How to Clear Your Thumbnail Cache in Windows XP
To increase the speed of your Windows XP computer when you are viewing thumbnail images, the operating system creates a hidden file called “thumbs.db,” which caches images in the current folder. As you browse other folders, more of these files are created. Although they do speed up your thumbnail viewing, these files can consume a lot of disk space. If you want to reclaim that space, you can safely delete the files. Learn how to clear the thumbnail cache in Windows XP.
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Instructions
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Because the thumbs.db file is a hidden system file, you must configure Windows XP to display hidden files and folders. Open Windows Explorer and click the “Tools” menu. Select “Folder Options” in the drop-down menu that opens. Click the “View” tab in the next dialogue box.
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Check the “Show Hidden Files and Folders” option. Uncheck the option for “Hide Protected Operating System Files.” Click “OK” to continue.
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Click the “Start” button in the lower left corner of your desktop and then click “Search.” Click on the “Search for Files and Folders” option in the left pane. Type “thumbs.db” in the text field and click “Search.” Windows will search for all instances of the Thumbs.db file on your computer.
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Click the “Edit” button near the top of the window, then click “Select All” from the drop-down menu that appears. All of the files are highlighted.
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Click the “File” button at the top of the screen and select “Delete” on the drop-down menu. The files will be sent to the recycle bin. Empty the recycle bin to completely remove the files from your system.
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References
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