Thumbs.db

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Thumbs.db is a hidden file used by Microsoft Windows operating system that stores a cache for Windows Explorer's thumbnail view. Thumbs.db is saved in each directory that contains pictures or movies.

Windows stores thumbnails of graphics files in the Thumbs.db file, including the following formats: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIF, PDF, and HTML. Each thumbnail created in a directory is represented in this database file as a small JPEG file, regardless of the file's original format. Each folder with initiated thumbnail views (that is where they have displayed a Thumbnails or Filmstrip view in Windows Explorer) will have a Thumbs.db file.

Windows XP Media Center Edition also creates ehthumbs.db which holds previews of video files. Starting with Windows Vista, however, thumbnails are stored in a centralized location at %sysroot%\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer as a "thumbcache" consisting of files with the label thumbcache_xxx.db (numbered 1–999). However, when browsing network shares with write permission, Windows Vista SP1 stores a Thumbs.db file in the remote directory instead of using the (local) central thumbcache.^{[citation needed]} There is no fix for this at this time.