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QL-Win / QuickLook

Bring macOS “Quick Look” feature to Windows

22,452 stars
1,232 forks
194 issues
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Repository Summary (README)

Preview
<!-- Hero Section with Gradient Background Effect --> <picture> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/1687847/82130498-8c3eac80-97d4-11ea-9e88-372ab9c50295.png"> <img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/1687847/82130498-8c3eac80-97d4-11ea-9e88-372ab9c50295.png" width="140" alt="QuickLook Logo"> </picture>

QuickLook

<div align="center"> <h3> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/refs/heads/master/Emojis/Activities/Magic%20Wand.png" width="25" height="25" /> <i>Instant File Previews, Just Press Space</i> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/refs/heads/master/Emojis/Activities/Magic%20Wand.png" width="25" height="25" /> </h3>

The most powerful Quick Look implementation for Windows

<a href="https://trendshift.io/repositories/3258"> <img src="https://trendshift.io/api/badge/repositories/3258" alt="Trending" width="250" height="55"/> </a> <br> <!-- Animated Badges --> <p> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/QL-Win/QuickLook?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&color=00C853&labelColor=000000" alt="Release"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/QL-Win/QuickLook/total?style=for-the-badge&logo=download&color=FF6D00&labelColor=000000" alt="Downloads"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/stargazers"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/QL-Win/QuickLook?style=for-the-badge&logo=starship&color=FFD700&labelColor=000000" alt="Stars"> </a> <a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPL_v3-blue?style=for-the-badge&logo=opensourceinitiative&color=3DA639&labelColor=000000" alt="License"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/actions/workflows/msbuild.yml"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/QL-Win/QuickLook/msbuild.yml?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&label=Build&labelColor=000000" alt="Build Status"> </a> <a href="https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/latest/runtime"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-Windows-0078D4?style=for-the-badge&logo=windows&labelColor=000000" alt="Platform"> </a> </p>

<br><br>

<!-- Hero Image with Modern Styling --> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/refs/heads/master/Build/Assets/Branding/01.png" width="800" alt="QuickLook Preview" style="border-radius: 20px;">

<br><br>

<!-- Quick Navigation with Icons --> <table> <tr> <td align="center" width="20%"> <a href="#-the-problem"> <img src="https://github.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/blob/master/Emojis/Objects/Light%20Bulb.png?raw=true" width="30"><br> <b>The Problem</b> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="20%"> <a href="#-superpowers"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Rocket.png" width="30"><br> <b>Superpowers</b> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="20%"> <a href="#-get-started"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Package.png" width="30"><br> <b>Get Started</b> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="20%"> <a href="#-extend"> <img src="https://github.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/blob/master/Emojis/Activities/Puzzle%20Piece.png?raw=true" width="30"><br> <b>Extend</b> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="20%"> <a href="#-community"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Beating%20Heart.png" width="30"><br> <b>Community</b> </a> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <br>

💡 The Problem

<table> <tr> <td width="60%">

Ever wished Windows had macOS's Quick Look?

You know the drill: you want to peek at a file, so you double-click, wait for an app to launch, view the file, close the app... exhausting, right?

macOS users? They just press <kbd>Space</kbd>. Instant preview. Any file.

Now Windows has it too. 🎉

QuickLook brings that buttery-smooth, instant-preview experience to Windows. No more waiting. No more opening heavy applications just to peek at a document.

</td> <td width="40%">
WITHOUT QuickLook:
┌─────────────────┐
│ 1. Double click │
│ 2. Wait...      │
│ 3. App loads    │
│ 4. View file    │
│ 5. Close app    │
└─────────────────┘
   ⏱️ ~10 seconds

WITH QuickLook:
┌─────────────────┐
│ 1. Press SPACE  │
│ 2. Done! ✨     │
└─────────────────┘
   ⚡ ~0.2 seconds
</td> </tr> </table> <br>

🚀 Superpowers

<div align="center">

What Makes QuickLook Extraordinary

</div> <table align="center" > <tr> <td align="center" width="33%">

⚡️ Lightning Speed

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/High%20Voltage.png" width="60">

