thumbs.db and desktop.ini?


  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
       #1

    thumbs.db and desktop.ini?


    I always encounter these two very common files in my computer - thumbs.db and desktop.ini. I've been seeing these files ever since we have our computer from the days of Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and now that we have Windows 7 as our pc's OS, I still see these files. What is the purpose of thumbs.db and desktop.ini?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 983
    7 x64
       #2

    DT.ini is a configuration file and is in every folder on your drive.
    Thumb.db is a index of the thumbnails that are displayed in image folders and or any folder that has an image in it.

    If you turn off Show All Files and or turn off Show System files and or check Hide system files (don't remember what the option is called) you won't see them.

    You can delete the Thumbs.db files and it won't be recreated unless you go back to that folder and View the files as Thumbnails. DT.ini will be recreated by the system no matter what you do.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2,465
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #3

    They both serve a different purpose, and are used internally by Windows Explorer for saving info about the folders.

    Thumbs.db: Is a cache of image thumbnails for the files. When you use thumbnail folder view and there are picture files in some folder, Windows creates a small version out of it for displaying. This small version (the thumbnail) is stored in the thumbs.db file, for speeding up the next time you open the folder (it reads it directly from there instead of recalculating it).

    Desktop.ini: This one stores additional per-folder configuration, settings or preferences for individual folders. It for example saves the "personalize" settings tab on folder properties, the background image, a possible alternative icon, an alternative name, or a different configuration for displaying Explorer columns. Every thing that causes Explorer to display something different from a normal folder is stored there. It's also created automatically when you make some customization, by certain installers that meddle with Explorer settings, or come a lot by default with Windows for some special foldes.

    Generally, both files are mostly useless (particularly thumbs.db) and can be safely deleted, unless you know they serve a purpose. I simply delete any one of those pesky things I see, they serve no useful purpose on the system really.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 50
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64bit
       #4

    Just hide the system files and you will not be bothered anymore
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thank you.


    edwar said:
    DT.ini is a configuration file and is in every folder on your drive.
    Thumb.db is a index of the thumbnails that are displayed in image folders and or any folder that has an image in it.

    If you turn off Show All Files and or turn off Show System files and or check Hide system files (don't remember what the option is called) you won't see them.

    You can delete the Thumbs.db files and it won't be recreated unless you go back to that folder and View the files as Thumbnails. DT.ini will be recreated by the system no matter what you do.
    Thank you so much for such a helpful information.
      My Computer


 

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