Viewing .epub covers in Windows Explorer?

Dullahir · 03-14-2013, 02:28 PM

Hey everyone:

Is there a way to view .epub thumbnails as book covers in windows explorer? It would be such a timesaver, because I can simply edit and stuff from there without having to load up Calibre and load the 18,259 epub documents that I currently have in this folder. (I have more in others.) It would also help me look for dupes as well as avoid that HORRIBLE 'ABC Amber Lit Converter' pos. Like if I have two books, one with that shizz and another pristine, I'd prefer to get rid of the corrupt one, not the perfect one.

I know that with pdf books you can use the Preview Pane. But are there any programs or tweaks that will allow you to view the .epub covers as thumbnails in a Windows Explorer window running on Windows 7 64?

Dullahir · 03-14-2013, 05:26 PM

No-one knows? If they do, I'd appreciate some help. This issue is very important to me.

Section8 · 03-14-2013, 06:52 PM

Don't use windows at home to test this, but instructions are here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35505
although it looks like this may be out of date now.

JSWolf · 03-14-2013, 09:04 PM

There is no way for Windows to be able to pull the cover out of an ePub and display as a thumbnail. You would have to write the code for Windows to do that.

Dullahir · 03-14-2013, 11:50 PM

Ah, thanks for the info. And yes, I did see the page you spoke of, but it didn't say anything about .epub, so I wasn't sure, hehe.

And thanks, Wolfie, I thought as much, but I guess it didn't hurt to ask. So there's no software of anything that might help, right? I know that Adobe has some, but I guess that's just the way things are. Should I temporarily reformat the books to pdf to check? (I really don't want to do that because formatting from .pdf is an absolute BISh. A single 3.7mb book once took 306m 38s before I cancelled it.)

mrmikel · 03-15-2013, 07:31 AM

Adobe Digital Editions displays covers as thumbnails, so long as the book is in your personal library. You can't edit them in it and they have to be valid or they won't be displayed.

Dullahir · 03-15-2013, 11:10 AM

Yes, I know. I have Adobe Digital Editons, but they display the covers within the program itself, not without it.

PeterT · 03-15-2013, 04:06 PM

I've had success with CBX Shell Manager on 32 bit Windows 7, and just need to experiment on 64 bit, so I can document what is needed.

32 Bit, the following registry edit is needed

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.epub]
@="epub_auto_file"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.epub\shellex]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.epub\shellex\{00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{9E6ECB90-5A61-42BD-B851-D3297D9C7F39}"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.epub\shellex\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{9E6ECB90-5A61-42BD-B851-D3297D9C7F39}"

Section8 · 03-15-2013, 04:24 PM

That post I linked does have a registry setting for epubs as well, about half way down.

PeterT · 03-15-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section8

That post I linked does have a registry setting for epubs as well, about half way down.

Different program.... and people did indicate issues with 64 bit support.... but... I guess you know better...

Pachuco · 10-29-2013, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Different program.... and people did indicate issues with 64 bit support.... but... I guess you know better...

This here worked for me on Windows 8.1 64-bit

Logarithmic · 08-22-2020, 09:46 AM

I I know this thread is quite old. But it's one of the top results on Google for epub thumbnails and since nobody had a solid answer. Figured it post one. Me and a friend made modifications to a previous program and created a pretty perfect. Windows epub thumbnails handler.

https://github.com/dark-knight404/DarkThumbs

JSWolf · 08-22-2020, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logarithmic

I I know this thread is quite old. But it's one of the top results on Google for epub thumbnails and since nobody had a solid answer. Figured it post one. Me and a friend made modifications to a previous program and created a pretty perfect. Windows epub thumbnails handler.

https://github.com/dark-knight404/DarkThumbs

Where is the actual compiled version? Also, could you make it so it does not have anything to do with .RAR and .ZIP?

Logarithmic · 08-22-2020, 03:06 PM

Compiled version is under releases.. On the right side.
It can be turned on and off for each individual filetype.
Epubs are technically a zip file. With a different filename and manafest. Figured might as well leave it there. CBZ and CBR are comic books formats. That are literally just 7z and RAR with different extensions as well.

