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When backing up individual files and folders (as opposed to creating volume images), are there any reasons to intentionally include or exclude thumbs.db files?

The sources of the files are Android and Windows devices.

The destination is external drives with folders that may later be restored to Windows devices.

Obviously, one reason to not backup thumbs.db files is to save some space on the backup medium. Are there any other reasons to intentionally include or exclude thumbs.db files in backups?

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  • Thumbs.db is just a cache of thumbnails of images in the source folder. Given Windows will regenerate them in a very short space of time, I would forgo backing them up. IMHO it's personal preference. Jan 14, 2020 at 13:57
  • @spikey_richie Thank you. That's my understanding and inclination as well. Before I choose to not backup hundreds (thousands?) of thumbs.db files, I want to verify with the community that it's a smart decision and that I'm not making a mistake. Feel free to post your comment as an answer (perhaps with a few more details) if you like. Jan 14, 2020 at 14:03
  • @Gronostaj has it covered. Jan 14, 2020 at 14:58

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thumbs.db is a thumbnail cache store. As with all caches, it can be deleted safely, because all of its content can be generated from original files. Cache is only a performance optimization.

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