Tex Thumbnail Provider
RitoShark's Windows shell extension shows .tex files as image thumbnails in File Explorer. Per-user install, no admin. See what is inside a texture at a glance.
Tex Thumbnail Provider by RitoShark lets you see .tex files as
thumbnails in Windows Explorer. No more guessing what is inside.
Latest version: v1.1.0.
What it does
- Shows
.texfiles as image previews in Windows Explorer. - Works in any folder with
.textextures (game files, exports, mod assets). - Runs as a registered COM DLL. No app to open. No background process.
Before you start
- Windows 10 or 11.
- PowerShell. No administrator rights needed. The installer registers the DLL for your user only.
Installation
-
Close any Windows Explorer windows that show
.texfiles. -
Open PowerShell. A normal window is fine. You do not need to run it as administrator.
-
Paste this command and press Enter:
iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RitoShark/TexThumbnailProvider/master/scripts/install-thumbnail-handler.ps1 | iex -
Wait for the installer to finish. It downloads
TexThumbnailProvider.dll, copies it to%LOCALAPPDATA%\RitoShark\TexThumbnailProvider, and registers it for your user. -
Open any folder with
.texfiles. Thumbnails appear in place of generic icons.
The installer registers the DLL for the current user. That is why it does not need admin rights. Keep the install folder. If you delete it, the previews stop working.
If you also use RitoTex
The RitoTex Photoshop plugin
also registers a .tex thumbnail handler. Two handlers for one file type would
normally fight.
This installer writes its handler under your user account, which wins over the
machine-wide one. So your .tex thumbnails keep showing even with RitoTex
installed. You do not have to choose between them.
Troubleshooting
Thumbnails don't show
- Restart Windows Explorer:
- Open Task Manager.
- Find Windows Explorer.
- Right-click. Pick Restart.
- Open the folder again.
Old thumbnails still look like generic icons
Windows caches thumbnails. A .tex file repaints only after its modified time
changes or after you clear the cache.
- Open Disk Cleanup.
- Tick Thumbnails.
- Click OK.
- Open the folder again.
Still nothing after a restart
Run the install command again. It re-downloads and re-registers the DLL.
Alternatives
LTK Tex Thumb Handler by the LeagueToolkit team does the same job. Pick one tool, not both. Running two thumbnail handlers for the same file type can cause conflicts.