Image thumbnails are way too small on large displays and this issue has been going on for years with no fix

Mark R 0 Reputation points
2026-11-07T01:16:15.5033333+00:00

I am fairly new to Windows 11. I stopped using Windows when 7 went EOL due to how much 10 pissed me off. 11 came with my new computer, so I decided to give it a try to see if anything has improved. Some improvement, but there is this one issue that is very annoying. It also seems to be an issue everyone with large monitors has and one that has not been addressed or fixed in more than five years.

I have a 65in monitor. My resolution is 3840 x 2160 and I already have the scale to 225%. Reducing the resolution or increasing the scale any further is not an acceptable option. It changes other things that are intolerable.

I have been using Linux since 7 went EOL and Linux has had zero issues with this, and I'm shocked to learn that this issue has been entirely ignored by Microsoft for some reason. Why? Why is a paid product worse than a free product?

When will Microsoft fix this thumbnail size issue? When they get around to Windows 12 or 13 or 14 or something? It would be one thing if I didn't pay for this Windows. The cost of it was baked into my computer purchase. Since my money was spent on it, I'm not able to just "overlook it".

I guess it got me angry enough to post this after seeing countless other questions online about the literal exact issue dating back YEARS.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage
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  1. Hendrix-V 20,790 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-07T05:35:59.17+00:00

    Hi Mark R,

    I understand your concern, particularly since increasing Windows scaling further would affect the rest of the interface.

    In File Explorer, try Ctrl + mouse wheel up while viewing the image folder, or choose View > Extra large icons. This increases the folder view without changing your system-wide display scaling.

    If the maximum thumbnail size is still insufficient on your 4K display, consider an image viewer/file manager that supports custom thumbnail sizing. You can also press Win + F to submit this requirement through Feedback Hub.

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

    Hopefully one of these options makes browsing your images more practical.

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  2. Craig Long 19,025 Reputation points
    2026-11-07T05:39:40.4066667+00:00

    I concur that Ctrl + mouse wheel works, but goes no further than extra-large icons.

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