Windows 7 thumbnails keep breaking/corrupting

Question

I'm having an issue where thumbnails for images/videos break/corrupt, turning into a garbled mess.

Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/svRQO0Q.png

http://i.imgur.com/SP0C9sh.png

http://i.imgur.com/H0mm4kP.png

As you can see, folders showing thumbnails have broken and files with thumbnails appear with a static-like image.This doesn't apply to all files, it just happens with random folders and picture/video thumbnails out of the blue, sometimes with several folders displaying the same type of broken image (like on the third image). Other files and folders in other locations are fine.

I can fix it by deleting my thumbnail cache but the problem appears again hours later.

If I resize the size of icons in the folder, the thumbnails appear again but as soon as you leave the folder and go back in, they appear broken again.

The files themselves are fine, they open correctly in any program.

I need to find what causes this and how to fix it properly, rather than a "sweep-under-the-rug" solution such as merely disabling thumbnails.

I don't remember installing anything in particular before it happened, no new drivers or Windows updates.

I have tried a virus scan without any results.

Answer 1

Heya, I'm also dealing with this issue.

I had it first appear around November/ December time, but was also dealing with several other issues at the same time. I've since replaced a HDD and my graphics card, reinstalled twice.

I've barely installed any programs and certainly nothing that was A.) Dodgy or B.) Untrusted - I've developed a particular disliking for Hamachi

So this is a completely clean install of windows and after a few days, it started doing it again.

Corrupted, static thumbnail images. Pretty much identical to the images you've provided.

At first one folder, then a few, now I view folders via my browser and they're all appearing that way in specific sections. I'm concerned this might be related to something more serious, but as it stands it's just a minor inconvenience.

Was there an update via MS that might have caused this?

The only things I recently installed were windows updates and I've scanned my PC too, to no avail.

I'm also looking for answers.