Instant previews with zero lag

Native performance that feels like magic

Hardware-accelerated rendering

</td> <td align="center" width="33%">

🎨 Gorgeous Design

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Activities/Artist%20Palette.png" width="60">

Fluent Design System integration

Beautiful on 4K displays

Touch-optimized interface

</td> <td align="center" width="33%">

🌈 100+ Formats

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Rainbow.png" width="60">

Images, videos, documents, code

3D models, archives, fonts

Extensible with plugins

</td> </tr> </table> <br> <!-- Feature Grid with Modern Cards --> <table align="center" > <tr> <td width="50%">

📸 Visual Files

  • 🖼️ Images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, RAW)
  • 🎬 Videos (MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV)
  • 🎨 Photoshop (PSD), Illustrator (AI)
  • 📐 3D Models (OBJ, STL, FBX)
  • 🎭 Animated GIFs & APNGs

📄 Documents

  • 📝 PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • 📋 Text files with syntax highlighting
  • 📊 Markdown with live rendering
  • 📜 E-books (EPUB, MOBI)
  • 📑 Comics (CBZ, CBR)
</td> <td width="50%">

💻 Developer Files

  • 🐍 Python, JavaScript, C++, Rust
  • 🌐 HTML, CSS, JSON, XML
  • ⚙️ Config files (YAML, TOML, INI)
  • 📦 Archives (ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR)
  • 🔧 Binary files with hex view

🎵 Media

  • 🎵 Audio (MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC)
  • 🎼 Sheet music
  • 🎨 Fonts (TTF, OTF, WOFF)
  • 🖌️ Vector graphics (SVG, EPS)
  • 📹 Subtitles (SRT, ASS)
</td> </tr> </table> <br> <div align="center">

🎯 Works Everywhere

<table> <tr> <td align="center" width="25%">

File Explorer

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/File%20Folder.png" width="50">

Native integration

</td> <td align="center" width="25%">

Open/Save Dialogs

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Desktop%20Computer.png" width="50">

System-wide support

</td> <td align="center" width="25%">

3rd Party Managers

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Toolbox.png" width="50">

Total Commander, xplorer²

</td> <td align="center" width="25%">

Cloud Storage

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Cloud.png" width="50">

OneDrive, Dropbox ready

</td> </tr> </table> </div> <br>

📦 Get Started

<div align="center">

Choose Your Adventure

<br> <table> <tr> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Mobile%20Phone.png" width="70">

Microsoft Store

Recommended for most users

✅ Automatic updates ✅ Sandboxed security ✅ One-click install

<br> <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9nv4bs3l1h4s"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Get_it_from-Microsoft_Store-0078D4?style=for-the-badge&logo=microsoft&logoColor=white" alt="Microsoft Store"> </a>

<sub>⚠️ Limited Open/Save dialog support</sub>

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Package.png" width="70">

Installer

Full-featured experience

✅ Complete functionality ✅ Open/Save dialog support ✅ Portable option available

<br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-Latest_Release-00C853?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&logoColor=white" alt="Latest Release"> </a>

<sub>💎 Get the full power</sub>

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Food/Beer%20Mug.png" width="70">

Scoop

For command-line lovers

✅ Easy updates ✅ Reproducible installs ✅ Version management

<br>
scoop bucket add extras
scoop install quicklook

<sub>🤓 Power user choice</sub>

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Crescent%20Moon.png" width="70">

Nightly

Live on the edge

✅ Latest features ✅ Bug fixes first ⚠️ May be unstable

<br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/releases/"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Try-Nightly_Builds-FF6D00?style=for-the-badge&logo=github-actions&logoColor=white" alt="Nightly Builds"> </a>

<sub>🌙 Experimental builds</sub>

</td> </tr> </table> <br> <details> <summary><b>🤔 Not sure which version to choose?</b></summary> <br>
FeatureStoreInstallerScoopNightly
Auto-updates⚠️⚠️
Open/Save dialogs
Portable mode
Stability✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅

