Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer Description
Turns off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files. This policy setting allows you to configure File Explorer to cache thumbnails of items residing in network folders in hidden thumbs.db files. If you enable this policy setting, File Explorer does not create, read from, or write to thumbs.db files. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, File Explorer creates, reads from, and writes to thumbs.db files.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer Value name: DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders
Enabled: DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders = 1
Disabled: DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Thumbnails/DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Thumbnails/DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.