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Image thumbnail stuck on screen

So my problem is that when I move files (mostly talking about images) a ‘ghost’ image of the file stays on my screen. This happens a LOT. When I force quit finder it disappears but I have to do that many times a day which is super annoying. Restarting did not help.

(Btw these images are in a folder, not on my desktop)


It’s a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, 2,3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8gb memory) updated to the latest version of High Sierra.


Can someone hlp me fix this issue?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2)

Posted on Dec 25, 2017 7:59 AM

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Posted on Aug 10, 2018 1:21 AM

I have a quick and easy fix. Please let me know if this works for anyone else. This happens to me sometimes.


All you do is when this happens is go in finder or any file for that matter and use quick look. Hit the space bar several times (quick looking any file) and the "ghost file" usually disappears. It works for me all the time and you don't have to quit finder as well.

81 replies

Mar 4, 2018 4:15 AM in response to brn2bfly

SAME PROBLEM

The desktop has retained a small embedded image that had just been set as a new desktop picture.

What I did -

Changed pix name

selected pix > command click>select from drop down menu>set desktop picture.


This is what happened, the result -

The image remains persistent on the desktop. It is small, a little larger than a thumbnail.

It is persistent through multiple screens.

iBooks was open, other applications were closed.


I often use image capture,no problem on its own.

I usually change desktop pix about once or twice a month.

Often use pix that I like other than Apples although they are truly gorgeous.


Try to fix>close TextEdit (which I opened to note this event)> restart.

That fixed it.

Thanks for mentioning the Finder fix, hope I won't need it.


Seems different actions set it off. I am using MacBook Pro 15" 2016, OSX 10.13.3, a recent upgrade.


Also had a couple of episodes of persistent multiple images when iTunes open. Transferring some music to an external drive,SSD.The problem is known at Apple.

Would be great to find a permanent fix.

Mar 17, 2018 3:57 PM in response to brn2bfly

I created an account just to try and get Apple to get some people working on this issue. It's St. Patrick's Day and still no **** luck with these thumbnails. Hint: easy way to force quit finder. click the finder app icon, go to apple icon in the upper left of screen and click to see the menu, hold shift and click "force quit finder (forward most application in use)" on the drop down menu. 😀

Mar 20, 2018 2:56 AM in response to brn2bfly

Exact same problem here. Brand new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. I have an older MacBook Pro as well as an iMac I work on daily and never had this problem before.


To add to the descriptions, when dragging from the finder window (which is in thumbnail view) into InDesign, the thumbnail stays stuck on the screen in the same place. Nothing but a force-quit/relaunch of finder, or a reboot, will remove it from the screen.

Apr 4, 2018 1:56 AM in response to blitzG

My solution: Uncheck Look up & data detectors on System Preferences / Trackpad / Point & Click tab.

• Doing this it wont happen again!!!


(To get rid of the image stuck just Force Quit the Finder)

• Click on Finder, then click on Apple icon on the top left and click Force Quit, the image will vanish.


I will keep posting it but Apple should check further on this function and fix permanently the problem!

COME ON APPLE, USE THIS INFORMATION AND SEND AN UPDATE DISABLING THAT FUNCTION!!! Actually close this topic and add this solution as reply to the fist post as well or change this topic title to SOLUTION TO THUMBNAIL STUCK ON SCREEN or... (this if any Apple professional is looking at this post what I doubt by now) (4th reply)

May 28, 2018 11:21 AM in response to brn2bfly

I have this problem too but have found it occurs whenever I use Preview to convert a JPG to PNG.


If I modify a JPG in Preview, I'll see a prompt that requires converting the JPG to a PNG. When I click Okay, I continue to edit the PNG but there is a "residue" image of the JPG. It can't be opened, edited or deleted, but it appears.


But it only occurs during the conversion. And force-quitting Finder didn't fix it.

Image thumbnail stuck on screen

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