How do I refresh thumbnails in Windows 7

**Berth** · 02-12-2009

I have a problem with the way Windows 7 displays folders on my system. If I changed a picture file in Windows XP, I could go to the folder containing the file and right click on the thumbnail. The option 'Refresh thumbnails' was on the list. By default, Windows 7 completely messes the folders. There doesn't seem to be this option in Windows 7. I can temporarily refresh a thumbnail. How do I refresh thumbnails in Windows 7? Any idea about it? Please help me out. Thanks.

**Expertz** · 02-12-2009

This Thumbs.db is hidden and if you do not have all the hidden files viewable you may not have seen it. Try going to Control panel --> Folder Options, then click the View tab and make sure Display the icon on thumbnails is checked.

**Gusgr8** · 02-12-2009

Have you installed any new software lately or modified your system in any way (for example, through the registry)? These are the same in WinXP so if you need an extension that isn't listed, you could lift it from the XP registry. At least you know it already works there. Thumbnail toolbars are another productivity feature that gives us the ability to do more without actually switching to another application’s window.

**Jimmy24** · 02-12-2009

This seems to imply all thumbnails for all images in all folders are stored in central files now, organized by thumbnail size, so deleting a file to cause the regeneration of thumbnails in a particular folder is no longer an option. Right-clicking a minimized application taskbar icon also provides a new context menu in Windows 7.

**Isaac1** · 02-12-2009

These are called Jump Lists. A jump list will contain a list of recently used files if the application has a file type associated with it. However, you can delete all the stored thumbnails through the Disk Cleanup function. The application developer can add to the jump list custom task items to provide more short-cuts to application functionality.

**benchmarkhunter** · 06-09-2010

To refresh your thumbnails you need to open the picture folder and change the view size of the icon. (I went from large to medium) Close the folder. Now go to "computer" and right click on the 'C' drive, select properties, disk clean up and then thumbnails. Run the clean up and then go back to the folder of pictures and select the size of the icon you had been using.

Your icons should now be refreshed.

Jack