This doesn't really have anything to do with the attachment preview?

Embedded attachment notes have been deprecated and are no longer creatable or editable in the item pane. The fact that there's also a preview above isn't particularly relevant.

Embedded attachment notes were always an esoteric feature, used mostly by third-party plugins (e.g., ZotFile stored PDF outlines there), and they don't really reflect how Zotero is designed to be used. They also add too much technical complexity with some newer features in Zotero, such as the ability to add images to notes. The standard workflow revolves around parent items and child attachments and notes, and now attachment annotations (which are being exposed further in the item pane and items list in Zotero 7 and 8).

I can no longer quickly select a group of PDFs in the center pane and drag-and-drop them to external tools (like certain research applications or desktop folders).

You can use File → Export PDFs with parent items selected to export files to a folder.

All my new parent items are frequently titled with the generic "PDF" name, requiring me to spend significant extra time manually renaming them for better organization, as this metadata is now more critical than the original PDF filename.

I think there's some confusion here. A parent item would never be titled "PDF" by default. Child attachments are titled "PDF" when they're added to a parent item or when you retrieve metadata for them, but standalone attachments wouldn't be titled "PDF" and the parent items you create from them wouldn't be either. (And the files themselves are always renamed based on the parent item metadata.) If you're seeing this, we'd want precise steps to reproduce.

Thank you very much, dstillman and adamsmith, for the prompt and detailed replies. Your clarification on the new design logic is greatly appreciated, even if it confirms that my old workflow is no longer supported.

1. Regarding Embedded Attachment Notes (EANs)
I understand now that the Embedded Attachment Notes (EANs) are deprecated and that the team is moving towards a Parent Item/Child Note structure. That technical decision is clear.

However, the reason I switched to the Parent Item structure before knowing EANs were deprecated was purely because the new Attachment Preview in Zotero 7 was consuming all the screen space in the item pane, pushing the existing EAN content (even if deprecated) off-screen and forcing me to scroll on every single PDF I select.

This loss of quick-glance note review is what pushed me to the Parent Item structure, which leads to the next point:

2. Regarding the Attachment Preview Toggle (Current Status)
Thank you, adamsmith, for sharing the screenshot showing the "Hide Attachment Preview" option. This is exactly the preference I need to restore screen real estate for notes and metadata!

However, I cannot see this option.

My Context: When I select the Child Attachment (the PDF file itself) in the center pane, I then Right-Click on the "1 Attachment" header in the right-hand panel (where the menu appears).

My Result: The menu that appears is extremely inconsistent and currently only shows: "Unpin Section, Collapse Other Sections, and Expand All Sections." The "Hide Attachment Preview" option is entirely missing, unlike in your screenshot.

This inconsistent menu behavior is confusing and may point to an underlying issue with the current Zotero build.

3. Regarding Item Naming and Batch Processing
I apologize for the confusion; you are correct: I meant that the Child Attachment items are often named "PDF" when linked to a Parent Item (as opposed to the original standalone filename).

Export via Menu: I see the option to use File → Export PDFs with Parent Items selected. While useful for archiving, this still doesn't support my need to quickly drag-and-drop a selection of PDF files from the Zotero center pane directly into other external research applications (a feature that worked perfectly with the standalone PDF items).

4. Desired Note Review Efficiency
Given the move to the Parent Item workflow, it would be highly beneficial if clicking on the Parent Item could directly display the content of its Child Note on the right, as this would significantly improve the speed of note review.

I will focus on finding the solution to the missing "Hide Attachment Preview" option for now, as that would immediately solve the screen space issue for my new Parent Item notes.

Thank you again for the direct engagement and assistance.

Best regards,
Jean

That's right.

Yes, thanks a lot.
I have to adapt my workflow, which will take some time, but I have a clearer view of what I can and cannot do.