Personal User Folder - Restore Missing Folder

Brink · Mar 14, 2010

Hello VistaGuy, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Try OPTION THREE in the tutorial for each affected user folder to see if that can restore them back to their default locations, then do OPTION ONE for each affected user folder before restarting the computer. Be sure to check each user folder to make sure that it is set to the default location. It may take more than a few restarts with that many user folders not working properly, but they should return.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

VistaGuy123 · Mar 14, 2010

thank you. I redid that a few times and got it worked out

Brink · Mar 14, 2010

That's great news VistaGuy. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.

skwirrel · Apr 7, 2010

Help! I've tried looking through the posts to see if there are answers and I'm unable to find anything.

My issue in Vista is that I still have access to my documents, videos, music, etc. through the start menu shortcuts. However, if I try to browse to the folders through Windows Explorer, I don't even see a c:\Users folder!

Recently, I have installed Windows 7 on another partition and wanted to redirect my "Libraries" to my old users folders, but since the computer won't even see them, this is difficult. I will re-emphasize that somehow all my documents are still there and through the shortcuts, I can still get to them.

I went into the 'user accounts' page to see if I could see anything there. Currently, in the environment variable, I don't even see an entry for 'C:\Users\name'. If I go to 'configure advanced user profile properties', I do see entries showing 'domain\username' for the account profiles on my computer. However, the primary account I am having problems with is unnaccessible. The 'delete' and 'copy to' buttons below are greyed out, only with this profile.

All I want is for 'c:\users' to reappear in my windows directory. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Brink · Apr 7, 2010

Hello Skwirrel, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Try typing these commands below, and pressing enter after each one, in a elevated command prompt to see if it will allow you to see the C:\Users\(your user-name) folder afterwards.

attrib +r -s -h C:\Users /s /d

attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE% /s /d

Hope this helps,
Shawn

skwirrel · Apr 8, 2010

Shawn,

Unfortunately no! I hit 'enter' and the cursor just carried to the next line and sat flashing.

The command did not seem to want to complete.

skwirrel · Apr 8, 2010

Oh.. my bad!

The second time I tried "attrib +r -s -h C:\Users /s /d", I let it sit for awhile and waited for the execution to complete and it was successful.

Thanks so much. Are you able to explain what happened here and how? What a bizarre occurence.

Thanks again.
Craig:D

Brink · Apr 8, 2010

You're most welcome Craig. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.

skwirrel · Apr 8, 2010

LOL! Now I have noticed that my 'documents' folder is also missing from view. Can I try the same thing as I did for the 'users' folder? What is causing this???

Brink · Apr 8, 2010

LOL, no problem. You can use the commands (table in step 3) for any missing (hidden) user folder using steps 14 to 18 in Step Two of OPTION TWO in the tutorial below using.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/90705-personal-user-shell-folders.html

skwirrel · Apr 28, 2010

Thanks for all your help Shawn. I'm just revisiting this topic.

One thing is that I was still hoping some one could explain why this is happening?

I now have found even more folders that are not visible; however, they are not in my Users subdirectory; in fact they are on external drives. Ironically, my iMac can see the folders, but because the drive is NTFS I can only read, not write or modify!

I tried the commands as you recommended, but I'm assuming because the folders are on a different drive, the commands are not working.

I entered (based on the information provided) "attrib +r -s -h f:\HP tx2508\Craig /s /d"
The response was "Parameter format not correct"

How do I modify the command so that this works? And please, if you could explain why this happens so that I may understand why all these folders seem to be disappearing on me at random.

I would also like to add that I am also running Windows 7 Pro now... I have my computer set up with two partitions, with Vista remaining and I've added 7....

So, if there is an easier way to do this in 7, or if the information you've provided will work in 7 as well, please let me know.

Thanks again.

Craig

Brink · Apr 28, 2010

Since you have a space in the path, try this instead:

attrib +r -s -h "f:\HP tx2508\Craig" /s /d

I can only assume that you may have installed some all in one type tweak program that may be setting these folders attributes by mistake, or something went wrong when you moved your folders before this.

Jimlad · Jun 21, 2010

Hi Sorry this may be in the wrong part of the forum but it would see that half of my problem is answered by 'Brink' in his advice on reinstalling personal folders. Is there a similar way I can reinstall the folders for my OS and other Apps? Please

I have just completed a clean reinstall of Vista Home Premium (Upgrade). I backed everything up to an external HD.
I decided to split my 'C' drive into two partitions: 'C' with my OS and all my Apps and newly named 'B' partition to contain all my personal data.

I have been reinstalling my various folders/files to both my 'C' partition/OS volume and my 'B' partition/Personal folders/files. However, I have made a complete mess of the various standard files/folders in both partions. I am now in the position I have no idea what the names of the files/folders I require in the 'C' OS partition and the Names of the ones I require in my Personal partition 'B'.
Please would someone provide a list with names of folders and sub folders in their hierachy for each partition and how to reinstall them for each area?
I believe I can decide on folder/file names in the 'B' partition but are there some that need to exist in that area in order to enable the Vista system to function. Clearly there is a need in the 'C' partition.
Any help please?

