In the courtyard of the XXI century is the era of information technology. Already in almost every home and in every family there is a home computer, and it does not matter if it is a laptop or a stationary PC. We can no longer imagine our life without this wonderful invention of mankind, because computers surround us everywhere. Workflow in almost all enterprises is impossible without computerization. Even the games are now not the same as they were 30 years ago. It is safe to say that the computer today is an integral part of our usual lives.
Inexperienced user
Despite all this, far from all people cope with this, so to speak, miracle of technology. Many attend various computer courses, consult experienced friends in this matter. For such users, professional “computer specialists” work at official places, ready to always provide the necessary assistance and advise on issues of interest.
Many of these users, when they look at their photos on a computer, begin to notice that strange files called Thumbs db appear in the folders with images. What it is, of course, is unknown. Most consider this 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 is needed. And surely it doesn’t just appear in those directories that contain images.
Thumbs db - what is this file?
It should be noted right away and say with confidence that this is not a virus. Now, if the file was called Thumbs.exe, then it would really be worth considering and checking how well your antivirus works. From English, the name of this file is translated as picture icons. Yes Yes exactly. This Windows element serves to store the icons of all images that are in the same directory with it.
How does this file work?
The fact is that when you switch the icon display mode and select the “page thumbnails” option (in the case of Windows XP), the operating system does not view each image separately and does not reduce it each time you view it. Instead, Windows calls the Thumbs db file for help. 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 you do not have to perform unnecessary operations in subsequent views of your photos. This method can significantly save hardware and software resources of the computer. It should be noted that thumbnails of not only photos are saved, but also of any files with an image extension.
Attention! Thumbs db!
Some safety precautions must be observed when working with pictures and photographs. For example, when you send photos by e-mail or copy to someone on a USB flash drive, do not attach this file in any case. 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 were once here, but were later deleted. In this case, the person to whom you transferred this file can use it and view your old photos. But it is possible that they can be quite personal in nature. That is why you should be extremely careful with this file.
What to do with this file
Having examined the Thumbs db element, what kind of file it is, we finally figured it out. Now let's try to figure out what to do if it is discovered. In general, this element does not interfere with normal work on the computer, but many still are interested in the question about the Thumbs db file: what to open? But before answering it, I would like to clarify one point. This file is a system file, and, in principle, there is no point in opening it, there is nothing interesting there and at least you will not find anything new. However, there are some programs that can be used to read this file, such as Synopsys Design Compiler. In general, you can do the following operations with the Thumbs db file: delete it or hide it (perhaps the most suitable option).
The process of removing this item
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 element, then, 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 carry out the file deletion procedure, 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, check the “Do not cache thumbnails” property in the list of additional parameters. After the done procedures click “OK”. Then you need to restart your computer. After inclusion, you will not see this file, and it will no longer appear if you yourself do not want to restart the service.
Hide Thumbs db File
Another way to get rid of this annoying file is to hide it. Thumbs db itself is a system one, which means you can prevent it from being displayed in Explorer using the folder properties functions. To do this, run “My Computer”, and then select “Tools” in the top menu, then “Folder Options”. Switch to the "View" tab. In the list of parameters we find the item “Hide protected system files” and put a checkmark there. After that we click "OK". All! You won’t see the annoying Thumbs file anymore, but remember that the caching service still works, and all thumbnails of your images are always written in Thumbs db.
Now that you know absolutely everything about the Thumbs db file, you can be sure that this is not a virus. If it does not bother you, then you should not carry out any procedures. Let everything remain as it is.