Why do video icons differ ?

[Sebastian42]

My x32Win10ProV21H2 accesses videos on two different external HDDs. The files on the SSD have icons with thumbnails; those on the HDD, with minor exceptions, show just the one generic video player icon. Why would that be ? Can it be changed ?

 

[Bighorn]

In File Explorer you may need set the View [icons, thumbnails, etc.] as desired then go to View, Folder Options, View tab and make other choices, I use Apply to Folders.

 

[Sebastian42]

Any choices made in Folder Options do NOT distinguish between two different external HDDs.
I'm asking about the fact that on different data HDDs, the icons are different.

 

[Bighorn]

Are the "different data HDDs" internal or external?

 

[Sebastian42]

The SSD is connected via USB (making it an 'external' ?); the magnetic storage is connected via SATA (making it an 'internal' ?)

 

[Bighorn]

Yes, USB is usually External and SATA is usually Internal but some computers have an eSATA port which is for External drives that use a special cable. SATA/Serial ATA replaced the older PATA/Parallel ATA or IDE type connections to the motherboard. An issue can occur when External drives are removed then later plugged in and maybe to different ports, get identified differently.

 

[Sebastian42]

There are NO IDE connections. Obviously the 'ports' are different - one is USB and the other is SATA. "Identified differently" - so they should be as they are different storage drives. Your answer throws new light on the issue, which I had not previously considered. So it deals with the 'why' part of my question. - THANK YOU. Now for the 'Can it be changed ?' part ....

 

[Sebastian42]

Following the 'revelation' above, I decided to look at the Folder Options as opened from the SATA-connected magnetic drive. Both of the options about icons/thumbnails were UNticked. Previously, only videos in some subfolders had shown thumbnails; now only the first few of the ones that showed generic icons were showing thumbnails instead, but the bulk still showed generics. I'm puzzled by the inconsistency.