Thumbs won't let me delete the folder. Thumbs db file what is it and can it be deleted? Removal in Windows XP

In the yard of the XXI century - the era of information technology. Almost every home and every family has a home computer, and it doesn't matter if it's a laptop or a desktop PC. We can no longer imagine our life without this wonderful invention of mankind, because computers surround us everywhere. The working process in almost all enterprises is impossible without computerization. Even games today are not the same as they were 30 years ago. It is safe to say that the computer today is a familiar life for us.

Inexperienced user

Despite all this, not all people cope with such, so to speak, a miracle of technology. Many attend various computer courses, consult with experienced acquaintances in this matter. For such users, professional “computers” work at their official places, always ready to provide the necessary assistance and advise on issues of interest.

Many of these users, when viewing their photos on the computer, begin to notice that strange files appear in the image folders under the name Thumbs db. What it is, of course, is unknown. Most consider it a virus, someone just does not pay attention. But the fact remains, this file exists, so let's try to figure out what the Thumbs db file is and what it is for. And for sure, it does not just appear in those directories in which there are images.

Thumbs db - what is this file?

It should be immediately noted and stated with confidence that this is not a virus at all. Now, if the file was called Thumbs.exe, then it would really be worth thinking about and checking how well your antivirus works. From English, the name of this file is translated as icons of pictures. Yes Yes exactly. This Windows element serves to store the icons of all images that are in the same directory with it.

How is this file organized?

The fact is that when you switch the icon display mode and select the "page thumbnails" option (in the case of Windows XP), the operating system does not view each image separately and does not reduce it every time you view it. Instead, Windows turns to the Thumbs db file for help. What does it mean? And this means that every time you insert a new image into a folder, the operating system automatically makes its icon and saves it in the Thumbs db file so that you do not perform unnecessary operations during subsequent views of your photos. This method allows you to significantly save hardware and software resources of your computer. It should be noted that thumbnails are saved not only for photos, but also for any files with an image extension.

Attention! Thumbs db!

Some precautions must be taken when working with pictures and photographs. For example, when you send photos by e-mail or copy to someone on a flash drive, then in no case do not attach this file. The fact is that Thumbs db contains not only thumbnails of those photos that are now stored in the current directory, but also images that once were here, but were then deleted. In this case, the person to whom you gave this file can use it and view your old photos. But it is not excluded that they can be quite personal. That is why you should be extremely careful with this file.

What to do with this file

Having examined the Thumbs db element, what kind of file it is, we finally figured it out. Now let's try to understand what to do if it is found. In general, this does not interfere with normal operation on the computer, but many are still interested in the question about the Thumbs db file: how to open it? But before answering it, I would like to clarify one point. This file is a system file, and, in principle, there is no point in opening it, you will not find anything interesting there and, at least, new. However, there are some programs that can read this file, such as Synopsys Design Compiler. In general, you can do the following operations with the Thumbs db file: delete it or hide it (perhaps the most appropriate option).

The process of removing this item

Above, we figured out what the Thumbs db file is for. How to remove it, let's try to understand now. Since this element is a system element, like a regular file, Thumbs db is not deleted. The fact is that it is constantly under the control of some process called the “thumbnail cache service”. Accordingly, in order to carry out the procedure for deleting a file, you must first stop this service.

To do this, open "My Computer". Then select "Tools" - "Folder Options" from the menu. In the dialog box that appears, go to the "View" tab, in the list of additional options, check the "Do not cache thumbnails" property. After the done procedures, click "OK". Then you need to restart your computer. Once enabled, you won't see this file, and it won't reappear unless you choose to start the service again.

Thumbs db

Another way to get rid of this annoying file is to hide it. By itself, Thumbs db is a system one, which means that you can prevent it from being displayed in Explorer through the folder properties functions. To do this, you need to open "My Computer", then select "Tools" in the top menu, then "Folder Options". Switch to the "View" tab. In the list of options, we find the item "Hide protected operating system files" and put a tick there. After that, click "OK". All! You will no longer see the annoying Thumbs file, but you should remember that the caching service is still running, and all thumbnails of your images are still written in the Thumbs db.

Now that you know absolutely everything about the Thumbs db file, you can be sure that it is not a virus. If it does not bother you, then you should not carry out any procedures. Let everything remain as it is.

The Thumbs.db file is a hidden system file called the "thumbnail cache" and is used to store small versions of images and videos in a corresponding folder. One of the features of the thumbs.db file is that it allows for faster display of image icons in Windows Explorer because these images do not need to be recalculated each time the user visits the folder. They are automatically created in the same directory as the previewed thumbnails. In a word, when you view a photo in a folder, you will see a small image, not an empty tile. Let's look at two examples below.

