Solving the Windows 7 Thumbs.db Error

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 07:09 Written by Alan Wednesday, 13 July 2011 07:00

Windows 7 users have come to know, and hate, that “The action can’t be completed because the file is open in Windows Explorer. Close the file and try again.” message that pops up when moving or deleting files.  It almost always cites the thumbs.db file as the culprit.  Disappointingly, there is no fix for this known Windows 7 issue.

There are several work-arounds, some of which even work.  So far the most effective I have found involves an edit to the Local Group Policy Editor, which is a lot less scary than it sounds.

1. Click Start and and type gpedit.msc in the search, then hit Enter.

2. Expand User Configuration => Administrative Templates => Windows Components.

3. Click on Windows Explorer.

4. Right-click on Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files.

5. Choose Edit and then Enable the setting.

6. Click Apply and then OK and exit Group Policy Editor.

You should now be able move and delete files freely.  It doesn’t appear that Microsoft plans to fix this bug in Windows 7, but maybe in Windows 8 they may do something?  If anyone knows of other work-arounds or has found a fix please let us know in the comments below.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Fix For Recent Media Center Studio Problem

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 08:22 Written by Alan Saturday, 19 June 2010 08:00

If you use Windows Media Center and you use Media Center Studio to customize the menus then chances are you have been bit by the recent problem.  Specifically, all of your customization has disappeared and no amount of opening Media Center Studio and “fixing” it works.  Thankfully a simple fix has been found and here it is:

1. Make sure you have enabled viewing of hidden files (if you don’t know how, then click HERE)

2. Close Media Center.

3. Navigate to Computer => C Drive => ProgramData => Microsoft => eHome => Packages => MCEClientUX => dSM

4. Locate the file startresources.dll and rename it to startresources.old.

5. Now reopen Media Center and all of your customization work should be back.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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