Windows 10: Single Folder disappeared from Windows 10 Desktop, it was not deleted, hidden, moved, or...

Windows 10 Pro 64 user on a HP ZBook Create G7 Notebook Laptop 2 year old computer came with Win10 already installedYesterday I noticed a single folder missing from my desktop. Looking in the recycle bin, in case I accidentally deleted it, I saw a second folder I didn't initially notice was missing from the Desktop was there in the bin. It contained 30 gig of data. I thought usually deleting folders that big only had the option to permanently delete the files as it was too big for the recycle bin. The first folder, probably containing only 10 gig and was not in the recycle bin. I noticed the

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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:

 

Hidden folders

I installed `Kane and Lynch` on my PC twice in Program Files(x86) folder but I can`t find them (2 folders with game). But free space on my HDD is lower. So there`re those folders on my hdd. I use option `unhide` hidden folders but still can`t find them. Any suggestions? How can i delete those hidden folders?

When I run istallation for this game I can see those folders in Program Files(x86) folde.

I`m using Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

 

Single Folder disappeared from Windows 10 Desktop, it was not deleted, hidden, moved, or renamed.

Windows 10 Pro 64 user on a HP ZBook Create G7 Notebook Laptop (2 year old computer came with Win10 already installed)

Yesterday I noticed a single folder missing from my desktop. Looking in the recycle bin, in case I accidentally deleted it, I saw a second folder I didn't initially notice was missing from the Desktop was there in the bin. It contained 30 gig of data. I thought usually deleting folders that big only had the option to permanently delete the files as it was too big for the recycle bin. The first folder, probably containing only 10 gig and was not in the recycle bin. I noticed the time the larger folder was put in the recycle bin was at 3:45pm. I restored it without issue. Then I went to my browser to see what I might have been doing at that time and saw I checked my email at gmail and opened a page to my Discord account to see if I had any messages, and closed the window when I saw I had none. That was my only activity around that time. At no point did I do an update or reboot my computer.

Looking inside other folders on the desktop I could not find the missing Folder. I did a search in File Explorer for the name of the still missing folder and got no results. No files were found in User Documents or User Public. C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Local\Temp had mostly empty folders or files with 0KB, the only large folder being from when I installed Microsoft Visual Basic about two weeks ago. The missing folder is not listed under Quick Access even though I do (did) access it daily.

I resized my screen resolution to see if the icon was hiding off screen with no results. I checked to make sure Hidden Files were being shown, as I had always left that option on, and nothing was being hidden. I noticed a Shortcut icon on my desktop that was linked to an executable file in the missing folder and the icon was blank. Looking in the shortcut's properties and trying to open file location said the program this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved, so this shortcut will no longer work. I found out I keep about 200GB of data on my Desktop, and not in a custom folder on my HD like I should. I have a 1TB SSD HD with about 50GB of free space.

I tried restoring the Previous Version of my desktop from File Explorer but I had no previous versions available from File History and I had not set up a Restore Point. Share Permissions for Desktop only allowed everyone to Read files. Security settings allowed my only User Name all permissions other than Special Permissions. Looking under Special Permissions I saw I did have access to all Advanced Permissions. Location of files in the Desktop are stored in the default target location C:\Users\Myname\Desktop. Running the System File Checker as Administrator said the Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. I could not find any log file associated with this action, but the missing Folder was not replaced.

I used two different data recovery software programs using their "deep" or "full" scan options to locate the missing folder and data. Neither program returned any results for that Folder name. I did find 1TB of other previously deleted data from all over the file system though. I rebuilt my indexing options with no results. Fast Start was never enabled, and I changed my power management options to shut down the computer when I turned the power off, so it might restore User profiles, and smashed a hole in the wall with a bottle, all with no results. I also took 3 aspirin but that didn't help either.

I don't like mysteries. The missing folder luckily was backed up a few months ago on an external HD so I didn't lose much data. The only thing different about the missing folder that I can think of is that long ago I did change the icon of the folder to a custom icon so I would easily recognize the folder. At this point I have no ideas on how to restore or even find out how the Folder disappeared (or why the other folder with 30GB was deleted). I don't know of any logs that Windows might create for file management or for various errors, so I have no other paths to try to solve this mystery. I do not suffer from blackouts, sleepwalking or any major mental illness other than a little OCD and I live alone with the doors locked. I doubt the problem was caused by Cosmic Rays but haven't ruled that out. I will be awake until I resolve this, so any help will be appreciated.

Thank you,