📖 Read the full comparison

</details> </div> <br>

⚡ Quick Start in 10 Seconds

<table> <tr> <td width="50%">
Step 1️⃣  Install QuickLook
         ↓
Step 2️⃣  It runs automatically
         ↓
Step 3️⃣  Select any file
         ↓
Step 4️⃣  Press SPACE
         ↓
Step 5️⃣  🎉 Magic happens!
</td> <td width="50%">

💡 Pro Tips:

  • QuickLook lives in your system tray
  • Works with any file in File Explorer
  • Use arrow keys to preview multiple files
  • Press Esc or Space again to close
  • Drag files directly from the preview!
</td> </tr> </table> <br>

⌨️ Master the Shortcuts

<div align="center">

Your New Superpowers

<br> <table> <tr> <td align="center" width="33%">

🎮 Basic Controls

KeyAction
<kbd>Space</kbd>Toggle preview
<kbd>Esc</kbd> <kbd>Space</kbd>Close window
<kbd>Enter</kbd>Open file
<kbd></kbd> <kbd></kbd>Next/Previous
</td> <td align="center" width="33%">

🔍 Navigation

KeyAction
<kbd></kbd> <kbd></kbd>Navigate files
<kbd>Mouse Click</kbd>Select file
<kbd>Page Up</kbd> <kbd>Down</kbd>Scroll content
<kbd>Home</kbd> <kbd>End</kbd>Jump to start/end
</td> <td align="center" width="33%">

🎨 Advanced

KeyAction
<kbd>Wheel</kbd>Zoom (images)
<kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Wheel</kbd>Zoom (PDFs)
<kbd>L-Click Drag</kbd>Rotate 3D
<kbd>M-Click Drag</kbd>Pan 3D
</td> </tr> </table> <br>

💡 Pro Tip: You can navigate files using arrow keys even when the preview window isn't focused!

</div> <br>

🧩 Extend

<div align="center">

Supercharge QuickLook with Plugins

Transform QuickLook into a universal file viewer

<br> <!-- Featured Plugins Grid --> <table align="center"> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Clipboard.png" width="80">

OfficeViewer

Preview Word, Excel & PowerPoint files

No Microsoft Office required!

<br>
✅ Native Office formats
✅ Standalone viewer
✅ Fast rendering
<a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook.Plugin.OfficeViewer/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-Plugin-FF6D00?style=for-the-badge" alt="Download"> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="50%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Page%20Facing%20Up.png" width="80">

PdfViewer-Native

Enhanced PDF viewing with WebView2

Modern, fast, feature-rich

<br>
✅ Smooth scrolling
✅ Search & annotations
✅ Hardware acceleration
<a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook.Plugin.PdfViewer-Native/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-Plugin-00C853?style=for-the-badge" alt="Download"> </a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Printer.png" width="80">

PostScriptViewer

Preview .ps and .eps files

Perfect for designers

<br>
✅ Vector rendering
✅ High quality output
✅ Professional formats
<a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook.Plugin.PostScriptViewer/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-Plugin-3DA639?style=for-the-badge" alt="Download"> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="50%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Objects/Triangular%20Ruler.png" width="80">

CADImport

View CAD files natively

.dwg, .dxf, .plt, .cgm

<br>
✅ Engineering drawings
✅ Architecture files
✅ Technical diagrams
<a href="https://github.com/emako/QuickLook.Plugin.CADImport/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-Plugin-0078D4?style=for-the-badge" alt="Download"> </a> </td> </tr> </table> <br>

📦 How to Install or Upgrade Plugins

<table> <tr> <td width="33%" align="center">

1️⃣ Download

Get the .qlplugin file

</td> <td width="33%" align="center">

2️⃣ Install

Ensure QuickLook is currently running, select the file and press Spacebar.

</td> <td width="33%" align="center">

3️⃣ Restart

Click on the Install button, then restart QuickLook.