This is how it looks when thumbnails are enabled and Thumbs.db is responsible for this

This is what it looks like when thumbnails are disabled and the Thumbs.db file is not functioning

The Thumbs.db file is not a virus, it is an official file from Microsoft since Windows XP. You can safely remove it and there will be no consequences for the Windows system. Also, there may be a problem with the Thumbs.db file when deleting a folder, especially on the local network because the Thumbs.db file is in process and you can't delete this folder. The errors sound like this:

The folder is already in use. The operation cannot be completed because the folder or file is open in another program. Close the folder or file and try again.

If you encounter such an error when deleting or moving a folder over the network, then you need to wait until the system caches the thumbnails of the files and try again. In other cases, you can manually delete the Thumbs.db files in the directory so that they do not prevent the folders from being deleted or moved over the network or on the PC. For this you need to include "" so the Thumbs.db file itself is hidden. If you're having trouble displaying thumbnails while browsing, or you're having errors moving or deleting folders, then you can turn off thumbnail caching so Thumbs.db won't be created and bother you.

Press Win+R and type control.exe folders to open folder options.

Next, go to the "View" tab and check the box next to " Always show icons, not thumbnails". You must understand that if the folder is not deleted over the network on another PC through yours, then you must disable thumbnails on that PC. Also, when this option is enabled, you will not be able to view the thumbnail image.

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To remove the Thumbs.db file, you must disable image thumbnail caching. The method that will be considered is suitable only for versions of Windows 7: “Professional” (Professional), “Corporate” (Corporate) and “Maximum” (Ultimate). The way to disable caching in Windows 7 versions: “Initial” (Starter), “Home Basic” (Home Basic) and “Home Premium” (Home Premium) is described below.

So. First you need to open the “Local Group Policy Editor”. To do this, open the “Start” and in the search we write “gpedit.msc” and then press “Enter”.

In the “Local Group Policy Editor” window that opens, go to the following path:

“Administrative Templates”>>>“Windows Components”>>>“Windows Explorer”

Then on the right side we find the line “Disable thumbnail caching in hidden thumbs.db files” and double-click on it. (Note that “Windows Explorer” is highlighted. That is, if nothing appears on the right, click on “Windows Explorer” on the left.)

In the newly appeared window, select “Enable” and click “OK”. And that is all. But this is only for versions of Windows 7: “Professional” (Professional), “Corporate” (Corporate) and “Maximum” (Ultimate).

But what about the versions of Windows 7: “Initial” (Starter), “Home Basic” (Home Basic) and “Home Extended” (Home Premium).

To disable caching of image thumbnails in these versions, you must use the "Registry Editor". How to run the "Registry Editor"?.

And move on to the next section:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

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In the event that there is no “Explorer” section in the “Policies” section, just create it.

To do this, right-click on the “Policies” section, from the “Create” drop-down list, select the “Section” item.

Set the name to “Explorer” and press “Enter” to apply.

Then select the “Explorer” section, click “Edit”>>>”New”>>>”DWORD Value (32 bit)”.

Give a name for the new parameter "NoThumbnailCache" and press "Enter".

Right-click on the “NoThumbnailCache” parameter, select “Edit”.

In the window that opens, set the value to “1” and click “OK”.

All that's left to do is restart your computer to apply the changes.

What are Thumbs.db files and why does Windows need them?

Thumbnail cache or Thumbs.db files are system files that have a Hidden attribute and contain a tiny image that is displayed when you view a folder in thumbnail view ( thumbnails). In other view modes - table, icons, list - you will not encounter these files. And Windows, meanwhile, constantly saves copies of thumbnails of all photos, videos, documents in order to display them faster every time you open a folder containing them. Thumbnail cache - thumbs.db, ehthumbs.db, thumbcache_*.db- used by the system to speed up the display of thumbnail files in folders.

In Windows XP, these hidden files could be observed scattered throughout the system folders. In the latest versions of Windows, thumbnails are already grouped and stored in a heap in a folder. explorer:

Their layout and names, as well as the number, are almost the same for all of us. The numbers 1024, 256, 96 and 32 indicate the size of thumbnails cached by the system. So, once choosing to view small icons in the Windows settings, the explorer will use the file as a source of thumbnails. thumbcache_32.db. Well, in ascending order and so on up to the size of huge icons. And when a user opens a folder containing a large number of pictures or photos, these thumbnail cache settings force Windows Explorer to work with the icon cache, and not re-read each of the pictures in the folder again (and they can be VERY good quality, and therefore size) .

