Where is Thumbs.db in Vista?

Thumbs.db is a file existed and used in Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Mac OS X to store thumbnails cache of various graphics, pictures, photos or some documents and files such as those with JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIF, PDF and HTM extension when these files are viewed in Windows Explorer’s Thumbnail or Filmstrip view. Thumbnail preview of video files are also supported in Windows XP Media Center Edition, but the previews are stored in ehThumbs.db file. Thumbs.db database files are stored in each directory where thumbnails are created.

In Windows Vista, users will be unable to find Thumbs.db or ehThumbs.db files scatter around and place in many directories or folders again. Instead, Vista system will store all thumbnails and previews generated in a centralized thumbnail database. The centralized thumbnail database is located in the following folder:

\Users\[User Account Name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

Inside the above folder, there are a few files with prefix thumbcache with filename has the format similar to thumbcache_xxxx.db. So you can no longer delete thumbs.db. To remove the thumbnail cache, simply use Disk Cleanup.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 12:31 am and is filed under Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Where is Thumbs.db in Vista?”

  1. Ian
    March 25th, 2008 10:06
    1

    It is probably worth mentioning, if you copy folders over from a XP machine or if you upgraded from XP to Vista you may well find thumbs.db files in those folders.
    Windows Vista will see these and use the images contained in them as folder icons in music album folders.
    Under normal circumstances, when you update album art in Windows Media Player’s library, Windows Vista will also update the folder icons on the folder containing that album, to match the WMP library. If you have any of these old thumbs.db files in the album folders, they will prevent the folder icons changing to match the new album art you applied in the WMP Library.

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