FAQ

 

How Explorer Thumbnails Work

 

When you are browsing in Windows Explorer the thumbnail cache which is managed by Windows is queried for thumbnails when required.

 

If Explorer wants a thumbnail - it asks the thumbnail cache (which is managed explicitly by Windows) when a file is about to be displayed - either as an icon (list view, detail view etc.) or an actual thumbnail.

 

The cache system first checks to see if a thumbnail handler exists for the file extension for the file type, and if it does, checks to see if there is a thumbnail already existing for the file.

 

If a thumbnail exists for the file the cache then checks to see if the file has been modified since the thumbnail was created. If the file has been modified, the cache requests a new thumbnail from the thumbnail handler associated for that file extension.

 

If a thumbnail already exists for the requested file at the requested thumbnail size, and it is newer than the the file, then that thumbnail is used.

 

If no thumbnail exists, or the file has been modified since the cached thumbnail was created, a new thumbnail is created.

 

 

 

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