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Image thumbnails not showing in SharePoint Server 2019 modern/new library experience

One of the best perks of upgrading to SharePoint Server 2019 from previous versions is the introduction of the modern/new list, library, and page experience. Modern web parts and layouts become available, lists look sleek and closer to what users are seeing in O365 in hybrid environments, etc.

It recently came to my attention, however, that the new list experience in picture and document libraries doesn’t render image thumbnails. According to Mike Lee in this thread, thumbnails in the modern/new experience rely on a cloud-based microservice that is incompatible with SharePoint 2019. Users, instead, just see image icons where thumbnails should be:

The only workaround in SharePoint 2019 to see image thumbnails in picture and document libraries is to revert to the classic experience. Each user can do this for themselves if we leave the default experience setting, but we want to force all users to use classic and not have the choice of using modern if we want them to see thumbnails.

Go to User Voice and vote for this issue to be resolved, adding support for image thumbnails in SharePoint 2019 modern experience views. In the meantime, here’s how you can change a library’s default experience back to classic:

Set library view to classic experience

1. Go to Library settings (settings wheel in upper right > Library settings).

OR if you’re already viewing classic experience, Library settings is found in the Library ribbon menu.

2. Click Advanced settings.

3. Scroll to the very bottom and for List experience select Classic experience.

4. Click OK.

Now all users will see the classic experience and not have the choice of toggling back to modern where thumbnails cannot be shown.

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Get cooking with Microsoft 365: Two M365 “cookbooks” from Packt to add to your shelf

I recently had the privilege to write a Microsoft 365 administration cookbook for Packt intended for M365 administrators. “Cookbooks” take a large topic, like M365 administration, and divide it into major subject areas each with their own set of “recipes” or step-by-step guides to complete popular tasks.

My friends Gaurav Mahajan and Sudeep Ghatak also wrote an M365 cookbook for Packt that is written for the end-user audience. I was honored to be able to write a foreword for their book, and am impressed with the amount of knowledge they’ve captured and shared in their nearly 800-page cookbook.

  • M365 and SharePoint Online Cookbook – Buy Here
  • O365 Administration Cookbook – Buy Here

More information on each can be found below:

Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online Cookbook

Embrace modern solutions to enhance collaboration, teamwork, robotic process automation, and business intelligence in your organization using powerful Microsoft 365 services (formerly Office 365)

Key Features

  • Gain a complete overview of popular Microsoft 365 services using practical recipes and expert insights
  • Collaborate with your team and external users effectively using SharePoint and Teams
  • Create no-code and low-code solutions, such as bots, forms, dashboards, and workflows, using the Power platform

Book Description

Microsoft 365 in an integrated suite that provides intelligent tools for managing everyday organizational tasks like content management, communication, creating reports, and automating business processes. With this book, you’ll get to grips with popular apps from Microsoft, with a focus on enabling workspace collaboration and productivity using Microsoft SharePoint Online, Teams, and the Power Platform to name a few.

In addition to guiding you through the implementation of Microsoft 365 apps, this practical guide helps you to learn from a Microsoft consultant’s extensive experience of working with the Microsoft business suite. Starting with a quick overview of the M365 ecosystem, the book covers recipes for implementing SharePoint Online for various content management tasks. You’ll learn how to create sites for your organization and enhance collaboration across the business and then see how you can boost productivity with apps such as Microsoft Teams, Power Platform, Planner, Delve, and M365 Groups. Using a step-by-step approach, you’ll also find out how to use the Power Platform efficiently, making the most of Microsoft PowerApps, Power Automate, PowerBI, and Power Virtual Agents. Finally, the book focuses on the SharePoint framework, which helps you to build custom Teams and SharePoint solutions.

By the end of the book, you’ll be equipped with the skills required to set up Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online and be ready to enhance business productivity using a variety of tools.

What you will learn

  • Get to grips with a wide range of apps and cloud services in Microsoft 365
  • Discover ways to use SharePoint Online to create and manage content
  • Store and share documents using SharePoint Online
  • Improve your search experience with Microsoft Search
  • Leverage the Power Platform to build business solutions with Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents
  • Enhance native capabilities in SharePoint and Teams using the SPFx framework
  • Use Microsoft Teams to meet, chat, and collaborate with colleagues or external users

Who this book is for

This book is for business professionals, IT administrators, enterprise developers and architects, and anyone who wants to get to grips with using M365 for effective implementation of Microsoft apps. Prior experience with Office 365 and SharePoint will assist with understanding the recipes effortlessly.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of Microsoft 365
  2. Introduction to SharePoint Online
  3. Working with Modern Sites in SharePoint Online
  4. Working with Lists and Libraries in SharePoint Online
  5. Document Management in SharePoint
  6. Term Store and Content Types in SharePoint Online
  7. OneDrive for Business
  8. Search in Microsoft 365
  9. Office Delve
  10. Microsoft 365 Groups
  11. Microsoft Teams
  12. Yammer – The Enterprise Social Network
  13. Power Automate (Microsoft Flow)
  14. PowerApps
  15. Power BI
  16. Power Virtual Agents
  17. Planner
  18. Custom Development – SharePoint Framework
  19. Microsoft 365 on Mobile
  20. Appendix

Microsoft Office 365 Administration Cookbook

Make the most out of your investment in Office 365 apps and services with this Microsoft Office cookbook

Key Features

  • Learn how to manage and secure the entire Office 365 stack in addition to specific services
  • Delve into newer and frequently shifting areas such as Power Platform, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Search administration
  • Discover carefully selected techniques that cover a range of administrative tasks of varying difficulty levels

Book Description

Organizations across the world have switched to Office 365 to boost workplace productivity. However, to maximize investment in Office 365, you need to know how to efficiently administer Office 365 solutions.

