Windows Settings Tutorial -- How to Clear up Thumbnail cache file and don't let system generate automatically?

preface:

In this article, I will teach you about thumbnail and windows setting tutorial.

The interface and ways may be different since different computer, but the steps are similar generally.

I take HP laptop with windows 10 for example.

Introduction:

What is thumbs.db?

It is abbreviation of thumbnail.datebase

It is a cache file that save about temporary icon or more temporary information.

It is basically used by Windows in any folder it finds a picture or video so that the next time you view the folder, the thumbnails will be loaded faster so you don’t have to wait.

Although it brings great advantages, it also brings lots of disadvantages.

Advantage:

Faster. A cache file can take fewer time when surfing ...etc.

Disadvantage:

Inconvenience. I can not move some file from "desktop". Once I moved some files from "desktop". A window was popped up saying the file was opened, can not move. I googled it for 30 min.

How to clear up?

Step1:

Find them. It should be located at

"C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer".

(For Windows 10 computer only, I can not ensure about other computer.)

Step2:

Make sure that all files, apps and folder window was not continued (was closed).

Step3:

Select all about thumbnail cache file (filename "thumbs*.db" and "icon*.db") (all file start with "thumbs" and "icon")

If you don't see them please select view and check "show hidden files" for looking at hidden files.

thumbnail cache files are hidden files.

Step4:

delete them permanently as many as possible. It will left fewer than 5 files.

[NOTE]

(1)Note that NOT only delete them to trash. Delete them permanently so that you can not see it forever since the system can detect it when it is in trash.

(2)Before deleting them, remember don't let system automatically generate it.

Before deleting it.