Knowledge Base

OFF: "Preview Not Available" in Preview Window

Article ID: 138430

Article Last Modified on 3/29/2007

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q138430

SYMPTOMS

In any Microsoft Office program, when you click the Preview button in the Open dialog box (on the File menu, click Open), you may receive the following message in the preview window: 
   Preview Not available

CAUSE

By default, the check box for saving a preview of a file is not selected and therefore no OLE (thumbnail) preview is saved with the file. Without this thumbnail image, a file cannot be previewed.

WORKAROUND

In order to see a preview of a Microsoft Office document, use the appropriate procedure for the program you are using.

If you are using any Microsoft Office program

When you save a document for the first time, do the following:
  1. On the File menu, click Properties.
  2. Click the Summary tab.
  3. Select the Save Preview Picture check box.
  4. Click OK.
  5. On the File Menu, click Save.

If you are using Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  2. Click the General tab.
  3. Select the Prompt For File Properties check box.
  4. Click OK
NOTE: In Microsoft Excel, you may not be prompted for file properties when you save your file if it was created from a template file.

If you are using Microsoft Word

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  2. Click the Save tab.
  3. Select the Prompt For Document Properties check box.
  4. Click OK.
When you save a document for the first time, the Properties dialog box appears. When this dialog box appears, select the Save Preview Picture check box on the Summary tab and then click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table lists which files you can view a preview of if you save a file without the "Save Preview Picture" option selected. 
   If you click
   Preview in this program               You can see a preview of this
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

   Microsoft Word                        Any file from any of the
                                         Office programs

                                           Note that you may not be
                                           able to view a preview of
                                           a document if it has been
                                           saved with password
                                           protection. However, you
                                           may see a preview if you
                                           are using different versions
                                           of the product. For example,
                                           use Word 97 to preview a file
                                           created in Excel 7.0.

   Microsoft Excel                       No previews available (not
                                         even for Microsoft Excel
                                         files)

   Microsoft PowerPoint                  PowerPoint files only

If you click Open A Document on the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar, you see previews of Microsoft PowerPoint files only.

Additional query words: 8.00 97

Keywords: KB138430


Send feedback to Microsoft

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.