How to Clear Windows 11’s Thumbnail Cache
Thumbnails are those small picture previews of images or documents displayed within File Explorer. Those thumbnails make it easier to visually identify files. However, Explorer doesn’t always properly display file thumbnails.
If you see blank thumbnails in Explorer, or some don’t look right, clearing the thumbnail cache might fix them. The thumbnail cache is a storage space for thumbnail image previews, which can sometimes contain corrupted data. This is how you can clear (erase) the thumbnail cache within Windows 11.
How to Clear the Thumbnails Cache With Disk Cleanup
Windows 11’s Disk Clean-up utility enables you to erase different types of data files. That tool includes aThumbnailsoption you could select to clear the thumbnails cache. These are steps for clearing the thumbnails cache with Disk Clean-up:
How to Clear the Thumbnails Cache With Settings
Windows 11’s Settings app includes a temporary file cleaner tool that’s similar to Disk Clean-up. You can also select to clear temporary files in the thumbnails cache with that utility. This is how to clear the thumbnail cache within Settings:
How to Clear the Thumbnails Cache With the Command Prompt
Command Prompt, or CMD, is a command-line app with which you can clear the thumbnail cache. You can clear out that cache with the Command Prompt by executing a del command for the thumbcache_*.db file in the following steps:
How to Clear the Thumbnail Cache With a Batch File
Alternatively, you can set up a batch file based on the Command Prompt command for clearing the thumbnail cache. Adding such a batch file to the Windows 11 desktop will provide a handy shortcut for clearing the thumbnail cache. You canset up a batch filethat deletes the thumbnail cache like this:
You can also set up a keyboard shortcut for a batch file that clears the thumbnail cache. To do so, set up theClear Thumbnail Cache.batfile as outlined above and save it in a different folder to Desktop. Right-click your Clear Thumbnail Cache.bat file in the folder you saved it in to selectShow more options>Create shortcut.
Then you’ll have a Thumbnail Cache.bat file shortcut on the desktop you can set up a hotkey for. Right-click that batch file’s desktop shortcut to selectProperties. In theShortcuttab that opens, click inside the Shortcut key box.
PressCto set up aCtrl+Alt+Chotkey, and clickApplyto save. Pressing theCtrl+Alt+Ckey combo will now run the batch file for clearing the thumbnail cache.
How to Clear the Thumbnails Cache With File Explorer
The Explorer folder includes a series of thumbcache DB files. You can clear the thumbnail cache by manually deleting those files within File Explorer. Follow these steps to delete those thumbcache files:
You might also need to clear the thumbcache.db files from the Recycle Bin. Double-click the Recycle Bin shortcut on your desktop. Then select theEmpty Recycle Binoption there.
Fix File Explorer’s Thumbnails by Clearing the Thumbnail Cache
When you clear the thumbnail cache with the methods above, the thumbnails in it will get automatically recreated. Deleting that cache effectively refreshes its data. So, clearing the thumbnail cache can often be an effective potential solution for fixing thumbnail display issues in File Explorer.
Temporary files aren’t meant to stick around, but sometimes they do anyway. Here’s how to delete temporary files on Windows 11 and free up space.
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