I think I figured it out.
The Thumbs.ini file had the following entry in it:
[WatchedFolders]
0=E:\PiX:1:
I edited it so it now reads:
[WatchedFolders]
0=E:\PiX:0:
Changing the 1 to a 0 turned off the "watched folders" feature, have you will? In any event since I've made that change this mysterious automatic task has not reappeared!
Funny thing though, I don't know where TP9 was told to watch that folder? As well, what told it to make thumbnails automatically?
> > Your thoughts kind Sir?
>
> I'm baffled, befuddled and bewildered. But I'd try two other things before uninstalling and reinstalling:
>
>
[*]Verify that the database isn't read-only: Make some thumbnails in a folder that this auto-scan task hasn't touched yet. Exit TP, relaunch it, kill that mysterious auto-scan task again and see if your thumbnails are still there. If they're not, your database is probably located in a folder where it can't be written to due to UAC (make a new one elsewhere and make that your default startup database).
>
> [*]Exit ThumbsPlus, delete thumbs9.ini and thumbs9.config on the off chance that there's something wrong with your settings. These files are located in the 'preferences folder' as shown in Help | System Information. Then re-launch TP.
> [/list]
>
> If all that fails, I'd call an exorcist
.