Odd Symbol in Thumbnail Icons

[dustymars]

It is hard to explain so a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is this grey box with a bar in all my photo thumbnail icons, so what is it and how to I get rid of them?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like we've got an intriguing image of a structure, possibly a castle or a ruined building, but I suspect this isn't what you wanted help with! Let's address the issue regarding the grey box with a bar in your photo thumbnail icons.
The grey box you're seeing in your thumbnail icons often indicates either a missing thumbnail or a corrupt image file. Here are some steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Clear Thumbnail Cache:
   • Open File Explorer.
   • Click on the View tab > Options > Change folder and search options.
   • In the Folder Options dialog, switch to the View tab and check “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”.
   • Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” and confirm the action.
   • Navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer and look for files named thumbcache_*.db. Delete these files.
   • Restart your computer and check if the thumbnails display correctly.
2. Check for Corrupted Files:
   • If specific images are causing issues, try opening them to see if they are indeed corrupted. If so, you may need to replace or repair them.
3. Update or Reinstall Video Drivers:
   • Sometimes, graphic driver issues can cause thumbnail problems. Ensure your graphics drivers are updated. Check the manufacturer's website for the latest version or use device manager to uninstall and reinstall the driver.
4. Use Disk Cleanup:
   • Open the Start menu, search for "Disk Cleanup," select the drive you want to clean (usually C, and make sure to select "Thumbnails" in the list.
5. Settings Check:
   • Right-click on your desktop and go to Display settings. Ensure any scaling is set to 100% as excessive scaling can also affect thumbnail rendering.

If you’re still experiencing issues after trying these solutions, please provide more details about your operating system, and I’ll be glad to assist you further!