How to Turn Off Taskbar Thumbnail Live Previews in Windows 7

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Recently we posted about adjusting Taskbar thumbnail live preview delay time. In Windows 7, whenever you hover your mouse cursor over a running application's button in Taskbar, Windows shows a small thumbnail of running application with a close button and if you hover your mouse cursor over the small thumbnail, Windows shows a live preview of the running application and makes all other running applications windows transparent.

If you don't like the live preview feature and want to turn it off, this tutorial will help you. Today we are sharing a small registry trick to disable these live previews.

So here we start the tutorial:

1. Type regedit in RUN or Startmenu Searchbox and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. In right-side pane, create a new DWORD value DisablePreviewWindow and set its value to 1 to disable live previews.

PS: If the above trick doesn't work for you, create new DWORD DisablePreviewDesktop instead of the above mentioned DWORD and set its value to 1. (Thanks to our reader "TheAslan" for this info)

4. That's it. Log off or restart your system to take effect.

NOTE: If you want to restore default settings, simply delete "DisablePreviewWindow" DWORD value or change its value to 0.

PS: If you want a ready-made script to do the task automatically, download following ZIP file, extract it and run the extracted REG file. It'll ask for confirmation, accept it:

Download Registry Script

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This article was posted by VG in following section: Windows 7.

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C Murdock

I don't know what RTM is. I have Home Premium, and this solution is not working. However, increasing the mouse hover time to 1000000 (about 16 minutes) works about 99% of the time, but I still get a stray preview window popping up on occasion. To me, those windows are incredibly distracting. Microsoft seems intent on annoying its users to death.
Rubab

Same thing here. I used the Reg Script you provided.

Merged it with my Windows 7 Ultimate RTM x86 and restarted my PC.

But the Thumbnail Live Previews are still there. It doesn't work.
RG

Excellent, thanks c Murdock. The other tweaks work not at all, but your recommended utility worked a charm, thanks!
TheAslan

I founf a solution why this .reg file is not working at all, actually the DWORD key name is wrong!

Here's the right DWORD name: "DisablePreviewDesktop" an set the value to "0" it fixes the problems which appear in this .reg file, i tested this before i submitted it here, and it really disabled my thumbnail windows in my taskbar.

I want a full credit for this solution damn and my name have to be mentioned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TheAslan

sorry my bad language!!
C Murdock

I just tried to access Ram Michael's site, and it isn't there. That's unfortunate. His utility works incredibly well. I haven't seen a single preview window since I installed it. Hopefully, his site is down just temporarily. If it doesn't go back up, then I will distribute his utility program to anyone who wants it (free, of course). Just make a post on this thread and I'll get it.
C Murdock

I should add that I only have the 32-bit version, not the 64-bit version. I wouldn't be surprised if his program can be found on various download sites.
TheAslan

Hello!

I can send a reg file which works very well!! In this topic the command is wrong, so hit a message in this topic where's your email and i can send it to you.
TheAslan

Hiya!!

Is there any chance to permanently disable/remove windows 7 taskbar so it will never appear again`I used Taskbar Eliminator but it still shows taskbar though this software is running, yeah it disables it but not permanently, still it appears and it's annoying...
VG

^^ You can try following:

http://www.askvg.com/hide-or-show-windows-taskbar-on-the-fly/
http://www.askvg.com/enhance-windows-taskbars-auto-hide-functionality-using-taskbar-activate/