Invisible - Missing FOLDER - C:\Documents and Settings (will not show up in Explorer) in Windows 7

Question

Re: Invisible - Missing FOLDER - C:\Documents and Settings (will not show up in Explorer) in Windows 7 

Hello all,

I have a working stable version of Windows 7 Pro.  (yes sfc /scannow and chkdsk are 100%)  BUT here is my issue and problem...........

Recently, all of a sudden  - my folder C:\Documents and Settings folder (and naturally all of the many folders and files it contains)  no longer shows up in the Windows  Computer  / Explorer.

Yes - I have taken away the hide system files in the folder options ( I am relatively savvy at these basic commands) and all of my other hidden system files show up perfectly.

Moreover, I KNOW this directory and the files are still there on the drive, and yes, they show up immediately, when I use the command line (former black window dos box) in administrator mode.

Again the all the folders and files within C:\documents and settings are still there (using cd and dir /p commands) when using the command line editor (cmd).

I have even tried changing security settings using Icacls and successfully granted security settings like Administrators:F and System:F but nothing shows up in explorer.

I have also attempted to change the attrib command for this directory with my very basic command line skills. 

The computer still works fine - as many of you probably know this C:\documents and settings folder is really an older and former OS directory now used for legacy programs replaced by C:\Users ...........etc.

But why have it - if MS put it in the OS. There naturally are good and valid reasons so - I want it back showing up again.

I tried a system restore but I only had one and it may also have been corrupted since it took me a day or two to notice. 

In summary, when a directory and files "all of a sudden completely disappear" from the widely and daily used "normal windows 7 explorer window" you know something is badly broken in the OS.

BTW - Yes All Windows 7 updates done and successful......(no simple feat)

Any ideas out there from you technical wizards.

Thanks in advance

James 4621

Answer 1

They do, but I don't really even recommend it.  But I at least trust it more than any 3rd party.  It's not a download though, it's an online scanner as part of the Windows Live Safety Scanner.

And as I went to get a link, it appears that safety.live.com now re-directs to the new scanner, which is a download :)

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

I don't think this new one has a registry cleaning component.  But like I said, that is never needed.  Invalid entries in the registry don't slow down your boot time, or cause any problem, unless of course you get an error message because some other program tried to use an invalid entry.  But automated scanners are much too aggressive.  Just because it thinks an entry isn't used, doesn't mean that some program, somewhere, sometime will want it.

Answer 2

Thanks Shawn,

Amen to not using registry cleaners as they have caused me sooooo many problems over the years. I am not sure WHY this advice is not being made widely available to everyone as there seems to be a new registry cleaner popping up daily. 

Yes, this may have been the problem  - I agree.

I only run one very infrequently and invariably after I have uninstalled a number of programs because they leave so many lines of obsolete junk in the registry.

BTW -  I was not aware that MS had their own registry cleaner.

Where can  I download it - as I assume it is FREE and perhaps a WIDE advertisement should go out to ALL users to use the MS registry cleaner as FWIW I believe these violent and aggressive cleaners may be costing MS 1000's of wasted hours by the masses using them.

Thanks - very good advice to the community at large.

Also thanks to all that have contributed.

James

Answer 3

Documents and Settings is not a real folder in Windows 7. It is a Junction that is used to interface legacy programs to the Windows 7 folder structure.

Windows 7 uses:

C:\Users\*your user name*\Appdata

C:\Users\*your user name*\Documents (or MY Documents)

to perform the function of Documents and Settings.

Answer 4

You should not delete the junction.

Yes it is a symbolic link. It does not use hard drive space other than the link itself.

If you have set your system to view protected operating system files, you should be able to see  it.

Answer 5

Thanks for the reply re  - JUNCTION

I have not heard the word junction before....

Is the word junction simply like a LINK or as I understand it a symbolic link and thus NOT REAL FILES OR FOLDERS?

I guess the key issue and problem - I have is that this folder is visible in all other Windows 7 computers via the explorer.  My C:\documents and settings too - used to be visible, and  all of a sudden it is GONE.

Also why would it be viewable from the command prompt but not in Windows 7 main explorer?

I guess the bottom line is that you are suggesting - do not sweat it, or even better - we should all simply delete this symbolic folder- unless some idiotic - really out of date program is broken without it.

Is that what you are saying?

I would like to hear - if any others have acted on or had problems with this so called junction folder or any other tech wizards have seen this problem before.

I have not seen the Windows 8 beta yet but is this folder still planned for Windows 8?

Perhaps more important - PS Does this folder use actual hard drive space?  I t seemed to me that I remember it did?  This would tend to say that real files were kept there.

Again thanks.

James