Jimlad

Brink · Jun 21, 2010

Hello Jimlad, and welcome to Vista Forums.

I'm not sure on exactly where you put what, but it really depends on what you meant by personal data (ex: user folders ??) and how you moved it on the B partition. I think it may be better if you post a screenshot of each of your partitions hierarchy to see if we may be able to spot something out of place.

Jimlad · Jun 22, 2010

Re: Personal User Folders - Restore Missing Folders

Thanks for picking this mess up for me.
My problem is I’m not sure where I put what either – sorry.
Not sure what you mean by ex users? I am the sole user on this system.
Let me explain what I was trying to achieve. As I had had problems with needing to carry out clean reinstalls, either due to system problems or introducing a new OS, I wanted to have a setup that enabled me to have all my personal data on a separate partition (‘B’), thereby saving me the need to risk loss of data – Personal files, Email, Favourites, Drivers, Contacts etc etc.
For my Operating System (Vista Home Premium 32b) and any Applications I add to my system, I put them on my resized partition (‘C’).
I did an Acronis TI 2009, backup of my old partition ‘C’ which contained both my OS other Applications and all my personal folders and files i.e. my total system on my old ‘C’ drive or partition.
I also did exports/backups of my Emails in total, my drivers, contacts, favourites and all my personal folders and files held in the top folder Jim’s Documents.
I then created my new partition using free software Easeus Partition. I did a clean reinstall of my Vista Home Premium Upgrade DVD, added my other Applications to my new partition ‘C’, reinstalled my drivers, I then set about copying and pasting or drag and dropping my favourites etc etc to my new ‘B’ partition. As I wasn’t too sure what data I could put on the ‘B’ partition and I didn’t, and still don’t know how the interaction takes place between the two partitions I started moving folders back, deleting some and really screwed up. Having read your tutorial about moving Personal folders I can see it is wrong what I did.
What I need to know is what folders are a must have and in which partition they reside and how to get my ‘B’ and ‘C’ partitions to talk to each other, if that makes sense.
Hoping it’s not another clean reinstall!
Currently if I choose to save a document to my personal folders, the system selects mt 'C' partition and not my 'B' partition. I have to correct this each time??
Please see attachments requested of my expanded files and folders on partitions 'B' and 'C'. hope they are readable.
I shall be away from my desk from 24th June till 29th June so there will be a delayed response to any comunications.
Jimlad

Brink · Jun 22, 2010

Jimlad,

Sorry, but I'm not able to view DOC files currently. A JPEG would be better.

With a clean install you will have to reinstall all programs and drives, these cannot be copied back over from a backup. The only thing that you can copy over is the contents from inside your user folders from the backup to the inside of your current installation's user folders. Afterwards, you can move the user folders in your current installation to your B: drive as you did before like in this tutorial.

Hope this helps for now.

Jimlad · Jun 22, 2010

Hi again Brink,
Here are the screen shots in Jpeg. Hope they are readable? Let me know if you require any further local expansion to ensure I haven't got some folder which should be at a higher level wrongly placed at the lower level, causing problems?

Sorry but I am not understanding fully what you are saying quote "The only thing that you can copy over is the contents from inside your user folders from the backup to the inside of your current installation's user folders. Afterwards, you can move the user folders in your current installation to your B: drive as you did before like in this tutorial."
Are user folders what I am calling my personal folders?
When you talk of copying the contents...... are these sub folders self generated by me, but held in a system mandatory folder set up as part of the OS?
When you talk of moving folders, you are not saying copy and paste or drag and drop, as I had done. But as per the Tutorial. Sorry just making sure I fully understand.

You didn't have any comment on this question I was posing "What I need to know is what folders are a must have and in which partition they reside and how to get my ‘B’ and ‘C’ partitions to talk to each other, if that makes sense." If it is a stupid question I would like to know it is. If not I want to know if the high end privided folders have some link/trigger to the OS?

Jimlad

Brink · Jun 22, 2010

Jimlad,

Sorry, yes "user folders" is the same as "personal folders". These would be all of the Music, Pictures, Documents, etc.... type folders in your C:\Users\(user-name) folder.

You would just need to "Copy and Paste" or "Drag and Drop" the contents in the backed up user folders to inside the new ones created in your new clean installation so the data will be in them. Afterwards, use the tutorial to move the user folders in your clean installation to your B: drive.

Jimlad · Jun 22, 2010

Thanks Brink,

When you get time, are you still going to review the screen shots and provide any comments and are you able to answer my other questions?

Jimlad

Brink · Jun 22, 2010

I'm sorry, but I thought that I answered your questions on what you need to copy over and what you can't for the user folders? Please specify anything that I missed or you do not understand.

Personal User Folder - Restore Missing Folder

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