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how do you disable windows 7 home from caching thumbs.db with keeping the "preview" on?

Anonymous
2010-01-12T07:15:06+00:00

I have done acouple reg edits that have not helped me. I dont want my system clogged with useless thumbs. please tell me the secret in doing this in windows 7 home. seeing theres no gpedit in home, i cant figure it out. thanks ahead

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2010-01-12T17:27:37+00:00

As you indicated, Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is the tool needed to disable thumbnail caching which by default is enabled. Unfortunately Group Policy exists only in Professional and higher editions (Enterprise and Ultimate).

Saying that, it is not doom and gloom because gpedit is missing -- use Disk Cleanup (click Start and type in cleanmgr.exe) to remove thumbnail caches accumulated over time, which is a recommended approach even if you have access to gpedit.

Note that it is not advisable to disable thumbnail image caching; as you navigate into image folders without thumbnail caching it would take a long time to list files which otherwise would be reading tiny thumbnail images from thumbs.db -- a 'tiny database' file. In effect, thumbs.db accelerates image file listing when thumbnail view is active.

General Advice: Leave thumbnail caching as is, but use Disk Cleanup from time to time.

Just as an aside, you can select almost all 'Files to delete' shown in Disk Cleanup but, if you have a Microsoft Office application installed, better avoid deleting the Office Setup Files unless you're 100% sure what you're doing.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-12-28T17:24:47+00:00

    Running Win7; 32bit.....

    Just recent;ly have I seen the Thumbs.db appear on my desktop and other folders.  I have read this thread which leads me to believe Thumbs.db being created and displayed is a "Normal".  However, I have been running Win7 for almost 2 years and I have just started seeing Thumbs.db Icons over the past 2 months.  Having written that, seeing the Thumbs.db has had to start due to something changed on my PC...which believe me, I have not done.  I really don't want to make the suggested Registry Modification suugested.....but that doesn't matter becuase:

    1)  When I used the gpedit.msc....I got  "MSC could not create the Snap-in"

    1. When I went into Regedit.....I got to Hey_Current_User\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\

      When I expanded Windows....there was no EXPLORER Folder....and I expanded all folders          under  Windows looking for Explorer.

    Once again, the Thumbs.db Incons have only started to appear the past 2 months....and my Win7 32bit has been installed for 2 years....something got changed unknown to me...and I would like to find out what...and change it back the way it was prior.  Every time it appears on my desktop and I move it to the recycle Bin.....it eventually re-aapears on the desktop....as well when I delete it from other folders.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-07T19:22:28+00:00

    This is the original post by Noel on how to do this, either in Windows Pro or in Home edition. Read below. I haven't tried it yet, I'm trying to find out where I can create a restore point in case something goes very wrong....

    NOEL'S POST:

    Unless you're running such old software, you can just turn this off without consequences (except that your system won't be fooling with your photo files to make Thumbs.db files in the background).  Thumbnail views will STILL WORK, as Windows 7 Explorer now actually stores its thumbnails in a central database for its own use.

    With Windows 7 Professional and above you can disable this through the Group Policy Editor:

        Click the Start orb

        Enter gpedit.msc in the search box and hit Enter.

        Expand User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components.

        Click on Windows Explorer.

        Right-click the entry "Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files" and choose Edit.

        Enable the setting.

    Note: If you have a version of Windows that does not provide the Group Policy Editor, the above change can be done through a registry modification. NOTE: BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN MODIFYING THE REGISTRY.

           [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\ Explorer]

           DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders   REG_DWORD    0x00000001

    You will want to log off and back on again (or reboot) after making these changes.

    -Noel

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-07-05T01:30:50+00:00

    How about providing the method to turn off thumbnail generation on Windows 7 like the title of this article suggests? I have a lot of problems with windows keeping the thumbs.db file open so I can't delete folders and I am tired of not being able to remove folders on my hard disk. I don't need windows trying to help me and causing me grief instead.

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  4. @CmdrKeene 90,626 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2010-01-13T00:43:29+00:00

    Correct -- you would only be severely hurting your system performance if you disable the thumbs database.  I'd only recommend disabling it on a Solid State Hard Drive where drive speed is of  negligible impact.

    If this was helpful, please vote by clicking the green triangle. If it solves the issue, click Propose as Answer. Thanks!

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