A question about thumbnail cashe/thumb.db files and Alternate Data Streams - What is the latter and how does CCleaner affect thumbs.db files?

[Greger]

Lets say I delete some files in some various folders/directories during some time, yet don't delete the folders where I stored these files since I still have some other files left in them. Then I start CCleaner to clean my main HDD/external HDD and wipe free space (and the files that I've deleted over time) - will the thumbnail cashe/thumb.db files/whatnot in these folders still store information about those deleted files, or will CCleaner clean them out and wipe them as well? Otherwise it seems to me that the wipe free space option as well as the subsequent options below (whatever they do) would be somewhat less efficient.

 

And if CCleaner does not remove and wipe these thumbs.db files, will they be deleted if I delete the folder they're in, and then get wiped when I run CCleaner's wipe free space?

 

And last, what does the option "Clean Alternate Data Streams" (I don't know the correct translation since I don't run CCleaner in English) in CCleaner's option window do? Does it have something to do with these kind of files?

 

I use Windows XP btw.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Andavari]

It reads 'Wipe Alternate Data Streams' and is a part of the Wipe Free Space/Disk Wiper.

 

Here's what Alternate Data Streams ("ADS") is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_data_stream

[Greger]

Well, I didn't get much smarter from reading that. Despite being a thorough explanation, most of these computer terms are pretty foreign to me. Anyway, I take it it has nothing to do with my main concern - i.e. the thumbnail cashe and thumbs.db files. My first guess would be that the thumbnail cashe is the place where thumbs.db files (despite being located in folders and sub-folders) have a common repository, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Reading up on it a bit, it seems CCleaner won't delete/wipe these hidden files or the information they store if one deletes a couple but not all files in a folder, unless they (thumbs.db) are manually removed by either deleting the file(s) themselves or the folders they're in, am I correct?

 

Anyway, I just tried searching for thumbs.db files with advanced settings in Windows search, and I only found a bunch of 20 or so for my graphic card. Which is strange, since I do have some folders with files in them on my main HDD. I tried doing the same with my external HDD, and the search took less than a few seconds without finding anything.

 

Anyway (again), I entered my external HDD and created new folders for pretty much everything I've got stored there (since many of the folders were old and the thumbs.db files in them could possibly contain information that I had previously assumed would be "completely" wiped with the wipe free space option in CCleaner/then using Recuva afterwards). After I was done, I could see that by checking properties on the new folders, there was an extra file in some of them, but not all, for whatever reason. I then clicked the "show hidden files and folders" in the tools/option bar, but the (new) thumbs.db files could still not be seen, even though they were obviously there. Anyway, I then ran Recuva and found a lot of thumbs.db files, which I wiped.

 

So, this brings me to my next (and probably confusing) question. Since most of the old thumbs.db files I deleted with Recuva were stored in sub-folders, wouldn't the folders and sub-folders that contained the the sub-folder(s) I set out to delete, also contain their own thumbs.db files which in turn consist of information of the sub-folders' thumbs.db, and then the other sub-folders thumbs.db, and so on... if you get what I mean (this is some complicated stuff )? And even if they don't, will the new thumbs.db files in my new folders restore information from the old thumbs.db files in my old folders, that I deleted?

 

Last, I wan't to appologize if this is a bit or completely off topic and for my (I assume) somewhat confusing explanations, but it's an interesting question since from my understanding, a wipe free space with CCleaner should be considered a safe option, without having some lurking thumbs.db files storing information you thought were gone.

 

EDIT: I now saw that these files can be manually indluded and deleted in CCleaner. Does this work; is it safe; and does it work on external HDD's?

[Andavari]

EDIT: I now saw that these files can be manually indluded and deleted in CCleaner. Does this work; is it safe; and does it work on external HDD's?

 

It's safe, however CCleaner is made to look on system drives that do not change drive letters; Not external HDD's, USB Thumb Drives, etc., since those drive letters can change especially if for instance you have more than one plugged in at the same time.

 

 

As for the thumbs.db questions:

 

1. You can turn-off that feature in Windows itself in 'Folder Options' and never have them created by your system again:

 

2. You'd then need to use a disk cleaning software that will look through your whole hard disk(s) and external drives for thumbs.db files.

 

Note: You'll still get thumbs.db files on your system via downloads for example such as if you download wallpaper packs, icon packs in .png format, etc.

[Greger]

Thanks. I did that yesterday, as well as turning on the "Show hidden files and folders". Still can't see these random thumbs.db files neither on my main HDD nor my external, except for those belonging to my graphics card that is. Another disk cleaning software should do the trick as you say. Got any tips?

 

However, since I've deleted the folders which originally contained the files that I thought were gone, and then used Recuva to wipe the thumbs.db files that were stored in them, shouldn't that be enough for now?

 

On a sidenote though, I made a little experiment yesterday as well. I digged out an old CD-R with pictures on it, copied the inevitable thumbs.db files that were stored in the various folders to my computer and checked them with a trial version of DM Thumbs. Many long since forgotten files showed up in the various folders, and the main/original "My Pictures" folder seemed to store a "main" thumbs.db file that also had the info from all the other thumbs.db files in the various sub-folders.

 

If possible, maybe a thorough cleaning and wipe device for these files in CCleaner or at least an update on the FAQ page could be an option, since a wipe free space obviously aint enough (if you have set your computer to store thumbs.db files, that is).

[DennisD]

Where you found the "Show hidden files and folders" check box, scroll a little way further down, and uncheck the "Hide protected Operating System files" check box also.

 

Thumbs.db are classed as System Files.

 

You can also have similar hidden files created by software you use, as show here ...

 

 

 

This one was created by a program called Photoscape, so if you have carried out image editing in some program, there could be that programs own version of Thumbs.db.

 

For anyone interested, there's a free version (Lite) of a utility called "dec Photothumb.db Viewer", which will display the contents of these Photoscape files.

 

http://www.thumbnailexpert.com/en/products/free-tools/dec-photothumb.db-viewer/

 

You can also view the contents of "Thumbs.db" files with a free utility called "Thumbnail Database Viewer" ( no surprise there).

 

http://www.itsamples.com/

 

Both of these tools are portable (no install).

[Guest Keatah]

Does CCleaner wipe alternate data streams across the entire disk? Or does it just wipe ADS in the free-space?

[Alan_B]

If a user has chosen to instal a product that uses ADS,

then no "Cleaner" of any sort should remove what might be a vital component.