# What's a data base file? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800 "2004-12-27T18:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euromic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Euromic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euromic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/1 "2004-12-27T18:09:04Z")
And can I delete it safely without harming my computer? The file just suddenly appeared when I zipped up some sheet music. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/2 "2004-12-27T18:16:18Z")
How do you know it’s a “data base file”? What’s the name of it? ---
**Author:** ![Euromic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Euromic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euromic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/3 "2004-12-27T18:21:13Z")
It’s name is ‘Thumbs’ and it’s 8.50 kb. The zipped folder it’s in is 223 kb. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/4 "2004-12-27T18:22:16Z")
Hi, **Euromic** , welcome to the boards. To elaborate somewhat on **Musicat** ’s post, we need a bit more information to be able to help you. In addition to the file name, where did this file appear? Was it on your desktop? Also, what program are you using to create the zip file? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/5 "2004-12-27T18:25:08Z")
I guess I type too slow! “thumbs.db” is a system file that stores the thumbnails that are produced whenever you view a directory as “Thumbnails” or “Filmstrip” in Windows XP. Typically the directory has pictures (jpegs, gifs) in it. You can safely delete this from your zip file. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/6 "2004-12-27T18:37:38Z")
> [@Euromic](#): > > It’s name is ‘Thumbs’ Actually, the name is “Thumbs.db”. In the future, you may want to disable Windows’ default behavior of hiding file extensions, as it will make troubleshooting easier (as well as preventing malicious executable files from masquerading as an innocuous image file, as some email viruses are wont to do). In Windows Explorer (which is the program that you use to view files on your computer) click on **Tools** → **Folder Options…**. Then, click on the **View** tab. Finally, _uncheck_ the option to “Hide extensions for known file types.” ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/7 "2004-12-27T18:38:28Z")
Check out this link for Thumbs.db [http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/computer/tips/thumbs/default.htm](http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/computer/tips/thumbs/default.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Euromic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Euromic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euromic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/8 "2004-12-27T20:27:36Z")
Thanks guys, exactly what I was looking for. 🙂 For some reason in hotmail, if I try to send the zip files, their anti-virus thing says the thumbs.db is a virus. _shrugs_ ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/9 "2004-12-27T20:42:27Z")
A data base file is what you use to smooth the rough edges off of the bottom of your data. Of course. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/10 "2004-12-27T21:23:06Z")
> [@Euromic](#): > > For some reason in hotmail, if I try to send the zip files, their anti-virus thing says the thumbs.db is a virus. _shrugs_ Some virus scanners are pretty blunt. My ISP insists on blocking all EXE, ZIP and BAT files because, he says, “Those often contain a virus.” Makes life that much harder for me to support my clients when they have problems, as I have to teach them how to rename a file on top of how to receive and store one. And if I really wanted to send a virus, this policy wouldn’t stop me at all. Just for kicks, and if you’re curious, try renaming the file and see if the anti-virus scanner still reports a virus. Conversely, try sending another, totally different file but with the thumbs.db name and see what happens. In case #1, it means it is truly scanning the data and probably giving a false positive. In case #2, it means it is only reading the name and/or extension. ---
**Author:** ![Euromic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Euromic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euromic)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/11 "2004-12-28T11:29:35Z")
Grrr… I cleared the thumbs.db and tried to send it bit hotmail still says I have a virus. I’m only sending sheet music, is there a way I can find out if there’s a virus in the zipped folder? Maybe it’s the way I compress it? I just right click on the folder and press send to compressed file or something like that… ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/12 "2004-12-28T14:17:31Z")
> [@Euromic](#): > > Grrr… I cleared the thumbs.db and tried to send it bit hotmail still says I have a virus. I’m only sending sheet music, is there a way I can find out if there’s a virus in the zipped folder? Maybe it’s the way I compress it? I just right click on the folder and press send to compressed file or something like that… You need to find out what is triggering the virus scanner. Read my previous message. Also try just sending a single file, uncompressed. Then try ZIPping that single file and sending. Narrow down your problem and it might suggest a solution. Also note that ZIPping _some_ files does not compress them significantly (JPGs, for example) and may not be worthwhile to save transmission time, although it can still be useful to collect diverse files into one package. It’s not a universal solution and may be contributing to your problem. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-data-base-file/281800/13 "2004-12-28T14:37:13Z")
> [@Joe Random](#): > > you may want to disable Windows’ default behavior of hiding file extensions… I strongly agree - this is one of the worst Windows defaults.