# The cache files --> located at `%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer` if you want to check their size before and after clearing—seeing them drop from hundreds of megabytes to near-zero confirms the operation worked. ``` Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force Start-Sleep -Seconds 2 Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\thumbcache_*.db" -Force Start-Process explorer ``` # Removing the thumbnail cache deletes the corrupted entries. It also forces Windows to rebuild a clean version and fixes the flickering. There are two ways to delete the Windows thumbnail cache. The first is using Disk Cleanup. Follow these steps: ``` Search for cleanmgr and click the Disk Cleanup option. Select the C drive or any drive letter that corresponds with your system drive and click OK. Check Thumbnails in the Files to delete list. Click OK, then click Delete files. ```