Thumbs db file - what is this? How to deal with it?

In the 21st century, the era of information technology. Almost every house and every family has a home computer, and it does not matter whether it's a laptop or a stationary PC. We can no longer imagine our life without this remarkable invention of humanity, since computers surround us everywhere. The work process at virtually all enterprises is impossible without computerization. Even the games are not the same as they were 30 years ago. It's safe to say that today's computer is an integral part of our life.

Inexperienced user

Despite all this, not all people cope with such, so to speak, a miracle of technology. Many attend different computer courses, consult with experienced in this matter acquaintances. For such users, professional "computer specialists" work on the official places, who are always ready to provide the necessary assistance and consult on the issues of interest.

Many of these users, when they scan their photos on the computer, begin to notice that strange files appear under the name Thumbs db in the image folders. What is this, of course, is unknown. Most consider it a virus, someone simply does not pay attention. But the fact remains, this file exists, so let's try to figure out what the Thumbs db file is and why it's needed. And for sure it does not just appear in those directories in which there are images.

Thumbs db - what is this file?

It should be noted immediately and with certainty that it is not a virus. Now if the file was called Thumbs.exe, then really it would be worthwhile to think about and check how well your antivirus works. From English language the name of this file is translated as icons of pictures. Yes Yes exactly. This Windows element serves to store in itself icons of all images that are in the same directory with it.

How is this file arranged?

The thing is that when you switch the icon display mode and select the "thumbnail" option (in the case of Windows XP), the operating system does not view each image separately and does not reduce it every time you view it. Instead, Windows accesses the Thumbs db file. What does it mean? And this means that every time you insert a new image into a folder, the operating system automatically makes its icon and saves it in a Thumbs db file so that subsequent browsing of your photos does not perform unnecessary operations. This method can significantly save hardware and software resources of the computer. It should be noted that sketches not only of photographs, but also of any files with image extension are saved.

Attention! Thumbs db!

It is necessary to observe some precautions when working with pictures and photos. For example, when you send photos by e-mail or copy to someone on a USB flash drive, do not attach this file at all. The fact is that Thumbs db contains not only thumbnails of those photos that are now stored in the current directory, but also images that once were here, but then were deleted. In this case, the person to whom you transferred this file can use it and view your old photos. But it is not ruled out that they can be quite personal. That's why it's worth to be extremely careful with this file.

What to do with this file

After examining the Thumbs db element, what is this file, we finally figured out. Now let's try to understand what to do in case of its detection. In general, this element absolutely does not interfere with normal work on the computer, but many people are still interested in the question about the Thumbs db file: what to open? But before I answer it, I would like to clarify one point. This file is a system file, and, in principle, to open it there is no sense, nothing there is interesting and, at least, you will not find a new one. However, there are some programs that can read this file, for example Synopsys Design Compiler. In general, with the Thumbs db file, you can do the following: delete it or hide it (perhaps the most suitable option).

The process of removing this element

Above we figured out what the Thumbs db file is for. How to remove it, let's try to understand now. Since this element is a system item, like a regular file, Thumbs db is not deleted. The fact is that it is constantly under the control of some process called the "sketch caching service". Accordingly, in order to perform the procedure for deleting a file, you must first stop this service.

To do this, open "My Computer". Then select "Tools" - "Folder Options" in the menu. In the dialog that appears, go to the "View" tab, in the list of additional parameters, check the "Do not cache thumbnails" property. After the done procedures, click "OK". Then you need to restart the computer. After power-up, you will not see this file, and it will not appear again if you do not want to start the service again.

Hide Thumbs db file

Another way to get rid of this annoying file is the method of hiding it. By itself, Thumbs db is a system, so you can prevent it from being displayed in Explorer by using the folder properties functions. To do this, start "My Computer", then select "Tools" in the top menu, then "Folder Options". Switch to the "View" tab. In the list of options, we find the item "Hide protected system files" and put a tick there. After that click "OK". All! You will not see an annoying Thumbs file, but remember that the caching service is still working, and all thumbnails of your images are written in Thumbs db for a second.

Now that you know absolutely everything about the Thumbs db file, you can be sure that no one is a virus. If he does not bother you, then you should not conduct any procedures. Let it remain as it is.