how to enable preview in documents

Enable Windows preview handlers first; if the Microsoft Word Previewer still errors for every Word file, run an Office Online Repair to restore the previewer component.

1. Enable the preview pane and its handlers

The preview displayed from an Office File > Open window relies on Windows preview-handler functionality.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select View > Show > Preview pane on Windows 11, or View > Preview pane on Windows 10.
3. Select … (See more) > Options in Windows 11, or View > Options in Windows 10.
4. Open the View tab.
5. Under Advanced settings, select Show preview handlers in preview pane.
6. Select Apply > OK, then close and reopen Word.
7. Test a local .docx file again.

Microsoft documents both the Preview pane and the Show preview handlers in preview pane setting.^1^

2. Repair the Microsoft Word Previewer

If all Word documents produce the same error, repair the Office installation.

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start > Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select … > Modify.
4. Select Online Repair > Repair.
5. Restart Windows after the repair, then test the preview again.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start > Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select Modify.
4. Choose Online Repair > Repair.
5. Restart Windows.

Online Repair is more comprehensive than Quick Repair and repairs the entire Office suite, including Word’s installed components.^2^

3. If only certain files fail

If other documents preview correctly, do not repair Office repeatedly. Check the affected file instead.

For a trusted downloaded file

1. In File Explorer, right-click the file and select Properties.
2. On the General tab, look for Unblock.
3. Select Unblock > Apply > OK.
4. Sign out and back in if the preview remains blocked.

Only unblock files from a source you trust. Windows records where downloaded files originated and can apply extra protection to Office documents.^3^

If the document will not open normally

1. Open Word.
2. Select File > Open > Browse.
3. Select the document—do not open it from Recent.
4. Select the arrow beside Open, then choose Open and Repair.

This can recover a damaged Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.^4^

PDF previews

PDF files use a separate PDF preview handler, not the Microsoft Word Previewer. If Word previews work after the Office repair but PDFs do not, repair or reinstall the application registered to open PDFs. Also verify the .pdf default application under:

Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Set a default for a file type or link type

Microsoft documents the same file-type association procedure for Office files.^5^

If Word previews still fail for every document after Online Repair, note the Windows version, Word version from Word > File > Account > About Word, and whether preview works directly in File Explorer. Those details distinguish an Office preview-handler failure from a problem limited to the application’s file picker.

References

1. File Explorer add-ons utility
2. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
3. Information about the Attachment Manager in Microsoft Windows | Microsoft Support
4. Open a document after a file corruption error | Microsoft Support
5. Double-clicking an Office file fails to open it in the correct Office program | Microsoft Support