Your Windows PC may be home to Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, photos, images, videos, music, audio files, and more. Wouldn't it be great if you could view each of those files quickly and easily without having to open them through their associated applications? You can if you have a file viewer.
A file viewer program lets you check your files without needing to open them and load the related program. File viewers can also be used to view unknown files, which can be helpful if you don't know which program to use to view such a file or don't have the necessary application to open it.
File Explorer in Windows 10 and Windows 11 comes with its own preview pane that can display certain types of files. You can also turn to Microsoft's own PowerToys utility. However, there are also several third-party programs you can enlist to get the job done.
File Explorer Preview Pane
File Explorer has its own built-in file viewer via the preview pane. To use it, open File Explorer and head to the file you wish to view, such as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation, PDF, or image. If no preview pane appears, click the View tab, and select Preview pane.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Microsoft)Now, you can click the file you wish to view, and it appears in the preview pane. Increase or decrease the size or width of the file by dragging the separation bar left or right.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Microsoft)PowerToys Peek
If you want some extra functionality and prefer to stick with Microsoft, there is a file viewer feature included with the free PowerToys utility. It allows you to view images, web pages, Markdown files, text files, and developer files.
Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, then open the program and select Peek. Make sure Peek is turned on and confirm the activation shortcut (Ctrl + Spacebar by default). Now, when you want to view a file in File Explorer, select it and press the activation shortcut. You can then pin the viewer window and open the file in its associated application.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Microsoft)Try a Third-Party App
If Microsoft's own options don't work for you, there are several third-party programs to try, including QuickLook, WinQuickLook, Cool File Viewer, File Viewer Plus, and Free File Viewer.
QuickLook
QuickLook offers a convenient way to display files by integrating into File Explorer. Once installed, select the file in File Explorer and press the spacebar to make the QuickLook window pop up to display the file in a dedicated window. You can also open a file by clicking the Open button.
You can view a variety of file types, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, PDFs, HTML files, and ZIP files, and can even play many audio and video files. To use the program with Microsoft Office files, you'll need to install a free plug-in at the developer's Available Plugins page.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / QuickLook)You can also easily navigate through multi-page documents and scrub through audios and videos. As in File Explorer, just resize the window to increase or decrease the size of the viewed file.
WinQuickLook
The $1.99 WinQuickLook works similarly to QuickLook. After you install the program, it hooks into File Explorer. Select the file you want to view in File Explorer, press the spacebar, and the file appears in its own window. Otherwise, click the Open with button if you want to open the file from the app.
WinQuickLook supports a variety of file types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, HTML files, and many audio and videos formats.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / WinQuickLook)Cool File Viewer
With the free version of Cool File Viewer, you can view a limited number of file types and play certain audio and video files. However, a $20 in-app purchase unlocks the full power of the program. Cool File Viewer Pro allows you to view PDFs, all types of images, and a variety of video and audio files.
The program also gives you the ability to view and extract compressed files in ZIP and RAR formats. Plus, you can view and edit Microsoft Office documents.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Cool File Viewer)Cool File Viewer runs as a small standalone window. You can position the window alongside File Explorer and then drag over files you want to see into Cool File Viewer. Alternatively, click Choose in the app and select a file to view. You can also peek at files through File Explorer by clicking Open with > Cool File Viewer.
File Viewer Plus
The free version of File Viewer Plus displays Microsoft Word and Excel documents, PDFs, image files, and HTML files. You can also play a variety of audio and video types. File Viewer Plus runs as a standalone window; drag and drop each file you want to view onto the window or browse to it from the program. You can also view files directly by choosing Open with > File Viewer Plus.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / File Viewer Plus)Open a document from Word or Excel, and the toolbars for those programs appear. You can then change certain attributes, such as formatting, to view the file in different ways. By default, the app displays an info pane for each displayed file with its metadata and other details. However, you can turn off this pane and the toolbars to view the file full screen.
To view additional files, such as PowerPoint presentations, you'll have to pay $29.99 to upgrade after a free 14-day trial. The paid version allows you to retain formatting changes, then save, convert, or print the file. Open an image file, and you can adjust the brightness, contrast, sharpness, size, rotation, and other effects.
Free File Viewer
Completely free (though donations are welcome), Free File Viewer can display a large number of file types, including Word, Excel, images, PDFs, HTML, video, and audio. After launching the program, click the Open icon and select the file you wish to view. Click the File menu and you can close or resave the file or open another one for display. The app also keeps track of the files you view so you can quickly open a recent one.
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Free File Viewer)