2006-10-19 02:28:35 · 12 answers · asked by angie 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
The default behavior for many folders in Windows XP is to display thumbnail images of the files in the folder. This is primarily true of folders created from digital cameras or filed under the My Videos and My Pictures folders. Thumbs.db is Microsoft's way of caching thumbnail images of any image or movie file in a folder. The idea behind creating a thumbnail cache is to improve the speed of displaying thumbnails the next time you open the folder by caching a set of thumbnails for the image and video files in the folder. If you hadn't seen this file in your folders previously it's likely you didn't have "Show hidden files and folders" enabled. Deleting the Thumbs.db file simply deletes that cache, which is regenerated the next time you view the folder contents. It is possible to configure Windows to never cache thumbnails.
One of the biggest annoyances to the Thumbs.db file is the way it changes folder settings. You can specifically set all folders in Windows to open in Detail view, for instance. If any folder contains a Thumbs.db file, that folder reverts to the thumbnail view, ignoring your preferences.
If you want to turn OFF this feature, here's how:
Open up the Control Panel
Select Folder Options
Click the View tab (see picture below)
Check "Do not cache thumbnails"
Click the OK button
2006-10-19 02:33:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Q - For some time now I have been finding a mystery file called "thumbs.db" in many places on my computer. What are these files? Can I delete them? Can I stop them from being created?
A - The default behavior for many folders in Windows XP is to display thumbnail images of the files in the folder. This is primarily true of folders created from digital cameras or filed under the My Videos and My Pictures folders. Thumbs.db is Microsoft's way of caching thumbnail images of any image or movie file in a folder. The idea behind creating a thumbnail cache is to improve the speed of displaying thumbnails the next time you open the folder by caching a set of thumbnails for the image and video files in the folder. If you hadn't seen this file in your folders previously it's likely you didn't have "Show hidden files and folders" enabled. Deleting the Thumbs.db file simply deletes that cache, which is regenerated the next time you view the folder contents. It is possible to configure Windows to never cache thumbnails (see below).
One of the biggest annoyances to the Thumbs.db file is the way it changes folder settings. You can specifically set all folders in Windows to open in Detail view, for instance. If any folder contains a Thumbs.db file, that folder reverts to the thumbnail view, ignoring your preferences.
If you want to turn OFF this feature, here's how:
Open up the Control Panel
Select Folder Options
Click the View tab (see picture below)
Check "Do not cache thumbnails"
Click the OK button
2006-10-19 02:36:27 · answer #2 · answered by mildly_adiktiv 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Thumbs.db is Microsoft's way of caching thumbnail images of any image or movie file in a folder. The idea behind creating a thumbnail cache is to improve the speed of displaying thumbnails the next time you open the folder by caching a set of thumbnails for the image and video files in the folder. If you hadn't seen this file in your folders previously it's likely you didn't have Show hidden files and folders enabled. Deleting the Thumbs.db file simply deletes that cache, which is regenerated the next time you view the folder contents. It is possible to configure Windows to never cache thumbnails.
To turn off thumbnail caching, open Tools > Options in Windows Explorer and click on the View tab. Check the box next to Do not cache thumbnails and click OK
2006-10-19 02:34:57 · answer #3 · answered by jonboy_2k1 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Windows XP will generate these thumbs.db files be default in any folder where it generates you thumbnails. The files are hidden and you wouldn't normally see them, but if you have viewing hidden files turned on, then they can indeed be annoying.
It is safe to delete these files if you want. If you'd like to prevent Windows from creating them, read on...
Their purpose is to cache the thumbnail information so that when you go back to that folder it doesn't take Windows XP so long to show you the thumbnails.
If you don't want these files to appear, you can turn them off. I've included the source file below for your reference, but essentially if you use XP Home you can make this change in Control Panel > Folder Options > View > "Do not cache thumbnails"
In Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Media Center Edition, you'll need to follow the following process:
1. Go to Run in the startmenu
2. Type gpedit.msc
3. Click OK and the Group Policy will open
4. Go to User Configuration/Administrative Template/Windows Components/Windows Explorer
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the long list of stuff that now shows up in the menu on the right. Double-Click on Turn off caching of thumbnail pictures.
6. Click on Enable then Apply, Ok. And now you no longer have this annoying problem.
I hope this helps.
2006-10-19 02:30:34 · answer #4 · answered by Alasdair P 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Thumbs.db is a file that holds all the little thumbnail pictures that Windows displays in that specific directory when you switch to the thumbnail view. You can delete the file (unless you are in thumbnail view) and it will not hurt anything. But the next time you use the thumbnail view, Windows will recreate it. It has to have somewhere to store the thumbnail pictures.
2006-10-19 02:33:16 · answer #5 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is created whenever you view pictures in a folder using Thumbnail View. You can eleiminate that file from being created under Folder Options.
Click View at the top of your Folder that is open. Go to Folder Options. Then click the View Tab. Scroll down to DO NOT CACHE THUMBNAILS and check it.
Oh and you do not NEED that file to be created to view pics in thumbnail view. The person above me is wrong!
2006-10-19 02:32:37 · answer #6 · answered by ○Freeman○ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a file that windows uses to show thumbnails of all your pictures in Explorer. You can delete it, and it'll come right back. Or you can hide it by turning off "show hidden files" in the folder options.
2006-10-19 02:31:30 · answer #7 · answered by James C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definite you are able to. there's a thanks to password protect a folder and its contents. all you ought to do is Zip the folder then open folder click on report then flow to password protect. authentic easy. in basic terms make particular you delete the folder in which the zip folder replaced into produced from what you do not want human beings to work out. =) avoid freeware as Ive seen "lock field" variety software damage your OS. and in case you imagine by technique of arising a password on your go surfing is sufficient your incorrect. Administrator has all privileges to work out each and every thing. yet once you password protect a folder once you zip it in difficulty-free words the password can open it. p.s. also Chang the names of the archives in the folder pretty if it famous the topic of the folder.
2016-12-05 00:05:48 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That file is a database for organizing the thumbnail views of each image in the folder. You need that file to be able to view your images in thumbnail view.
2006-10-19 02:32:14 · answer #9 · answered by gangals476 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
thats just a piece of annoying file created by Microsoft in all XP system. Otherwise it don't have any use or meaning.
2006-10-19 02:31:03 · answer #10 · answered by LemonPro 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