How do i get the shell IPreviewHandler for a particular file extension? Background Windows allows developers to create a preview handler for their custom file types: Preview handlers are called when an item is selected to show a lightweight, rich, read-only preview of the file's contents in the view's reading pane. This is done without launching the file's associated application. A preview handler is a hosted application. Hosts include the Windows Explorer in Windows Vista or Microsoft Outlook 2007. I want to leverage the existing IPreviewHandler infrasturcture to get a thumbnail for a file.