For what are "desktop.ini" files? Can I delete them?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cindy Parker
  • Start date Start date
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Cindy Parker

Occasionally I found in various directories hidden files called "desktop.ini".

What is the purpose of them ?
Can it be that they are created from other computers (because the folder is a shared folder) ?

Are they similar to "thumbs.db" files ?

Can I delete them without destroying my own Desktop icons?

Cindy
 
Occasionally I found in various directories hidden files called "desktop.ini".

What is the purpose of them ?
Can it be that they are created from other computers (because the folder is a shared folder) ?

Are they similar to "thumbs.db" files ?

Can I delete them without destroying my own Desktop icons?

Cindy
Click to expand...


If you have a desktop.ini in a folder you have customized that folder
view. The desktop.ini file is normally a hidden system file so you
don't delete it accidentally. It would be possible for every folder
to have a desktop.ini or some folders may not have one at all.
Folders that do not have a desktop.ini file have not been customized.
Deleting the desktop.ini will remove any customizations from the
folder and it will have a default view.

A thumbs.db contains information regarding the display of image files
that might be in a folder in a thumbnail view. You may have a
thumbs.db and you may not. If you delete the thumbs.db file in a
folder that contains images, it will be recreated automatically the
next time you change the folder view to Thumbnails.

A few Google searches for those file names may help you understand how
them work.
 
What is the purpose of them ?
Click to expand...

They contain preferences and setting for the folder. You can open them
up with a text viewer or editor to see what kind of information they
contain. If you delete them, the folder will lose it's settings, and
the system will probabaly recreate them at a later time. You should
leave them alone.
 
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