Windows 10: Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache

How to: Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache

How to Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache


Windows keeps a copy of all your folder, picture, video, and document thumbnails in a cache so they can be reused to quickly display when you open a folder instead of having to manually scan and slowly load them each time.

Starting with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Windows keeps automatically deleting the thumbnail cache after a restart or a shutdown, so File Explorer has to recreate the thumbnails again.

The tasks Automatic Maintenance performs is to remove temporary files in your %TEMP% directory, temporary Internet files, old driver versions, and the thumbnail cache. It is called "SilentCleanup" and launches the Disk Cleanup tool with a special command line argument, /autoclean. This makes the cleamgr.exe tool read the cleanup presets in the Registry. For every enabled preset, the app performs cleanup on the system drive.

If wanted, you can disable the thumbnail cache preset to stop the thumbnail cache from automatically being deleted by Automatic Maintenance whenever it performs a "SilentCleanup".

This tutorial will show you how to allow or prevent Windows 10 from automatically deleting the thumbnail cache after a restart or shutdown as part of Automatic Maintenance.

You must be signed in as an administrator to allow or prevent Windows 10 from automatically deleting the thumbnail cache.

The thumbnail cache for each user is stored as .db files located in the hidden folder below.

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
(C:\Users\{user-name}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer)



Here's How:

*note The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD in the registry keys below.

(32-bit and 64-bit)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Thumbnail Cache

(64-bit only)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Thumbnail Cache

Autorun DWORD

0 = Prevent
1 = Allow


1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Allow Windows 10 to Delete Thumbnail Cache as part of Automatic Maintenance
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below for your step 4 below.

32bit-Allow_Windows_10_to_delete_thumbnail_cache-DEFAULT.reg

Download

OR

64bit-Allow_Windows_10_to_delete_thumbnail_cache-DEFAULT.reg

Download

3. To Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache as part of Automatic Maintenance
A) Click/tap on the Download button below for your step 4 below.

32bit-Prevent_Windows_10_from_deleting_thumbnail_cache.reg

Download

OR

64bit-Prevent_Windows_10_from_deleting_thumbnail_cache.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. Restart the computer to apply.

8. If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Clear and Reset the Thumbnail Cache in Windows 10
• How to Change Automatic Maintenance Settings in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Automatic Maintenance in Windows 10
• Set Disk Cleanup to Have All Items Checked or Unchecked by Default in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Automatic Maintenance to Wake Up Computer in Windows 10
• How to Specify Automatic Maintenance Time to Run in Windows 10

:)

 

Thumbnail Cache - Prevent Windows from Deleting


Found this, very helpful...

Prevent Windows 8 File Explorer From Deleting Image Thumbnail Cache

 

Explorer continually deleting thumbnails cache

If you would rather not personally work in the registry, @Brink has a tutorial with .bat files that will set those keys for you.

See: Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache and go to step #3

You don't have your system specs filled out so watch which bittage of .bat file you need for your Operating System.

It would be very helpful if you could fill in your System Specs: System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

 

Thumbnail Cache - Prevent Windows from Deleting


Not 1 of the tutorials you read anywhere will stop Windows 10 from deleting your thumbnail cache. But I have found the factual way to stop this from happening. Go to this link. It will fix it and stop the thumbnail cache from being deleted, guaranteed.

Stop Windows 10 Auto Deleting Thumbnail Cache Solved - Windows 10 Forums

 

Thumbnail Cache - Prevent Windows from Deleting


Hey guys, just made the upgrade from Win7 and I am wondering how to do this as the title suggests, I remember there being such a thing to do this here over at the sevenforums but this method is no longer working for Windows 10, so I am wondering if someone can please help me or post a new tutorial?

Thank you.

 

After Creators Update 2 thumbnails cache keeps auto-deleting


To help make this easier:

*Arrow Prevent Windows 10 from Deleting Thumbnail Cache Performance Maintenance Tutorials