Files not showing up in folder after system restore

kluth72 · 08 Oct 2011

Recently my computer was attacked by a virus. The virus made it so i couldn't access my C drive at all, but could still use all my start up progams. For some reason it also erased all of my desktop icons, except for diablo2 LOD (don't know why that one was still there....)
Anyway, after removing viruses with malware bytes i did a system restore to about 2 weeks prior. After the computer was done everything seemed fine. Computer was running fine ect.

My problem is files that were contained in my folders seem to have disappeared. I know the files are still on the hard drive, but some of my folders disappeared (these are folders i created loooong before what the restore date was) making me unable to access the files unless i remember their names and can type them in the windows explorer.

I discovered the files were still there when running a video game emulator, i clicked open rom, and just typed in the file name of one of my games i couldnt get to through my computer anymore, and it worked, game loaded up.

Anyone know how I can get my folders to come back, so i can easily access the files in them? If more info i needed let me know. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Layback Bear · 08 Oct 2011

Run sfc /scannow from the cmd prompt/admin and let Windows 7 check and repair Windows 7 system files. If it finds a problem run it more times booting after each time until it fixes all the problems. Normally this will take 3 times. If that checks out okay and your icons still don't work, remove your old icons and go to the program.exe and right click and sent shortcut to desktop. See if that icon works. Many times when you remove a virus the damage that has been done has to be repaired.

kluth72 · 09 Oct 2011

hey i know how to create a desktop shortcut lol. My icons really aren't the problem. When i did the system restore my desktop icons all came back (and they work just fine, i was just mentioning that when the virus first started attacking my computer for some reason they disappeared)

my problem in the fact that there's files on my hard drive that i can no longer access because the folders they were kept in disappeared. I can get to the folder through windows explorer, but it shows them empty. I'll try doing sfc/scannow and see what happens.

Ok i tried the sfc /scannow and it didnt do anything. Just an extra bit of information, a good majority of my missing files/folders had video game ROMS in them. my PSX cdimages folder is gone, kega fusion roms folder ect. the files are still on the hard drive and can be loaded via the emulator but i cant get to them from my computer.

gambitz · 17 Nov 2011

Same here. The interesting part is that when I right click the picture folder(s) it shows 200 photos, 300MB, etc. But when I open the folder, there's nothing there. Files are not HIDDEN.

alan10 · 18 Nov 2011

ACL's can do much more than hide or write protect a file.
CACLS and iCACLS can manipulate ACL's

They can stop you from cataloguing the files on the other side of a Folder Junction,
I guess they can do the same to the contents of a normal folder.

Malware also can manipulate ACL's,
and just because MalwareBytes has removed some malware does not mean that :-
All damage has been neutralised ; nor that
All other malware has gone.

I have an idea that malware removal experts advise that all Restore Points be deleted to avoid resurrecting anything bad that :-
was on the system when a Restore Point was created ; or
something that the malware added to old Restore Points when malware was running the show.

gambitz · 18 Nov 2011

Hey - update, what helped was using the unhide app from this website: Remove Windows Recovery (Uninstall Guide)

the unhide will remove all +H attributes from all files and behold the files reappeared! Even the favorites, etc. Whew..