Windows thumbnail cache or Thumbs.db Files are data files that are hidden in the Windows operating system and contain small images, which, when viewed in a “thumbnail” view, are displayed in contrast to the tile, icon, list or profile view.
Windows has a copy of all your photos, videos, and document thumbnails so you can quickly view them when you open the folder. This thumbnail cache – thumbs.db, ehthumbs.db, thumbcache _ * .db – is used by Windows to expedite the display of thumbnail files.
Thumbs.db file on Windows operating system
In Windows XP Those “hidden” thumbs.db files are “seen” scattered everywhere.
In Windows 11/10/8/7 / Vista‘thumbcache’ thumbnails are stored in C: \ Users \ Owner \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft Windows \ Explorer.
If you do not want to use the “thumbnail view” feature, you can disable the thumbs.db feature. To do this, open the folder options> View> “Always show icons, do not show thumbnails”> Apply> OK.
But if you want to show folders / files as “thumbnails”, it is better to have this option as opposed to icons.
Disable Windows Thumbnail Cache using the registry
You can also disable thumbnail cache storage in the Windows registry. To do this, open the Registry Editor and go to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
In the right pane, double-click Disable thumbnail cache Set the value and its value data to 1. If you do not have the registry key for DisableThumbnailCache, create a new DWORD value with that name. Set the value as follows 1. This will disable the Thumbs.db creation feature.
Related: How to disable the creation of Windows Thumbs.db files
Can thumbs.db files be deleted?
Deleting thumbs.db files does no harm. Deleting the Thumbs.db file will not have a real impact on your operating system or the future ability to display thumbnails at any time. Each time you “view” the thumbnail it will be automatically recreated in the respective folder. The only thing is, it may take a while for the folder to load when you first open it. You can use the built-in disk cleanup utility to delete thumbs.db files.
Lily: How to delete Thumbs.db files in network folder.
If you plan to disable the thumbs.db feature to save disk space, use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove any remaining thumbs.db files on your disk after disabling thumbs.db creation. Deleting thumbs.db files makes no sense because they will be recreated as soon as you open the folder to view the thumbnails. If you want to save disk space, disabling thumbs.db again does not make sense. Do not forget to delete the remaining thumbs.db files on your disk.
Point: Discover how to prevent Windows from deleting thumbnail cache.
Thumbs.db player
To view the Thumbs.db file on your Windows system, you must use some freeware. Thumbnail Database Viewer Allows you to view thumbnail cache. Thumbs.db Explorer Another small application View and extract images from thumbs.db files. You can preview the images in the thumbs.db file, save them all in the target folder, or save an image.
During the installation, the tool will give you the option to install the toolbar and change your homepage and search engine. So be careful, select the advanced option and uncheck these three options.
Even if you delete some files from your disk, their thumbnails will still be stored in thumbs.db files. In fact, it was used by law enforcement officers to prove that thumbs.db files were previously stored on the hard drive.
Want to know more about other files or file types or file formats in Windows? Check out these links:
Windows.edb Files | NFO and DIZ files | Desktop.ini file | DLL and OCX files | index.dat file | Swapfile.sys, Hiberfil.sys and Pagefile.sys | DFP.exe. Or disk tracking tool.
Beatrice Ashford is a contributor at Nintendo-power.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the world around them.