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Thread: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

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    Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Running win xp 32 bit with 1 sata harddrive.

    A lot of files have disappeared suddenly leaving empty folders on the harddrive. If you right click on the folders they are all containing 0 bytes and set to 'read only'.

    Any ideas what could be causing this? It is unlikely to be a virus as the computer has never been connected to the internet however a dvd of software was transfered to it from another computer. The other computer has an up to date virus scanner and has not detected any viruses.

    Any ideas on what has casued it and the best way to get the files back would be great.

    I was planning on putting the harddrive into another computer and then running a file recovery program on it, but I would like to know what has caused all the files to disappear.

    Thanks for any help you can offer.

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    Senior Member watercooled's Avatar
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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    This has worked for a similar problem with a friend. Go to start, run and type cmd. In the new window type 'chkdsk /f' without quotes then type y, enter when it asks you whether to schedule it for next reboot then reboot and let it run. Let me know how it goes.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    If this does not work is it going to mean the files are gone for good as it will overwrite them or is it a read only process?

    Thanks

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    jim
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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    It doesn't affect files as such, just fixes any problems with the disk that are found. It's the first thing to try.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    It's not a read-only process, it will attempt to fix filesystem errors it finds but it shouldn't overwrite anything. Do you frequently turn off the PC without shutting it down first or has it been moved about while switched on (less common cause in a desktop than in a laptop of course)?

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Ok I will try running that this weekend. If it does not fix it do you have any other ideas?

    No the computer is always shut down correctly. The files seemed to all disappear after dragging a file from one window to another folder in windows explorer.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Ran chkdsk and no errors found. Still cant find my files. Any other ideas?

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    CWH
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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Hi,
    From a Cmd box, you could try;

    attrib -h \folder_name
    attrib -h \folder_name\*.*


    then exit the box.
    Maybe it might be just a hiccup in the folder attrubutes. Alternatively, if you have something like Norton SystemWorks, you could try their Disk Doctor which can fix file errors.

    Colin

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    I have tried various programs that are meant to fix the file system and file tables but none have found any problems. I am currently running a bit of software called 'undelete' which seems to have found most of the missing files.

    Thanks for the help

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    If you're going down the recovery route the avoid using the PC as much as possible as even booting could overwrite files. You could try PhotoRec on a LiveCD such as the ultimate boot CD to try to recover as many files as possible. I've found undelete to do a good job in the past, Restoration is another one to try.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Strange. Files just don't disappear. I would have though CHKDSK would have fixed this issue. Did you install any new programs recently?

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Not a clue why the files disappeared. No programs had been installed and the pc is not been connected to the internet so im clueless. Tried many tools on live cds to fix the filesystem but none found any faults. Been running Undelete on the harddrive and it seems to have got back pretty much all my files. Just hope it does not happen again!!

    Thanks for all the help

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Also check the HDDs SMART data to see if it's reported any errors etc.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    OK. This is going to sound special but have you done a Virus Scan and Malware Scan? Also, do check your cables to make sure none are damaged.

    A damaged cable in an IDE situation can lead to disaster. I understand you are using SATA, but it's worth checking.

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    I can not see any smart data errors and yeah I have done a virus scan! It does sound very much like a virus though as I can not understand what else would have caused it, unless its some bug in windows xp.

    thanks

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    Re: Files disappearing leaving empty folders

    Check the HDD's SMART data.

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