23rd Jan 2010 9:49 PM


    58. Lee,
    If you would be so kind … I could use the REGISTRY FILE changes for Illustrator CS4 as well. Thanks in advance!

  58. mechanicarts on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 1:04 AM


    59. I would also like the instructions for CS4. BUT, I already added the regkey you provided, I only changed the path of the .dll, so I’m not sure it shall cause any probs…

  59. Thomas on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 4:11 PM


    60. Can you email me the registry key change needed for CS4?
    Thanks in advance

  60. Mark on Sun, 7th Feb 2010 11:09 AM


    61. Hi,

    could you please send me the CS4 tweaks to my email?

    Thanks in advance.

    Best Regards.

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