Thumbs.db files. How to disable the ability to create storage for them?

If you do not want to use the thumbnail view function, it can be disabled by a special setting, which is responsible for the creation of these same files. Walk the path Service – Folders settings- tab View– select an item Always show icons, not thumbnails:

However, disabling thumbnails is not the best option in terms of the convenience of displaying folders.

How to disable the thumbnail cache through the registry?

To do this, we need to go to the branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\

Click on an option DisableThumbnailCache and give it a value of 1. By the way, it may well not be there. Then you can create it as a DWORD parameter. And, again, assign it a value of 1.

Is it possible to delete Thumbs.db files?

Quite and safe. And Disk Cleanup, which is part of the Windows Utilities, will do just fine with this:

However, this operation itself, as simple as it is, its results are just as useless. They will be created over and over again. And creating them again, Windows will waste its resources every time you open any folder. So deleting thumbnail files, especially in order to free up space on drive C, does not make sense. So turning off thumbnails is applied only for security reasons, since Windows 7, in particular, has gaps in this direction. More on that some other time.

How to look at Thumbs.db files?

You will have to use a special program to play the contents of the files. One of them is fast and lightweight: Thumbnail Database Viewer. Another one, Thumbs.db Explorer, has advanced functionality (for a decent amount of American money), with which you can comfortably view and save thumbnails. If you install utilities, pay close attention to the installation process: incomprehensible toolbars will appear that your browser does not need at all.

Many people experience the Thumbs.db file in different ways, but the reaction is often exactly the same: Thumbs.db? What it is? How to open it? How to remove it? Why isn't it removed? How to turn it off? There may be even more questions, but the answers to them are simple to disgrace, if you know why this file actually exists.

This file can be encountered in Windows 7, Vista, XP and other OS versions. The Thumbs.db file is hidden, so an inexperienced user will not know about its existence until he accidentally encounters it somewhere. It should be clearly distinguished: Thumbs.db is a hidden system file whereas Thumbs.exe is 99% virus which should be removed immediately.

Thumbs.db is a special system file that is automatically created by the operating system on your computer in any folder where there is at least one image (JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIF, PDF and HTML files). This file contains thumbnails of all images (files of the above formats), including previously deleted ones. You can see these thumbnails in Explorer by selecting the appropriate display mode for the contents of the folder.

Now you know what Thumbs.db is and I think you can guess what its danger is. By deleting a selection of personal photos from the computer, emptying the trash and using some kind of shredder program, all thumbnails in the future can still be restored from the harmless Thumbs.db system file. Of course, just like other files, you can delete, but this will not fundamentally solve the problem - as soon as you go into the folder again, Windows will re-create this file, so many immediately panic, mistakenly believing that the Thumbs.db file is not deleted.

How to disable Thumbs.db in Windows XP

1. Go to the menu Start –> Control Panel –> Folder properties
2. Tab View set the checkbox Do not cache thumbnails
3. Click Apply.

After that, Thumbs.db files will no longer be created in the folders of the computer, however, the already created ones remain. If desired, they can be found using the search and delete

How to disable Thumbs.db in Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium

1. Run the registry editor ( Start->Run or Win+R -> regedit -> OK)
2. Open the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
3. From the Edit menu, select Create -> DWORD value (32 bits).
4. Set the parameter name NoThumbnailCache
5. Double-click this parameter and enter a value of 1.
6. Close the registry editor and restart the computer.

How to disable Thumbs.db in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate

1. Open Start and in the search bar type gpedit.msc, click Enter
2. The Group Policy Editor will open, select User configuration
3. Open Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Explorer
4. Find the policy on the right Disable thumbnail caching in hidden thumbs.db files.
5. Open it Properties and set the radio button to Turn on.
6. It remains to click OK and reboot.

Thumbs.db - how to open?

If the above did not scare you so much as interested you, and you want to view the contents of the Thumbs.db file, then you won’t be able to do this using standard Windows tools. How to open Thumbs.db? Download one of the utilities to view the contents of this file. Such programs are more often paid, but there are also free counterparts.

Thumbnail Database Viewer window

For example, from this page of the developer site (itsamples.com) you can free download Thumbnail Database Viewer- a program for viewing thumbnails from the Thumbs.db file. This program is often referred to as thumbs db viewer- you can download it from the same link.