Windows 7 using "wrong" desktop and folder paths after update.

olemanwinter · 28 Nov 2014

Windows 7 auto update in the middle of the night messed everything up. My desktop is empty, my documents and other folders are also empty.

However, if I navigate through MyComputer, I can still see the files where they should be. Windows is presenting me with a new and empty directory instead.

EXAMPLE:

REAL DIRECTORY (where my files exist): Computer/C:/Users/PC/Downloads

START MENU DIRECTORY (empty when you click downloads): Computer/C:/Windows/System32/config/systemprofile/Downloads.

So, the start menu navigation used to take me to the correct folder and is now taking me to some Sys32/config nonsense folder.

How do I get the desktop and start menu to access the correct folders like it used to before the update. My data and files are not deleted...it just seems that way because they aren't showing the right folders.

Thanks.

Ztruker · 30 Nov 2014

Sounds like your user profile has lost it's connection with where it's data is stored.

Enable the hidden Administrator account from WinRE/Win 7 install DVD/flash drive.

User Account Password - Change from WinRE

Follow through part of Step 9. Logon on to the "Administrator" account

The key is a registry hack that redirects Windows back to the ProfileImagePath of the original profile.

Click on Start then Run. type regedit and press Enter or click OK.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Once there, you will see the SID's listed for all of the profiles on the machine. Within the Key for each SID there is an entry called "ProfileImagePath" that will look like

%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\UserName...

Scroll through the SID's until you find the one with the screwy name, like

%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\youruserid.2

This is just an example, could be something else weird.

Just edit the Key to remove the ".2", and it will point the user back to their old profile...

Got this from TechRepublic.com but it's no longer there.

Undo the magnify.exe change made earlier and disable the hidden Administrator account if you want. I leave mine available in case I ever need it.