Windows 10: Lost Folders - but files exist

Win10x64Home build 14393.447 - upgraded a year ago from Win7

Something yesterday transposed 'Downloads' into 'Documents' in the Quick Access list of File Explorer and in the Library list shows the downloaded files in the so-called 'Documents' folder.

I cannot find my trusty Documents folder at all, nor use any files.

But, Word, or Excel, or some other applications when doing a 'Save-As' go to the folder list which belongs in the old 'Documents' folder and proceeds to save properly (Word can also re-open the new file as a Recent file) but File Explorer cannot find 'Documents' at all.

Trying the Registry Key trick did nothing.

Any help appreciated.

Phil

:)

 

Karens Replicator 3.6.9 not working after Win 10 updated 16/4/17

Thanks HenkSoftware.

It seem Replicator will copy files from source to target if the corresponding folder already exists in the target, however it has lost the ability to create or delete folders in the target drive. I tried few more tests and this seems to be the case. When
I previously got error free backups it was because the folder into which the files were being copied already existed on the target drive. If you manually created the required folders in the target drive files will be backed up to it OK, however that defeats
the object of using replicator software.

 

After resetting Windows 10, files exist but programs aren't detected as "installed"

Hi Sezze,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

There are two options in reset.

• Keep My Files
• Remove Everything

So, as per the description you have chose Keep My Files, let me tell you that it removes apps and settings but keeps your personal file. There is no way to get back the old programs, however you can go to Windows.old file at C drive and check if any programs
exist.

Get back to us with the updated status. We’ll be glad to assist you further.

Thank you.

 

In File Explorer, go to C:\Users\[YourUserName]\ Is Documents listed? Open up Downloads Is Documents listed as a sub directory in Downloads?
In Recent Items, right click the file that was saved and Open File Location. This should show you the path of where the directory is now. You also can Right click and choose Properties/Target to see the location of the directory the file is in.

 

Thanks spunk

Using Word to look at Recent Items list, or to look at where the current file was Saved-As (created yesterday after all this happened) and seeing various related files properly stored there in properly named folders, and thus seeing the full C:\xxxx\yyyy\ where all these files should be stored.

The problem is that C:\xxxx\yyy was the 'Document' Library but is now findable but is the previous 'Downloads'. The Library labeled 'Documents' now contains all the 'Downloads' files and 'Documents' just will not appear anywhere - not with that label. But the C:\xxxx\yyy which should be 'Documents' is found by the Save-As or the Recent-Items.

 

I am not sure this is THE solution to my wee problem, but; Looking through TenF the difference between Admin and Real Admin became clear. I followed instructions, in an elevated DOS box, I could dir and see all the folders and files I have been claiming to not see. Following the steps net user administrator active:yes I got dir to show me all the files, all the folders.

Dropping out of DOS and starting it up again just as me 'admininstrator' I do not have permissions to perform that command. Try elevated admin again in DOS and there they are.

So this problem is one of permissions.

Reading through Brink's tut on activating the Real Administrator in Win10 has not been a success, yet. I cannot see how to do that. Though I am using Homex64 edition of Win10.

Now, where from here?

 

If you completed the command net user administrator active:yes, then log out as you and login as the Built in Administrator. Go to C:\Users[YourUserName] and browse this directory for your files.
Clicking a user file will give you an error, but click OK to access it

 

Thanks for input so far to this query. My problem remains but I have seen more of Win10 subtle features than ever before.

Applications like Word and Excel can see my Documents folder (lost to me when using File Explorer) and can read files, create and save files within the Documents folder.

Even after creating a super-admin user and after running net user administrator active:yes then logging in as me or as the super-admin File Explorer cannot see the Documents folder. But, in an elevated CMD window the Documents folder is displayed - with 72 folders and 214 files; 1,690MB of data. That is just about what I reckon there should be.

Which permission? To be set where? How? What will let me use the Documents folder again in Win10?

Thanks.

 

What is the path in the Command Prompt for the Documents folder? (ie) C:\Users\UserName\Documents or whatever?
In File Explorer go to the Toolbar to View put a check in Hidden Files.

 

OK, the path for 'Documents' that I had set up a few years ago, and had used daily, is - C:\!!!! PFO Data\. Under this folder are 72 subfolders, 200 odd files, and 1.6+MB as reported in the elevated CMD window when the super-admin user does DIR C:\!!!!*.*

The attached image shows the mouse pointer when hovering on a filename. This reveals the C:\!!!! PFO Data\ folder which should be my Documents root and which I cannot see in Win10. And it shows the ticks on File Name Extensions and Hidden Items which I have had set since Win3.

I will say that I had used spaces in the folder name, but that has not seemed a problem for several years.

 

The folder you are looking at is in a folder named New Folder, within the Quarantine folder.
Go to the Yellow Folder on the taskbar, File Explorer browse on the Left panel to C:\!!!! PFO Data\Common\System\Quarantine\New Folder. Drag or Copy and Paste the file to the Root of the location you want it to be in

 

Thanks spunk - the procedure is the exact one that I cannot do because the root folder of my Documents Library is not visible except when the super-admin is logged in an elevated CMD and not in Win10.

I may have a deficit of thoroughness in explaining as I amat sea here. I've put two screenshots to show the Manage button I believe you mention and the references to my documents root C:\!!!! PFO Data which show. But the second shows C:\ and evidence of C:\!!!! PFO Data is absent, it is not searchable, nothing can be opened or saved to it from File Explorer.

But the super-admin can DIR it in a CMD box and various softwares (Word and Excel) can see old/known files. But they also cannot see the original C:\!!!! PFO Data documents folder to save to or to open from - the third screenshot where Excel cannot see the folder to save to.

I am not sure if this is clear to anyone else. It is hardly clear to me. I just wish I could get permission to change this permission.

 

On the Left panel under Libraries, right click Rattled and choose Properties what is the Location path?

 

Thanks spunk. Attached a screenshot of the properties of the Rattled Library - using the Manage Library button, showing it is: C:\!!!! PFO Data\Common\System\Quarantine\New Folder.

It is visible in Win10 but C:\!!!! PFO Data\ is not. Is it possible attributes are fankled? I do not know how to see or change attributes.

 

Solved! Most likely. Musing about how to get permissions to expose the lost folder in Win10 lead to thinking about attributes which lead to our shed where a 1986 volume of DOS Bible lay mouldering. In an elevated DOS screen running attrib -h -r -s /S /D C:\MyLostFolder*.* took a long time but made all the files missing in Win10 visible.

There seems some rearrangement has taken place and Libraries are 'odd' but the files are there once again.

Thank you to contributors for ideas and tuition.