Tag Archives: thumbs.db

Windows’ thumbs.db files: What they are, and what to do when they get in your way

Windows loves to create thumbs.db files, but they can cause problems, especially on a network. Here’s what you can do about them.

Evan asked me about thumbs.db files. “Every time I find one on the network, they become an issue to delete as they read as system files.”

Windows will occasionally create a thumbs.db file for a given folder as a way to quickly display thumbnail images. You won’t see thumbs.db files unless you set Windows/File Explorer to show hidden files, but they’re there. On a modern PC, they’re pretty much harmless…and useless. But they can cause problems.