Microsoft Office 365 Administration Cookbook is packed with recipes to guide you through common and not so common administrative tasks throughout Office 365. Whether you’re administering a single app such as SharePoint or organization-wide Security & Compliance across Office 365, this cookbook offers a variety of recipes that you’ll want to have to hand. The book begins by covering essential setup and administration tasks. You’ll learn how to manage permissions for users and user groups along with automating routine admin tasks using PowerShell. You’ll then progress through to managing core Office 365 services such as Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint Online, and Azure Active Directory (AD). This book also features recipes that’ll help you to manage newer services such as Microsoft Search, Power Platform, and Microsoft Teams. In the final chapters, you’ll delve into monitoring, reporting, and securing your Office 365 services.

By the end of this book, you’ll have learned to manage individual Office 365 services along with monitoring, securing, and optimizing your entire Office 365 deployment efficiently.

What you will learn

  • Get to grips with basic Office 365 setup and routine administration tasks
  • Manage Office 365 identities and groups efficiently and securely
  • Harness the capabilities of PowerShell to automate common administrative tasks
  • Configure and manage core Office 365 services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive
  • Configure and administer fast-evolving services such as Microsoft Search, Power Platform, Microsoft Teams, and Azure AD
  • Get up and running with advanced threat protection features provided by the Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Center
  • Protect your organization’s sensitive data with Office 365 Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Monitor activities and behaviors across all Office 365 services

Who This Book Is For

This book is for newer Office 365 administrators and IT pros alike, and comes with recipes of varying difficulty levels along with step-by-step guidance. Whether you are new to Office 365 administration or just seeking new ideas, this cookbook contains recipes to enhance your organization’s app and service management and productivity.

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How to clear the SharePoint Server configuration cache using PowerShell

If you have several servers in your SharePoint Server (on-premises) farm, repeating the manual steps for clearing the configuration cache on each can be time consuming. PowerShell really shines in situations like these to help us be more productive and efficient.

The following PowerShell script can be used to clear the SharePoint configuration cache on a server. I’ve recently tested this on SharePoint 2019 servers with success. Just be sure to run it on each server for which you’re clearing the cache, then remember to go back to each and press “ENTER” in each PowerShell window as the script instructs you so that it restarts the timer service after all servers have had their cache cleared.

This script follows the same steps you’d perform manually. It loads the SP snap-in if needed, stops the timer service, deletes the xml files in the Config directory, sets the cache.ini file’s value to 1 to reset the cache, then restarts the timer service (once you press Enter).

Clear SharePoint configuration cache using PowerShell

  1. Run PowerShell as administrator (right-click, run as administrator).
  2. Copy and paste the following script, making no changes to its contents. It will work as-is.
  3. Hit Enter to run the script (unless using ISE, then click “Run”).
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each SharePoint server on which you’re clearing the cache.
  5. When this has run on all SharePoint servers you wish, go back to each and hit Enter in PowerShell to restart the timer service on each.
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Elevate your career by attending the free #GlobalCon3 virtual summit this summer

Microsoft 365 Virtual Conference for the community

If you’ve attended a Collab365 event in the past, you’re probably as excited as I am for the next upcoming iteration of their GlobalCon series.

You can join us on one or all of the following parts of GlobalCon3: 

  • July 15th, 2020 (Beginner’s Day)
  • August 11th-12th (Power Platform Day)
  • September 8th-11th (Main Event)

GlobalCon2 had over 20,000 sign-ups this year and popularity is continually increasing. People are becoming more familiar with Microsoft 365 everyday especially as our workplaces embrace and improve digital and remote collaboration.

Spots are filling up fast for GlobalCon3 and you don’t want to miss out on the exciting things they have to offer! New features are being introduced this year that will allow for more networking and collaboration opportunities.

Register for free

Sign up is free but be sure to check out the amazing upgrade options they have to enhance your experience. Right now you can get them at a discounted rate (prices will be listed but are subject to change very soon!)

Get access to all the knowledge GlobalCon3 has to offer:  Register (FREE!)

Or consider these content-packed upgrades:

All-Access Pass:

With the All-Access Pass you get lifetime access to every single GlobalCon3 session (and 10 EBooks), All content from the GlobalCon1 Summit (31 sessions and 10 EBooks), you also get their Teams Training videos by Matthew J Bailey MVP as well as the Excel training videos to share with your internal teams. 

Right now you can get all this for the low price of $67! Price may increase soon!
Buy the All-Access Pass ($67)

Ultimate Bundle:

Purchase the Ultimate Bundle and you can start learning IMMEDIATELY! the bundle offers 76 videos and 50 EBooks.

Buy this right now at the discounted price of $179. Price may increase soon!
Buy the Ultimate Bundle ($179)