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If you're a Windows XP user, you might have seen Thumbs.db file in some folders. It is a hidden file.

What is Thumbs.db file?

Thumbs.db is a file used by versions of Microsoft Windows that stores a cache for Windows Explorer's thumbnail view. Thumbs.db is saved in each directory that contains pictures or photos.

In which Windows versions you can find it?

You can find it in Windows XP Pro and Home. I'm not sure about Windows 9x (Who would've used it anyway nowadays?)

In Windows Vista, Microsoft replaced thumbs.db files with a centralized thumbnail database thumbcache_xxxx.db located in \Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer.

How much space could it take?

You may not believe it, but it could take a few hundred MBs.

How can you get rid of it?

• Go to Start -->> Control Panel -->> Folder Options
• Go to the View tab
• Remove the check box from Do not cache thumbnails
• Click the Ok

What is the advantages and disadvantages of removing it?

• Advantages are that you can save a few hundreds of your hard disk space and you'll never see those annoying little hidden file here and there.
• Disadvantage is that if you browse a folder that contains many image files with moderate file size, it will take a long time for that folder to load because the thumbnail images have not been cached in Thumbs.db.

So next time if you see one of your friends is wondering about thumbs.db file, you can easily bossy him/her with enough confident.

Source : Wikipedia