Windows 10: Can the Program Files folder disappear and how do i find it?

I've been looking for the folder Program Files so that I can install some plugins for a software I'm using but I can't find the folder and I know I haven't deleted it I'm not sure I can either. I've used the searchbar, looked through all my folders where i should be, but no luck, what should I do?

:)

 

Disappearing folder

I've encountered a strange problem in windows 10 where I tried to delete a file in a folder, but ended up deleting the whole directory. It did so without the usual pop-up to confirm delete or say it was too big for the recycle bin. It was my Videos folder, so pretty big, but the disk allocation has also remained the same.

I've always had a problem with 'double icons' for the different user folders, including videos, and so I'm thinking it could have something to do with the whole thing, especially as now one of the two video folders has disappeared from the users folders.

The first thing i tried was 'Undo delete', but it just bought the folder back with non of the contents. Then, I went straight to Recuva, but it came up blank (there must have been over 50 videos in the folder)

I'm at a little bit of a loss as where to start looking for this disappeared folder and was hoping someone might have some suggestions?

Screenshots below:

 

Generating a .txt based file list in Windows 7

I want to be able to generate a .txt file that lists all the files and folders in a specific folder on my PC, but don't know the name of any programs that do that. Searched on google a bit and came up with this guide, but it's for XP and I can't seem to find some of the folder options to modify the .bat file. Any suggestions? Thanks

http://www.theeldergeek.com/file_list_generator.htm

EDIT: The .bat file will do what I want if it is in the folder I want to do it in, but the option I want to add is having the right click option that it shows.

 

Program Icons in a Folder Disappearing

Hi Joyeus1992,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



To get clarity of this issue and assist you with appropriate troubleshooting steps, kindly reply with the answers to the questions below.



Does it happen with only the program icon folder or with all the files and folders on the desktop?



Method 1: Check if the folder is hidden.



I suggest you to check if the folder is a hidden folder and ensure the folder is not hidden.

1. Click on Start button, then choose File Explorer.
   
2. Make sure the menu bar is expanded. You can toggle the menu bar by selecting the ^ at the upper right portion of the window.
   
3. Select the View tab.
   
4. Check the Hidden items check box to view hidden items.
   
5. If you need more file viewing options, select Options> View.
   

Method 2: Microsoft Safety Scanner.



I would also suggest you to scan your computer with Microsoft Safety Scanner, which would help us to get rid of viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free security tool that provides on-demand
scanning and helps remove viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It works with your existing Antivirus software. Follow this article on
Microsoft Safety Scanner,
and check if that helps.



Disclaimer:

Safety Scanner only scans when manually triggered and is available for use 10 days after being downloaded. We recommend that you always download the latest version of this tool before each scan.



Method 3: Automatically diagnose and repair Windows file.



Follow these steps to
automatically diagnose and repair problems with files and folders in Windows. These problems might include the inability to delete files or folders from the Recycle Bin, or troubles with trying
to copy, move, rename, or delete a file.





Method 4: Try rebuilding the Icon cache.



If the options are enabled, then you can try to rebuild icon cache.

1. Open Command prompt as Administrator.
   
2. Copy and paste the following:
   
3. Open a command prompt.
   
   ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
   
   taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
   
   DEL "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
   
   shutdown /r /f /t 00
   
4. This will restart your computer and the icons should reappear.
   

Method 5: Create new user account.



I also suggest you to create the new user account for Windows 10, follow this article on

Create a local user or administrator account in Windows 10, and check if that helps.





I look forward to hearing from you soon.



Regards,