Personalization Change Size of Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows 11


taskbar_settings_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to change the size of taskbar thumbnail previews for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The setting in this tutorial no longer works starting with at least Windows 11 version 24H2.



The taskbar is a horizontal bar at the bottom of your desktop in Windows 11 that shows the Start menu, Search, Task View, Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Store icons aligned to the center by default. The taskbar corner includes the notification area icons, Quick Settings (Win+A), and Notification Center (Win+N) with the clock and calendar.

When you hover the pointer over an icon on the taskbar for an open window, it will show a thumbnail preview of the open window.

If you like, you can change the size of taskbar thumbnail previews to a smaller or larger size in pixels.


EXAMPLE: Default and 300 pixel size for taskbar thumbnail previews

Default_taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size.jpg
300_pixel_taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size.jpg



Here's How:

1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

Taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size-1.png

3 Do step 4 (change) or step 5 (default) below for what you would like to do.

4 Change Taskbar Thumbnail Previews Size

A) In the right pane of the Taskband key, double click/tap on the MaxThumbSizePx DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)​

If you don't have a MaxThumbSizePx DWORD, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Taskband key, click/tap on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value, type MaxThumbSizePx for the name, and press Enter.


B) Select (dot) Decimal, type a number (ex: 300) you want for the pixel size of taskbar thumbnail previews, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

Taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size-2.png

C) In the right pane of the Taskband key, double click/tap on the MinThumbSizePx DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)​

This MinThumbSizePx DWORD is optional. Thumbnail previews will automatically shrink to fit if the MinThumbSizePx DWORD is not added. If you don't want to add it, then skip steps 4C and 4D, and go to step 6 instead.


If you don't have a MinThumbSizePx DWORD and want to add it, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Taskband key, click/tap on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value, type MinThumbSizePx for the name, and press Enter.


D) Select (dot) Decimal, type the same number (ex: 300) from step 4B above, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

Taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size-3.png

5 Restore Default Taskbar Thumbnail Previews Size

A) In the right pane of the Taskband key, right click or press and hold on the MaxThumbSizePx DWORD, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below step 2)​

B) Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)​

Taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size-4.png

C) In the right pane of the Taskband key, right click or press and hold on the MinThumbSizePx DWORD, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below step 2)​

D) Click/tap on Yes to confirm, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

Taskbar_thumbnail_previews_size-4.png

6 Close Registry Editor.

7 Either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 
Last edited:
Hi. I added only the MaxThumbSizePx value and it works. So i thing the MinThumbSizePx isnt necessary.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus
Cool. Thank you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc. G5 5587 System Service Tag: 8MBDFP2 (support for this PC) Chassis Serial Number: 8MBDFP2 Enclosure Type: Notebook
    CPU
    2.20 gigahertz Intel Core i7-8750H 384 kilobyte primary
    Motherboard
    Board: Dell Inc. 03PVDF A00 Serial Number: /8MBDFP2/CNCMC0085Q0036/ Bus Clock: 100 megahertz UEFI: Dell Inc. 1.18.0 10/08/2021
    Memory
    32546 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory Slot 'DIMM A' has 16384 MB (serial number 1C15B052) Slot 'DIMM B' has 16384 MB (serial number 12FE5120)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 [Display adapter] NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti [Display adapter] Generic PnP Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) Display Audio NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM) Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 [Display adapter] NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti [Display adapter] Generic PnP Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    12251.65 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    4788.24 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

    TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-L633C USB Device [Optical drive]

    Generic hard disk drive -- disabled
    Micron Crucial X8 SSD SCSI Disk Device (1000.20 GB) -- drive 2, s/n 9072823E3491
    SanDisk Extreme SSD SCSI Disk Device -- disabled
    Seagate Backup+ Desk SCSI Disk Device (3000.58 GB) -- drive 3, s/n NA5KWXFE
    ST1000LM035-1RK172 [Hard drive] (1000.20 GB) -- drive 0, s/n WL172LR7, rev SDM3, SMART Status: Healthy
    TOSHIBA KSG60ZMV256G M.2 2280 256GB [Hard drive] (256.06 GB) -- drive 1, s/n 48CB727WK5SP, rev ABDA4102, SMART Status: Healthy
    WD My Book 25EE USB Device [Hard drive] (4000.78 GB) -- drive 5, s/n WCC7K0PDAHSJ
    WD My Book 25EE USB Device [Hard drive] (8001.56 GB) -- drive 4, s/n 1EHKM21Z
    c: (NTFS on drive 1) * 255.12 GB 48.03 GB free
    d: (NTFS on drive 2) 998.67 GB 547.56 GB free
    f: (NTFS on drive 3) 2998.45 GB 928.73 GB free
    g: (NTFS on drive 4) 7999.41 GB 3263.92 GB free
    * Operating System is installed on c:
    Mouse
    Logiteh M510
    Browser
    Firefox, Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes, Webroot
Yep min isnt needed, and I am thinking I see Brink has another tweak showing the default previews that can show, and if min is not increased it will shrink these to make them fit if many windows open?

--

confirmed, it shrank them down at 16 windows (1440p) to fit, and then 17th made list. So I think like Bug locker says best to leave minpx alone unless decreasing the list value as well?

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    13700k
    Motherboard
    Asrock Steel Legend D4 Z690
    Memory
    32 Gig 3200CL12
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 4800 Super RTX
    Sound Card
    Creative AE9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27GL850
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    970 EVO 1TB
    SN850X 2TB
    DC P4600 2TB
    860 EVO 1TB
    3 x 3TB WD Red
    2 x 4TB WD Red
    PSU
    Antec HCG 750 Gold
    Case
    Fractal Define R4
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15S
    Internet Speed
    1000/1000
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus
Hey.
I am on 24H2 26100.3037.
The tweak not work anymore.
Is that stopped working after some version ?

It's no longer working for me either. :(

The key below no longer exists.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

I found another version of the key above at the account's SID location below, but it doesn't work there either.

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2498639629-3946114050-4100787084-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
:unsure: Odd..., my reg file works..., after which I can change the size within WinaeroTweaker!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
:unsure: Odd..., my reg file works..., after which I can change the size within WinaeroTweaker!

Odd. Which build do you have?

I'm running 27788.1000 (Canary) 24H2.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
Same. Hang on, it might be the StartAllBack Taskbar that is helping...
Yeah, it's SAB..., sorry for the confusion! :zip:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
It's no longer working for me either. :(

The key below no longer exists.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband

I found another version of the key above at the account's SID location below, but it doesn't work there either.

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2498639629-3946114050-4100787084-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband
:tears:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus

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