How to delete a Thumbs.db:encryptable file

Question

I found a file called Thumbs.db:encryptable on my image folder, and I can't delete it. I've tried reboot my PC, but it doesn't work.

When I try to delete a folder that contains this file, this message appears:

del Thumbs.db* /s /f

D:\My Documents\My Pictures\My Photos Christmas\Thumbs.db:encryptable
The system can not find the file specified.

Answer 1

Ads Spy is a tool used to list, view or delete Alternate Data Streams (ADS) on Windows 2000/XP with NTFS file systems. ADS is a way of storing meta-information for files without actually storing the information in the file it belongs to, carried over from early MacOS compatibility from Windows NT4. Recently browser hijackers began using this technique to store hidden information on the system, and even store trojan executable files in ADS streams of random files on the system. Use with caution.

Usage Instructions:

Download this program and run it. If you would like to just scan the Windows directory, then you can click on the Scan System button and it will scan your Windows directory for Alternate Data Stream files. You then have the option to select the ones you would like to delete, and press the Remove button. If you would like to scan the entire hard drive for ADS files, uncheck the Quick Check checkbox.

For more information on Alternate Data Streams you can read this tutorial:

Windows Alternate Data Streams

Answer 2

Unlocker is an Explorer extension that allows you to simply right-click on a file or folder to get rid of error messages associated with moving or deleting it.

Read more: Unlocker - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Answer 3

The person in the following link was having your problem. He tried several solutions to try to get rid of it - failed each and ultimately resulted in booting into Linux to mount the NTFS partition and delete the file:

http://aparateys.blogspot.com/2008/04/troubles-with-file-thumbsdbencryptable.html

Maybe you'll be able to take the previous steps before having to boot into Linux. The first one seems pretty self explanatory - disable thumbnail caching and then reboot the computer and see if the file goes away. Then progress down the chain and see if any of them work for you.