Hey! I primarily use a Windows XP SP2 when I'm building my website. And, I have to transfer the updates from my personal PC to another PC. But, whenever I do, all the directories that have pictures in them have a bloody file labelled "Thumbs.db." I know what it is, but how do I get rid of them and keep them gone? Thanks!

Chris

I feel your pain! I personally don't know the full reason behind the "Thumbs.db" file. When mass uploading my website, sometimes a thumbs file sneaks in (I select everything in my FTP client and then deselect the thumbs.db) and then I have to delete it.

I think you can turn this off by going to Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > View > Do not cache thumbnails. Let me know if that works. If not, under that same tab, select "Show hidden files and folders" and just delete the Thumbs.db file.

Could someone check to see if this works? Thanks!

[N]F

I don't know if this method works, but I know what those files are for...

Win XP in it's eye-candy-nes likes to preview image files since it thinks that you don't know what files you have on your own computer (who system should trust if not user? never mind...) and it creates Thumbnail previewss of them and store them in it's database that is created one by directory. And those files are named thumbs.db - they are created for "comfort" of use... to not wait for generating those previews every time you visit directory. You can turn them of and you can be sure that you have those files when you use explorer to browse directories in which you have images... use for example Total Commander or similar to prevent creating those files if you wouldn't be able to turn it off...

You don't need the thumbs.db files when uploading to the internet, they are only used to keep settings relating to the folder they are kept in. For example ify ou were to change the layout of a folder from list to thumbnails. thumbs.db will be created with the information to switch view to thumbnail when entering the folder.

Cached thumbnails for View>Thumbnails feature.

In any folder:
*Tools>Folder Options
*View tab
Find the check box that says "[_]Do not cache thumbnails"

Should be right above the Hidden Files and Folders section. That should take care of it. At least that's my guess.

my father thought thumbs.db was a spyware and made me believe it.As im incharge of maintaining security at our school computers,i had to go around delelting that thumbs.db in 43 computers to be exact.
it took me 2 weeks. Again i check they all will return

Anyone who is still confused:

http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/computer/tips/thumbs/default.htm

First result I got on Google when I put in "Thumbs.db"

to disable Thumbnails View feature in Windows XP ( Professional and home)
Windows XP Professional edition :
1- click Start>click Run and type gpedit.msc and click ok to run Windows Group Policy
2- find following >> User Configuration/Administrative Template/Windows Components/Windows Explorer
3- in right panel find and right click “Turn off caching of thumbnail pictures” and select properties
4- in dialog box select “ENABLED” and click Apply and then OK.


Windows XP Home edition:
Go to Control Panel and double click on Folder Options, in view tab, find and mark “Do not cache thumbnails” check box and click apply and then OK.

I guess this will prevent you from seeing the thumbnails, but they still exist. So, they will probably be uploaded by ftp.
Personnally, I don't care of thumbs.db Simply, I upload them, and I delete them from my astahost site. Maybe it's the fastest and the safest way. You still see them on your computer and you are able to manage them, and you remove them from your site because your site does not need thime.
Same thing with some text files i write down for myself, they are usual on my PC but not necessary on my site, so I remove them from my astahost site.

After disable them, you may need to remove them manually. Search for them and then delete. You need to show the hidden files too.