Quoth · 08-22-2020, 04:28 PM

Calibre works better than explorer. Explorer is one reason I stopped using windows. I can't see how having thumbnails in explorer saves time.

Though I do have many thousands of PDF that only have a numeric code unrelated to anything and used thumbnails of those in Explorer using an extension. Not needed now on Linux.

03-14-2013, 02:28 PM	#1
Dullahir Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 13316 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Deva, Romania Device: Android	Viewing .epub covers in Windows Explorer? Hey everyone: Is there a way to view .epub thumbnails as book covers in windows explorer? It would be such a timesaver, because I can simply edit and stuff from there without having to load up Calibre and load the 18,259 epub documents that I currently have in this folder. (I have more in others.) It would also help me look for dupes as well as avoid that HORRIBLE 'ABC Amber Lit Converter' pos. Like if I have two books, one with that shizz and another pristine, I'd prefer to get rid of the corrupt one, not the perfect one. I know that with pdf books you can use the Preview Pane. But are there any programs or tweaks that will allow you to view the .epub covers as thumbnails in a Windows Explorer window running on Windows 7 64?

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03-14-2013, 05:26 PM	#2
Dullahir Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 13316 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Deva, Romania Device: Android	No-one knows? If they do, I'd appreciate some help. This issue is very important to me.

03-14-2013, 06:52 PM	#3
Section8 Addict Posts: 254 Karma: 2092424 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Arlington, TX Device: Kindle PW4, Moon+ Reader on a cheap Android tablet	Don't use windows at home to test this, but instructions are here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35505 although it looks like this may be out of date now.

03-14-2013, 09:04 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	There is no way for Windows to be able to pull the cover out of an ePub and display as a thumbnail. You would have to write the code for Windows to do that.

03-14-2013, 11:50 PM	#5
Dullahir Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 13316 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Deva, Romania Device: Android	Ah, thanks for the info. And yes, I did see the page you spoke of, but it didn't say anything about .epub, so I wasn't sure, hehe. And thanks, Wolfie, I thought as much, but I guess it didn't hurt to ask. So there's no software of anything that might help, right? I know that Adobe has some, but I guess that's just the way things are. Should I temporarily reformat the books to pdf to check? (I really don't want to do that because formatting from .pdf is an absolute BISh. A single 3.7mb book once took 306m 38s before I cancelled it.)

03-15-2013, 07:31 AM	#6
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	Adobe Digital Editions displays covers as thumbnails, so long as the book is in your personal library. You can't edit them in it and they have to be valid or they won't be displayed.

03-15-2013, 11:10 AM	#7
Dullahir Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 13316 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Deva, Romania Device: Android	Yes, I know. I have Adobe Digital Editons, but they display the covers within the program itself, not without it.

03-15-2013, 04:24 PM	#9
Section8 Addict Posts: 254 Karma: 2092424 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Arlington, TX Device: Kindle PW4, Moon+ Reader on a cheap Android tablet	That post I linked does have a registry setting for epubs as well, about half way down.

08-22-2020, 09:46 AM	#12
Logarithmic Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: IPad	I I know this thread is quite old. But it's one of the top results on Google for epub thumbnails and since nobody had a solid answer. Figured it post one. Me and a friend made modifications to a previous program and created a pretty perfect. Windows epub thumbnails handler. https://github.com/dark-knight404/DarkThumbs

08-22-2020, 03:06 PM	#14
Logarithmic Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2020 Device: IPad	Compiled version is under releases.. On the right side. It can be turned on and off for each individual filetype. Epubs are technically a zip file. With a different filename and manafest. Figured might as well leave it there. CBZ and CBR are comic books formats. That are literally just 7z and RAR with different extensions as well.

08-22-2020, 04:28 PM	#15
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 11,092 Karma: 85874891 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	Calibre works better than explorer. Explorer is one reason I stopped using windows. I can't see how having thumbnails in explorer saves time. Though I do have many thousands of PDF that only have a numeric code unrelated to anything and used thumbnails of those in Explorer using an extension. Not needed now on Linux.