Clearing Windows 11’s growing pile of cache and temporary files is one of the simplest, highest-ROI maintenance tasks a user or IT pro can perform — it frees gigabytes of storage, reduces odd performance glitches, and keeps modern AI-driven features responsive as your workload grows.
Background...
ai features
cache cleanup
cache hygiene
cleanup recommendations
delivery optimization
disk cleanup
dns cache
enterprise it
file explorer
icon cache
performance optimization
power users
softwaredistribution
storage sense
system maintenance
thumbnailcache
update reliability
update troubleshooting
windows 11
wsreset
When File Explorer becomes the system’s biggest CPU hog after upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, it stops being a mild annoyance and starts costing time, battery life, and user confidence—with many users reporting sustained explorer.exe or related processes eating CPU even at idle. The problem is...
cpu usage
explorer.exe
file explorer
high cpu
indexing
kb5055627
malware check
onedrive
performance troubleshooting
process explorer
shell extensions
thumbnailcache
windows 11
windows 11 24h2
windows search
windows update
If your Windows 11 PC feels sluggish, there’s a good chance a growing pile of cached and temporary files is the culprit — and Windows already gives you simple, safe tools to clean them up without resorting to risky third‑party “optimizers.”
Background / Overview
Every day Windows and the apps...
browser cache
built-in tools
cache
cleanup recommendations
delivery optimization
disk cleanup
dns cache
ipconfig flushdns
no third party
performance boost
safe cleanup
storage sense
storage space
system maintenance
thumbnailcache
troubleshooting
windows 11
windows update cache
wsreset
I'm using Windows 11 Pro (23H2), and recently I've noticed that File Explorer crashes or becomes unresponsive when I open folders that contain a large number of files (especially media files like images and videos). Sometimes it takes several seconds to load, and other times it just freezes...
crash
dism
file explorer
folder loading
large folders
media files
media preview
performance issues
preview handlers
quick access
sfc
shell extensions
shell modifications
system files
thumbnailcache
troubleshooting
unresponsive
windows 11
windows search
If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine is suddenly showing blank icons or no previews for your image, video, or document files, you’re not alone. It turns out that the culprit is often a corrupted or outdated thumbnail cache—a hidden file that stores miniature previews of your files to help...
Hello,
I've got many photos to sort on a HDD in numerous folders. I found a software to recursively generate all preview thumbnails. When done, the cache is almost 2go. But when I restart my computer, more than half of the cache is deleted so I have to regenerate the cache once again. I know...
I just figured out it's Windows 10's scheduled maintenance that's messing my pc up. I don't want my thumbnail cached deleted. I don't have Disk Cleanup, CCleaner or System Machanic setup to touch it.
How the heck do I stop the daily system maintenance from messing with it ?
ccleaner
disk cleanup
maintenance settings
pc issues
performance problems
scheduled maintenance
system cleanup
system mechanic
thumbnailcache
windows 10
My video thumbnails in the explorer preview pane wont update. It shows me the preview of the first video thumbnail but when i select another, the preview remains the same in the preview pane.
I was using windows 8.1 -- which didn't have this problem -- when I upgraded to Windows 10. I like...
bug
community support
explorer
feedback
help request
media playback
mpg files
preview pane
surface 3
technical issue
thumbnailcache
upgrade
user experience
video files
video thumbnails
vlc media player
windows 10
windows 8.1
workaround
From a fresh start up of the computer, I can get my thumbnails to generate any where on my computer, the NAS, or the USB attached to the NAS. However, after a short period (not specific, can be 5 mins or 30 mins), the USB drive attached to the NAS will no longer generate thumbnails, however...
Windows is being painful when viewing folders/files on my network hard drive.
Brand new PC (and I have the same issue on my other Windws 7 PC too).
Now that it is happening on two Windows 7 PCs it is time to get an answer.
How do I get Windows to create thumbnails without doing it manually one...
default icons
file management
file metadata
file types
folder view
hard drive
home premium
image files
network drive
pc issues
performance
professional
refresh issue
technical support
thumbnailcachethumbnails
troubleshooting
user experience
windows 7
windows fixes
Hi all,
I am new here so i'll ask for you help if I can.
I cannot get the thumbnails coming up in explorer on win7 sp1 professional.
I have all the .psd, jpeg, .bmp, .cr2, raw and everything else working but not the .PDF.
I have tried everything, uninstalled, reinstalled, foxt pdf...