Windows 7: HELP ! Can't open folders ! Just lost three days of work !

I was moving some files around and renaming folders and stuff and then all of a sudden I can't open any of the folders. The ones I was using that were accessible through my favourite list are still there but they've turned white and when I double click on them it comes up with the following warning-



Windows cannot find ''. make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

Also the Pictures folder is in my favourites and it's white and doesn't open up anything, but it has now disappeared from the Libraries list.

I was just in the process of organising some work I needed to back up and now I've lost it all. I have Card Recovery so I can probably use that to recover the files but would I get them in the order I want and would they be named files? I still have the original files just I had it all organised for the next stage of work.

I hope someone can help me here, and there is an easy fix to this, otherwise I'm screwed.

OK I'm just about to do a system restore from 5 days ago when I updated something, if anyone knows a better way to fix this please let me know in the next 5 minutes as there is still a little bit of work that I will lose if I go back. This is work from a while back I should have backed up but neglected to and now I'm paying the price for that. I'm hoping that the system restore will fix this.

Like I say, it's something to do with the Pictures folder, it has corrupted because i renaming folders or something. I don't know why this has happened but maybe it's a common bug that someone knows about.

Just quickly, I think a system restore is the best bet. If that doesn't work, I can help further but the first thing I would do is a system restore as this is the most likely thing to solve the issue

Stephen

Thanks. Will let you know shortly how that goes :-(

It hasn't worked. Old folder name is on the desktop, still white, can't open it, can't see Pictures under Libraries in Windows Explorer. I have card recovery but I need to download the windows version and install it. What should I do? I'm going to revert back to the system restore from today now.

Hmmmmm. Can you install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. This will check for malware. If you can't get it to install, try this: Windows Defender Offline. This will run without windows.

Post back the results when one of them is done.
Stephen

Have a look at this tutorial, which explains how to restore your user folders to their correct location.

User Folders - Restore Default Location

I've no doubt you've messed up Windows 7's junction points and symbolic links, so I'm hoping this tut will get you out of trouble.

Going to do that restore back to today and then have a look at that. I think this has happened because I juggling a lot of stuff around and renaming things. Then I will look into this-

How about microsoft security essentials?

I really don't think I have downloaded any malware.

No harm in checking. It's just one of my basic troubleshooting steps. Try seavixen's steps 1st though as I didn't think of that.

just an addition for future, when you move a folder that you have added to the favs list in explorer, then the shortcut in favs points to the old location, so wont open the folder, you then have to remove the shortcut and add the folder from the new location.
im sure the folders would have opened from the locations you moved them to ,its only the fav shorcuts you say wouldnt work,because the root folders moved.