How to Remove Thumbnail Cache on Windows

Before You Clean

Thumbnail cache can be rebuilt when previews are incorrect. Resetting it may make the next folder visit slower while previews regenerate.

Review and Clean Manually

1. Confirm File Explorer is configured to show thumbnails and that the file type supports previews.

2. Save work and open Disk Cleanup for the relevant Windows drive.

3. Review and select Thumbnails only, then confirm cleanup. Do not delete original images or whole user-profile folders.

4. Reopen the affected folder and allow previews to rebuild. If previews still fail, investigate the file format, cloud availability, or preview handler.

Where Kudu Helps

Kudu lists supported thumbnail-cache targets for review. Removing them does not repair damaged images or an unavailable cloud file.

Open Clean up > System Cleaner and run Scan. Review the relevant category and expand its results to inspect the paths. Set exclusions for anything you need to keep, then check the full selected total before Clean. Results search filters the view; it does not erase selections elsewhere.

After cleaning, check the summary and Activity > Cleanup receipts for removed, skipped, or failed items. A receipt is an outcome record, not a backup. Recovery Centre restores supported settings, not deleted files. Compare actual disk free space and test the original symptom; cache removal alone is not a promise of better performance.

Download Kudu Free → · Cleaning reference

References

• Official maintenance documentation
• Kudu cleaner rules