</td> </tr> </table>

📦 How to Remove Plugins

<table> <tr> <td width="33%" align="center">

1️⃣ Quit

Quit QuickLook.

</td> <td width="33%" align="center">

2️⃣ Navigate

Navigate to the Data location.

</td> <td width="33%" align="center">

3️⃣ Remove

You should find several folders. Remove the one you do not want to use.

</td> </tr> </table> <br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/wiki/Available-Plugins"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/🔍_Browse_All_Plugins-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Browse Plugins"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/wiki/Available-Plugins#how-to-install-or-upgrade-a-plugin"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/📖_Installation_Guide-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Installation Guide"> </a> </div> <br>

💖 Community

<div align="center">

Join Thousands of Happy Users

<br> <table> <tr> <td align="center" width="33%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Speech%20Balloon.png" width="80">

QQ Group

Join our Chinese community

371388501

<br> <a href="https://qm.qq.com/q/KIczirznua"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Join-QQ_Group-12B7F5?style=for-the-badge&logo=tencentqq&logoColor=white" alt="QQ Group"> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="33%"> <img src="https://github.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/blob/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Globe%20with%20Meridians.png?raw=true" width="80">

Translate

Help QuickLook speak your language

Make it accessible

<br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/wiki/Translations"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Contribute-Translations-FFD700?style=for-the-badge&logo=googletranslate&logoColor=white" alt="Translations"> </a> </td> <td align="center" width="33%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Star-Struck.png" width="80">

Star Us

Show your support

It means a lot!

<br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/stargazers"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/QL-Win/QuickLook?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&color=FFD700&logoColor=white" alt="Star us"> </a> </td> </tr> </table> <br>

👨‍💻 For Developers

Interested in contributing? Check out our development resources:

<a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/wiki"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/📚_Developer_Wiki-black?style=for-the-badge&logo=gitbook&logoColor=white" alt="Wiki"> </a> <a href="CodeMaid.config"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/🛠️_Code_Style_Guide-black?style=for-the-badge&logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white" alt="Code Style"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/issues"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/🐛_Report_Issues-black?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&logoColor=white" alt="Issues"> </a> </div> <br>

🙏 Credits

<div align="center">

Built with Love by Amazing People

<br> <table> <tr> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://github.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/blob/master/Emojis/Activities/Artist%20Palette.png?raw=true" width="60">

Design Team

@OiCkilL @QubitsDev Donno

Fluent UI & Icons

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Nerd%20Face.png" width="60">

Contributors

Our Amazing Team

Code, translations & ideas

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://github.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/blob/master/Emojis/Objects/Books.png?raw=true" width="60">

Open Source

Libraries We Use

Standing on giants

</td> <td align="center" width="25%"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Smiling%20Face%20with%20Hearts.png" width="60">

You!

Every User Matters

Thank you for using QuickLook

</td> </tr> </table> </div> <br>

📜 License

<div align="center"> <br> <img src="https://www.gnu.org/graphics/gplv3-127x51.png" alt="GPL v3">

<br><br>

QuickLook is free and open source under GPL-3.0

Free software, free forever. No ads, no tracking, no premium tiers.

<br>

Need commercial licensing? Contact us for sublicensing options.

</div> <br>
<div align="center"> <br>

⭐ Like QuickLook? Star the repo!

Your support keeps this project alive and improving

<br> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/🏠_Visit_Homepage-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Homepage"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/wiki"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/📖_Documentation-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Docs"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/issues"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/💬_Get_Help-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Help"> </a> <a href="https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/📦_Download-white?style=for-the-badge" alt="Download"> </a>

<br><br>

<sub>Made with ❤️ by the QuickLook community</sub>

<br> <!-- Animated Emojis Footer --> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Rocket.png" width="25"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Beating%20Heart.png" width="25"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/master/Emojis/Smilies/Star-Struck.png" width="25"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tarikul-Islam-Anik/Animated-Fluent-Emojis/refs/heads/master/Emojis/Travel%20and%20places/Star.png" width="25"> </div>