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

 

[Captain Zero]

Yet another awesome tutorial. Kudos Brink!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Captain Zero. Thank you.

 

[Jeff P]

Shawn:

That is nice and simple ... it just doesn't seem to work. I watch the folder where the cache files are stored, they get deleted alright but then they almost immediately reappear (within 5-10 seconds). When I reopen the folder where I was trying to refresh the thumbnails, the old thumbnails (which do not match the actual files that were edited) are still there.

I assume there is some setting that needs to change so that the old thumbnail files do not just get immediately restored and the OS is forced to create new ones as folders get opened. Do you know what change is needed?

Thanks.

Jeff

 

[Brink]

Hello Jeff, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if using the free program CCleaner to delete the thumbnail cache in Windows 7 may work better for you instead.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Jeff P]

Shawn:

Thanks for the reply. I downloaded CCleaner and used it just to try to fix the Thumbnail Cache. I don't see any changes to the thumbnails in the folders. They still do not match the picture in the file. Do you have any ideas why these thumbnails will not refresh? Thanks!

Jeff

 

[Brink]

Jeff,

You might also see if rebuilding the icon cache may help, but try running a sfc /scannow command to.

 

[Jeff P]

Thumbnails still messed up

Shawn:

The rebuild of the icon cache followed by a flushing of the thumbnail files using disk clean didn't make a difference. The thumbnails remain as they were.

When I ran the sfc /scannow command I did get some errors that could not be repaired. The log file is attached (if you have time and the inclination to scan it). the errors appear to be related to printing so I don't think they are relevant to the problem at hand (but I'm not a Window systems guy).

Any ideas?

Jeff

 

[Brink]

Jeff,

You might see if toggling thumbnail previews off an on may reset it to show properly afterwards.

No, the tcpmon.ini file wouldn't have anything to do with this. However, here is a clean copy of it below to replace your corrupted one with. You would just need to take ownership of your C:\Windows\System32\tcpmon.ini file and "Allow" "Full Control" of it to your user account, then copy and replace it with the new one.

 

[Jeff P]

Shawn:

I believe a co-worker pointed me to the real problem. There is a thumbnail image embedded within the jpeg file that matches the original uncropped image. Flushing the the thumbnail cache will never fix the issue I have because Windows will just reload the original picture from the original, uncropped thumbnail stored within the cropped image. I need to physically go into the jpeg file and figure out how to rewrite the thumbnail to match the current form of the image. So its googling I go ....

I do want to thank you for all of your help. If you do have ideas about where I might find a utility that can automatically rewrite the internal thumbnail file to match the cropped version of the image I'd love to hear them.

Take care.

Jeff

 

[Brink]

Jeff, I wish I knew for you. Please post back how it went for you.

 

[Rjck]

Hey Brink thanks for the tutorial.

I've had this problem from long ago since Vista: from time to time (very random) my thumbnail cache resets and is kinda annoying to reload every photo and video again... is this normal?
thx in advance.

 

[Brink]

Hello Rick,

While there is no limit on the thumbnail cache in Windows 7, I suppose that if it was a very large photo and video collection in that folder it may cause it to choke out and lag on you. As a workaround, you might see if separating some of them into smaller groups of photos and videos in different subfolders (ex: for different categories) may help.

 

[Rjck]

Hello Rick,

While there is no limit on the thumbnail cache in Windows 7, I suppose that if it was a very large photo and video collection in that folder it may cause it to choke out and lag on you. As a workaround, you might see if separating some of them into smaller groups of photos and videos in different subfolders (ex: for different categories) may help.

Thanks Brink, ill put them in separate folders and clear the cache just in case... ill keep you update of any changes...

 

[Rjck]

Hey Brink, i do as u told me and so far things where good till this morning when i check my pictures folder the thumbnails are rebuilding again, so i went to clean the thumbnails to check the size and it shows only 4MB so i do not clear it and went to videos folder same thing (rebuilding), so after it finish went to disk clean up again to check the size and its bigger so i think if it is a choke out and lag thing (only checking category folders no the actual files, 44 folders inside pictures 4 folders in videos) why to rebuild the whole thing?, what do you think? btw if i need to post this in another section (cause after all this isn't related 'bout ur tut) pls let me know, thx.

 

[pacinitaly]

try the attached

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html

 

[Rjck]

try the attached

thx pacinitaly, this is like deleting the thumbnail cache but in a .bat right?
ok now i just have to w8 and see if it happens again...

 

[pacinitaly]

they just get re built, but CURRENT

 

[Rjck]

thx for the info, i just run it and all seems like before (the thumbnails that where created still there and the ones i haven't checked it yet are rebuilding) do i need to restart the pc?

 

[Brink]

Yes, you will need to Log off and log on, or restart the computer to rebuild the icon cache afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html