Thumbnail Cache - Clear and Reset

How to Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache in Windows​

   Information

By default, Windows stores the images for thumbnail previews in cache memory so that it can redisplay the images quickly each time you reopen a folder in Windows Explorer (Vista and Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8).

This tutorial will show you how you to clear and reset the thumbnail cache to force Windows to reload the thumbnail picture views into the cache again as needed as you open folders.

   Note

The thumbnail cache .db files are located in the hidden system folder location below:

C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

You may want to clear the thumbnail cache if the Windows Explorer thumbnail pictures have become corrupted and not displaying properly, or the thumbnail cache file has become to large and you want to clear some hard disk space.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache using Disk Cleanup
• Option Two: To Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache using a BAT File

OPTION ONE

To Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache using Disk Cleanup

1. Open Disk Cleanup.

2. Check the Thumbnails box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

3. Click/tap on the Delete Files button. (See screenshot below)

4. Disk Cleanup will now clear the thumbnail cache and close.

OPTION TWO

To Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache using a BAT File

1. Click on the Download button below to download the BAT file below.
Clear_and_Reset_Thumbnail_Cache.bat


Download


2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Run the .bat file.

4. If prompted, click on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. Follow the instructions in the command prompt to clear and reset your thumbnail cache.







That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable the Thumbnail Cache in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Explorer Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Add "Enable/Disable Thumbnails" to Context Menu in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Change the Thumbnail Previews Border in Windows 7
• How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Windows
• How to Reset the Favorites Favicons in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Stop and Prevent Windows from Deleting the Thumbnail Cache

 

[Brink]

My Waterfox shortcut on the desktop is still completely black. I tried the batch file, no luck. I loaded Disk Cleanup but the option to clear the thumbnail cache is not there. No luck with CCleaner either.

EDIT
And now, the CCleaner shortcut itself is all black, along with the IObit Uninstaller icon.

EDIT
Each time I create a new shortcut on the desktop, it immediately turns black.

Hello Jez2k,

Does this affect shortcuts at other locations as well?

Did you change your shortcut arrow overlay icon? If so, it may be causing a black overlay on the shortcut icon if it doesn't like the replacement for the arrow.

:ar: Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[JohnPC]

Yet another awesome tutorial. Kudos Brink!

+1
Yup!
Brink's tutorials make me feel like I've got the upper hand on this beastie I call my computer

 

[Jez2k]

It affects any shortcut in any location, even in a window with view set to details.

Yes I used the shortcut arrow hack reg and I tried the remove reg and the restore reg. No change.

When I try the Vista Shortcut Overlay Manager, it says:

"Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit, the application will close immediately.

The system cannot find the file specified."

 

[Brink]

Jez,

Just to confirm, did you log out and in after restoring the default shortcut arrow using Option 3?

 

[Jez2k]

Not until you mentioned it. Yes, the shortcuts are back along with the arrows, but any attempt to remove the arrows results in black boxes.

 

[Brink]

Well, at least we found the problem with the icon.

Did you use the 64-bit version of "Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover"?

 

[Jez2k]

Ah, that was it. However, I decided to reinstall Windows 7 and the reg file worked.

 

[Brink]

I'm glad you got it sorted.

 

[peytons]

Shawn, when I run the bat file i get the message "The system cannot find the path specified" I checked the path(s) above and they are the same except for the user name obviosuly.

 

[Brink]

Hello Peytons,

That would indicate the file has already been deleted.

Was that for all files, or just one?

 

[peytons]

Just one message but the files are still there.

 

[Brink]

That would be normal. The files automatically get recreated afterwards for a fresh start.