Help... I've lost a folder

Rubber Bullets

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Wierd one this, at least to me.

I have 3 HDD in my PC one 74GB 10,000 rpm Raptor, a 200GB SATA and an old IDE one.

I have taken recently to installing some software on the 200GB disk in a folder named Programs to avoid filling up the Raptor too much.

Today I have realised that the Pograms folder no longer exists! It is just not there either when I look in explorer or any other way. The icons for the installs it contains have disappeared to to be replaced with generic file icons and error messages if I click them.

WTF is going on? the HDD seems to be fine, not noisy or anything, I certainly haven't erased this folder, or at least it is difficult to imagine how it could have happened without me being aware.

Any help at all would be extremely welcome.

RB
 

Rubber Bullets

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Is the @ symbol there for a reason laz?

I can access the disc fine, other folders are all working and other apps in other folders also work. As far as I can work out it is just that one folder that has done a Lord Lucan, and all shortcuts to it from elsewhere.

RB
 

Lazarus

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is it possible you might have accidently copied it within one of the other folders. did that once and couldnt figure out where it had went to.
 

Rubber Bullets

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Thanks Laz, but no. I've just done a search for the folder, and some of teh subfolders and they are no where to be found.

I also tried error checking the HDD with auto fix etc on. Took the best part of an hour and achieved nothing.

Running out of ideas.

It is not the end of the world, I can reinstall the missing stuff, but I am just worried that it may happen again, and some of the stuff on there would be more of a pain to lose.

RB
 

anattic

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I'm guessing you've already tried the obvious, and searched for something you know was in that directory?
 

Rubber Bullets

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Yes :(, I was a bit slow on the uptake, but I tried that after Laz's last suggestion.

RB
 

Trem

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Isn't it because the programs are set to install on what is usually the main hard drive(c)?

I did this once with the same intentions as you(save space on my Raptor) and they all installed fine then just disappeared, I think it would work if you had an operating system on the second hard drive.

I may be miles off here by the way.
 

Sar

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By default programs suggest the c:\program files\ directory, but installing them to a custom folder (my preference, because the above mentioned folder can get VERY cluttered) shouldn't give rise to this problem, as the installation folder is noted within the registry.

Speaking of which, it sounds like a registry problem to me tbh (possibly corrupted registry?).

No idea how to fix it tbh, but it may put you on the right path.

Although do try the usual suspects: full system virus and spyware scan just to be safe.
 

Rubber Bullets

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Thanks guys, Trem it had been working for weeks so I think that it is OK to do.

Sar, thanks for the ideas, I did install something in it yesterday which must have fubar'd it. A virus scan is negative though.

Anyone got any ideas on how to do a registry check?

TBH I'm not too bothered, if someone can assure me that this isn't a symptom of HDD failure, and I don't think it is, then I'll just put the software back on somewhere else.

RB
 

Sar

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Try this and see if it helps:

http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/

Says it scans for and fixes reg errors. It may retrieve the reg entry for the folder if it's been overwritten, which it sounds like.

Tried uninstalling whatever you installed to see if that corrects the problem?
 

smurkin

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You could try a system restore rolback. Surely tho, its a file system problem, not registry.
 

nath

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When you did a search for the files, did you enable search hidden files too?
 

Rubber Bullets

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Hi guys, sorry I've not been ignoring you, just not looked back for a couple of days.

Sar, that software found 193 errors in my registry and then asked me for £20 to fix them. Now I don't know what to do, it's found problems I never knew I had and I have no idea if they are worth £20.

I couldn't uninstall the software as such as the folder it was in had disappeared. I also did a system rollback and all trace has now gone, but with no joy. (thanks Smurkin)

Nath, I did another search making sure all hidden files were in there, but to no avail. I found a shortcut to one of the folders in there, but when I tried it I got the original error again.

Thanks for the help though guys it is all appreciated

RB
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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Very strange.

By the way - don't pay for that registry cleaner, those things tend to find errors that really wouldn't cause any problems and want you to pay to fix them. They're scaremongers. Oh and when you actually have a serious registry problem that *does* need fixing, they seldom work :\

Not sure what to do about your missing folder thing though, sounds like it's gone. Checked the recycle bin? :)
 

Sar

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Nah, not worth the £20.

Have a dig around, you should be able to find a free one that does the same job tbh.
 

smurkin

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Ashampoo winoptimizer gives a months free trial and includes a reg checker. Registry errors arise on a daily basis....uninstalling programs is a great way to generate them, and the idea behind removing them is that it keeps the registry lean so it starts up more quickly.
 

yaruar

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smurkin said:
Ashampoo winoptimizer gives a months free trial and includes a reg checker. Registry errors arise on a daily basis....uninstalling programs is a great way to generate them, and the idea behind removing them is that it keeps the registry lean so it starts up more quickly.

Although this problem will have absolutely nothing to do with the registry as the registry plays no real part in what is where on the hard drive.

It's most likely corrupt sectors on the drive or a corrupt MBR.
 

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