How To Fix Windows 7 Bug Where “thumbs.db” Prevents Renaming Or Deleting Most Recently Viewed Folder

Updated about 3 mths, 4 days ago (February 20, 2013). Know a better answer? Let me know!

How to fix Windows 7 bug where “thumbs.db” prevents renaming or deleting most recently viewed folder

Sick of having Windows 7 refuse to move, rename or delete folders because something has gone and locked the thumbs.db file while it caches thumbnails or something similar?

You receive an error “The action can’t be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program. Close the file or folder and try again” and it mentions Thumbs.db. It probably looks something similar to the below:

Locked thumbs.db

To fix this, disable the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files via the Group Policy Editor as below:

  1. Run gpedit.msc
  2. Navigate to:
    (in Windows 7) User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer
    (in Windows 8) User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer
  3. Set “Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files” to Enable.
  4. You may need to log off or force group policy to update before this takes effect, I am not sure.
    To force group policy to update, run gpudate /force

Group Policy Editor

Group Policy Editor

Or see the following Microsoft KB article which contains a Fix It to do this for you (and instructions on how to do it via the registry if you have a version of Windows 7 without the Group Policy Editor).

More Information

For more information:

 

Updated about 3 mths, 4 days ago (February 20, 2013). Know a better answer? Let me know!

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User submitted comments:

Vitosal, about 9 mths, 14 days ago
Saturday August 11, 2012 8:22 AM

Thanks Bro, worked like a charm :-)

Anusha, about 6 mths, 26 days ago
Monday October 29, 2012 1:14 PM

Thank you very much. Worked for Windows 8 as well. Just have to select "File Explorer" instead of "Windows Explorer" in Group Policy Editor. <3

Ned, about 6 mths, 26 days ago
Monday October 29, 2012 1:17 PM

Good to know. Also interesting to see they still haven’t fixed this annoying problem with Windows 8.

Niamh, about 6 mths, 23 days ago
Thursday November 1, 2012 11:10 AM

Thanks. That has been driving me crazy for so long - it's great to finally see the back of it.

revaaron, about 5 mths, 8 days ago
Monday December 17, 2012 1:34 AM

in win8 it is
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer

Ned, about 5 mths, 7 days ago
Tuesday December 18, 2012 12:55 AM

Thanks, I have updated the article.

CecilyT, about 3 mths, 28 days ago
Sunday January 27, 2013 4:24 AM

What do you do if you have Win8 Home edition and no gpeditor?

Hannnah, about 2 mths, 23 days ago
Monday March 4, 2013 8:58 AM

I tried running the "gpedit.msc" process and it didn't work. Is there anything I could do as an alternative? I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Thanks!

Sofia, about 1 mth, 14 days ago
Tuesday April 9, 2013 9:39 PM

Victory! Thank you so much and I am glad I found this page! I have been suffering for months renaming and deleting folders.

Cathy, about 18 days, 12 hrs ago
Monday May 6, 2013 9:53 PM

Thanks!

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