Thumbnail Cache problems with 100,000+ files

[gamesjon]

So, my problem is that I have an extremely large number of files that I would like to have the thumbnails not repeatedly deleted. I've searched around for a while now & found how to stop windows from automatically deleting the thumbnails & how to change the registry entry for max cached icons. I also downloaded & installed Icaros. The problem is that while I have plenty of picture/video files the files I really need the thumbnails to stop disappearing for are pdf files. Those are the 100,000+ files mentioned in my title.

Icaros seems to only work for image/video files & while the changes to stop windows from deleting the cache & increasing the cache size did work in terms of stopping them from being deleted unfortunately the 8192 size which was recommended managed to catch somewhere around half of the pdf files thumbnails before being filled. After doubling that to 16,384 it did go ahead & capture maybe a hundred or so more thumbnails it then stopped again & seemed to bug out generally speaking so my guess was that it was too large of size, but this is just a guess. None of the programs I've been able to find that do anything in relation to thumbnails either don't work with pdf files and/or don't create an independent cache like Icaros does.

I was hoping someone on here may be able to suggest anything that would fix this issue. Either in terms of permanently storing that many thumbnails in windows, or a piece of software similar to Icaros that would have its own independent thumbnail cache & supported doing this with pdf files. I don't really have any sort of parameters within which any potential solution needs to fall within, just anything that would possibly work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, it will save me a decent amount of time as I deal with organizing, renaming, etc... the documents. If there is some information that is not included here or in my system specs & is needed just ask.

 

[torchwood]

Hi

Windows does NOT auto delete Thumbnail icons. Its only "enabled" and run when DiskCleanup is used
So the question becomes have you got a scheduled task that you run, if they dissappear on a specific date like the first of the month, then its likely you have.

It also may not be windows doing it. Ccleaner/AV's etc also have this facility, so check any of your 3rd party tools which might include this. anything that includes/clears - explorer, etl or log files

Roy

note W10 does auto delete its included in system maintainance

 

[Barman58]

If it is a method to manage PDF files that you are looking for there are a number of commercial options to do the job, one of these is gaaiho Suite - There is a free version and this can scan a PC and provide a searchable collection of PDF files on the device. It's an application that runs on Windows rather than an add on to windows file manager - but may be the best option for your needs as I see them from your post

Gaaiho | All-around PDF Performance

 

[gamesjon]

torchwood

Hi

Windows does NOT auto delete Thumbnail icons. Its only "enabled" and run when DiskCleanup is used
So the question becomes have you got a scheduled task that you run, if they dissappear on a specific date like the first of the month, then its likely you have.

It also may not be windows doing it. Ccleaner/AV's etc also have this facility, so check any of your 3rd party tools which might include this. anything that includes/clears - explorer, etl or log files

Roy

note W10 does auto delete its included in system maintainance

Really? Then why does this page explaining how to stop Windows from doing automatically deleting them exist on this very site [which are the instructions I followed?] Thumbnail Cache - Prevent Windows from Deleting. There is no scheduled task doing it, I did not do it via DiskCleanup, & CCleaner has the thumbnail cache option unchecked [nor do I have any other sort of Windows setting, task, etc... or any other piece of software that does anything to my cache.]

As far as how often it happens, it depends on what exactly I've been doing on my computer. If I've been working with my PDF's so that there has been a ton of thumbnails generated then they will clear every time I restart. However, if I have not been doing that & instead have only had thumbnails created for pictures/videos they usually stay around until I start messing around with a lot of my PDF files. There are nowhere near enough picture/video files on my computer to come close to filling up the thumbnail cache.

 

[gamesjon]

Barman58

If it is a method to manage PDF files that you are looking for there are a number of commercial options to do the job, one of these is gaaiho Suite - There is a free version and this can scan a PC and provide a searchable collection of PDF files on the device. It's an application that runs on Windows rather than an add on to windows file manager - but may be the best option for your needs as I see them from your post

Gaaiho | All-around PDF Performance

Wow, I'm actually a little embarrassed I failed to think of looking into something like this. I have a few different programs for cataloging different things . I will look into these & the other types of document management software, such as the one you mentioned, to see if any of them will meet my needs.

I will not mark this thread as solved just yet though, but I will if I find one that is able to do the things I need it to do [I will be able to look through the various options later tonight/tomorrow.] I will also post another reply with the solution I find, if I find one, in the rare circumstances someone else has a similar set of circumstances. Thank you.

 

[townsbg]

Have you seen this: https://www.askvg.com/fix-thumbnail-cache-automatic-deletion-problem-in-windows/


I wonder if the issue is that you have so many files. Maybe you have exceeded Windows capacity.

 

[Barman58]

gamesjon

I had another thought this morning as to possible File management options for your PDF issue - Adobe produce a file manager of their own, Adobe Bridge, obviously mostly for Image files but this includes PDF format, I think it will also cover most "standard" (ie common) file formats (it may even use any thumbnail generation provided by the OS, but cannot be sure)

This application works "on the Fly" so does not have a great overhead for a detailed library of files

More good news is that it is completely free to use (this is due to a statement made by Adobe's Publicity department some years ago that "i would be free for use forever"


Full details here
It’s True: Adobe Bridge 2020 Is Completely Free for Everyone, for Life! | ProDesignTools

 

[Barman58]

I wonder if the issue is that you have so many files. Maybe you have exceeded Windows capacity.

I think there may be a quantity limit on windows file manager, not with the actual number of files that will be given a type icon, ( my C: drive has 450,000+ files and I do not have an issue with display)

I believe the limit could be more related to the file types such as PDF, DOC, and Image files that have a pictorial icon showing content thumbnails, which would obviously require more processing than a straightforward Icon