Top Fixes If Your Windows Taskbar Thumbnail Preview Disappears Too Quickly

 When you hover over the Taskbar thumbnail, and the preview disappears too quickly, there are several reasons responsible. Corrupted system files, outdated Windows, third-party security software interference, and corrupted user profiles may cause this issue.

Taskbar Thumbnail Preview shows a small image of the opened programs when you hover over the app icon. Windows pre-enables this feature by default and assigns a hover time of about half a second. Before we go into the main fixes, we suggest you apply the following quick fixes.

Quick Fixes

• Refresh the desktop by right-clicking on any space on the desktop and clicking Refresh from the context menu.
•  Close all unused apps.
•  Uninstall or deactivate third-party antivirus>
•  Restart your PC.
•  Simultaneously, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start Task Manager, right-click Windows Explorer, and click Restart.
•  Perform Disk Cleanup to remove junk files.

1. Perform an SFC scan

If you run an SFC scan, your computer will scan all protected system files and compare them to the original versions stored in a compressed file. In case of any corruption in the protected system files, the SFC scan will replace them with the original versions. Use the following steps to perform an SFC scan:

1. Hit the Windows and S keys simultaneously, search for cmd, and select the Run as administrator option to start the Command Prompt as an administrator.
   
2. Once the User Account Control prompts you, select Yes to continue.
   
3. When the Command Prompt displays, enter the following command into the prompt and tap the Enter key to start an SFC scan:
   sfc /scannow
   
4. Once the scan is complete, copy and paste the command below and press the Enter key to run the command:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
   
5. Finally, it would be best to restart your computer to implement repairs.

2. Update your OS

When you update your operating system (OS), the system will install new software, including bug fixes and security updates. These updates can sometimes fix issues with the taskbar thumbnail preview, such as when it disappears too quickly. Use the following steps to update your OS:

1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Settings or open by clicking the Windows icon on the Taskbar.
   
2. Then, click the Windows Update option and the Check for updates button to find new updates.
   
3. If Windows has the latest update, it will automatically detect it. Follow the instructions to update Windows.
4. Finally, restart your computer.

3. Register and reinstall the ShellExperienceHost app package

Registering and reinstalling the ShellExperienceHost app package can fix this issue by re-registering the app package with Windows and installing a fresh copy of the corrupted or outdated app package. The ShellExperienceHost app package helps to display the thumbnail previews of open windows on the taskbar.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows + S keys simultaneously, enter PowerShell in the search field, and click Run as administrator.
   
2. When UAC prompts you, click Yes.
3. Then, paste the following command to register and reinstall the ShellExperienceHost app package and hit Enter:
   Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register "$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode}
   
4. Wait for the process to complete.
5. Finally, restart your system.

4. Change hover delay time

Change hover delay time will cause the thumbnail preview to stay visible longer. The hover delay time is the length of time the thumbnail preview of a taskbar icon will remain visible after hovering over it. The hover delay time is set to 1 second by default.

To change the hover delay time, you need to edit the Windows Registry. Here are the steps:

1. Hold the Windows + R keys down at once to start the Run dialog, type regedit, and click OK to launch Registry Editor.
   
2. Then, create a backup before effecting any changes.
   • Click on File, and click Export.
     
   • Then, name the .reg file and save it to a location of your choice.
     
3. Afterwards, navigate to the path below on the Registry Editor:
   Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
   
4. Then, locate ThumbnailLivePreviewHoverTime on the right-hand pane.
5. If you are unable to find it, right-click on a blank space, click New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   
6. Right-click the New Value, click Rename from the menu options, enter ThumbnailLivePreviewHoverTime as the name, and then hit Enter.
   
7. Then, double-click on it to edit, set Decimal as Base, and enter Time in milliseconds (1000 milliseconds = 1 second) for Value data to increase the thumbnail preview delay.
   1000 milliseconds may be a good delay time, but adjust it to meet your needs.
   
8. Then, click OK and close the Registry Editor.
   
9. Finally, restart your PC.

5. Create a new user account

Creating a new user account can fix the issue of the Windows taskbar thumbnail preview disappearing too fast because it builds a new set of user settings, including settings for taskbar thumbnail previews. This profile includes the user’s settings for the taskbar, such as the thumbnail preview delay time.

To create a new user account in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Hold the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Settings, click on Account, and choose to open Other users account.
   
   
2. When the Other users account page opens, click Add account.
   
3. Enter the Email or phone number you want to use for the new account and click Next.
   
4. Then, follow the accompanying instructions.
5. After creating the account, use solution 2 to set the user account as an admin.

6. Perform system restore

Performing system restore can be helpful if you installed a new program or driver causing problems or made changes to your computer settings that you want to undo. You will need to create a restore point to perform a system restore. Here are the steps:

1. Press the Windows + R key simultaneously to begin the Run dialog on your PC and enter rstrui. Press Enter after to open it.
   
2. Select the Choose a different restore point option when the System Restore wizard comes up.
   
3. Then, tap the Next button to proceed. 
   
4. Once the next window opens, select your restore point and click Next. 
   
5. Allow the process to run and complete.
6. Finally, click Finish when the restore is complete.

In conclusion, it can be frustrating when the taskbar thumbnail preview disappears too quickly, especially if you frequently multitask and switch between open applications. Nevertheless, implementing the solutions provided in this guide can successfully troubleshoot and fix this problem.

If the issue persists, consider updating your display drivers, closing unnecessary background processes, and resolving any underlying system conflicts. Note that if the problem persists, seeking further assistance from Microsoft support or online forums could be helpful.