Enabling AVCHD MTS/M2T/M2TS Video File Thumbnails in Explorer

Assuming you have a codec installed that allows you to view AVCHD files in Windows Media Player (such as CoreAVC), here's how you can get those videos' thumbnails into the Explorer thumbnail view. I wholly admit I stole this info from some forum somewhere, but most of my searches turned up some lamer's warning about using regedit, and a refusal to post the fix because of it. So I'm going to post it again in a concise article.

Don't freak out. Regedit isn't that damaging. In fact in the 12+ years I've been working with Windows, I don't think I've ever seen a computer explode due to a change in regedit, especially when you follow directions.

Anyhow, open Notepad and copy in the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mts\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.m2t\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.m2ts\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}"

Save this as "AVCHD Thumbnails.reg" and run it. Accept the merge. You may or may not need to reboot to apply the change. Hit F5 in your Explorer window to check.

5 thoughts on “Enabling AVCHD MTS/M2T/M2TS Video File Thumbnails in Explorer”

  1. I am sorry,but your registry settings doesn't seem to reveal my AVCHD .m2ts files. i tried it twice. do you have any other solution for this ? i can play m2ts files in media player,but my vista ultimate x64 doesn't show thumbnails of the video files. reply me on (address removed) thanks.

  2. Currently, I'm on a Windows7 Ultimate 64-bit OS, the directions posted above have worked for ME;

    However, on my friend's system, a user with Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS, the results were not the same. He's tried the text with and without spaces. Please help.

    I am aware this thread was posted 2009. Thank you kindly in advance.

  3. I think it has something to do with trying to use a 32-bit utility to generate thumbnails for 64-bit Windows Explorer. I don't have a 64-bit PC in front of me, but I would suspect that there is a 64-bit ShellEx path in the registry that you could try the same thing on and see if it works. Also, I've seen a utility called ShellEx64 which might help, though I've never tried it myself (http://www.shellex64.com/).

    I'll be getting a 64-bit PC late next week, so I could try it out then.

  4. Found the solution. In his case, we installed the necessary codecs; once installed, Explorer displayed the thumbnails.

    Thank you for your help. :) It has been very enlightening.