How to choose a file in preview on Windows 11 easy step by step method

Here are the straightforward steps to choose and preview files in File Explorer on Windows 11:

Method 1: Using the Preview Pane

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the folder containing your files.
3. Click the View tab in the ribbon menu at the top.
4. Click Preview pane in the 'Panes' section. (The pane will open on the right).
5. Single-click on a file in your folder's list. The preview will instantly display in the Preview pane.
6. Continue clicking on different files to preview their contents.

Method 2: Using File Explorer Views

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the folder containing your files.
3. Switch the folder view to Medium icons, Large icons, or Extra large icons using the View tab or View button dropdown.
4. Position your mouse pointer over a file's icon (do not click). A larger preview popup will appear after a brief moment.
5. Move your mouse pointer over different file icons to preview each one.

Method 3: Using Keyboard & Mouse

• In any File Explorer view, press and hold the Ctrl key.
• While holding Ctrl, press the left or right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the files.
• As each file is highlighted, a preview will appear in the Preview pane. Ensure the Preview pane is active.

Method 4: Using the 'Open' Dialog

1. Within an application, select File > Open or use Ctrl+O.
2. In the 'Open' dialog, navigate to the desired file location.
3. Single-click on a file name. A preview will display in the dialog's right panel.
4. Click on different files to preview each one.

Key Points:

• The Preview pane must be activated via the View tab for continuous previews.
• Hovering works best in Icon views and provides quick glimpses.
• Preview supports common formats like images (JPG, PNG), text files (TXT), PDFs, and some Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Support depends on installed apps.
• Previews for very large files or formats without native support might not appear.