Solved C:\users folder is missing and need to back up Firefox bookmarks help!

[maxpower7000]

I was cleaning up my computer and doing things to make it run faster (hiding most of the fonts, dropping the startup screen time etc). DID NOT do anything to the registry as I have learned the hard way that you don't use registry cleaners. On restart, it went into safe mode, after doing a system restore it no longer goes into safe mode and only does the auto fix loop and cannot solve the problem. In fact, in order to get a command prompt I need to boot from the recovery disc.

I have backed up all my files EXCEPT my Firefox bookmarks which are many and VERY important. I know they are stored in C:\users/username/appears/Mozilla/Firefox/profile/bookmarks etc BUT my C:\users folder is gone. I know it must be somewhere because I have 100+ GB of music in a desktop folder which would have been in my user folder and my c drive space is the same as it was before this happened.

I'm running windows 7 64 bit.

I usually use the regedit to copy files from my PC to externsl drives or flash drives by browsing files via file-import, and just copying then navigating to a drive to paste in. Its easier than using command prompt and seems to work well.

Thanks for any help!

EricEric

 

[wanchoo]

It is not clear to me as to how you use regedit to copy files from your PC to externsl drives or flash drives. Could you please explain in detail the procedure that you follow.

As for your Firefox Bookmarks it would appear that you still see them in your Browser. If so you can save them by exporting from there to a folder of your choice.

 

[codekiddy]

How to Recover Lost Files after System Restore in Windows?

this link may help you, maybe:
there is trial version as well
File Recovery Software-Recover Lost Files after System Restore_Tenorshare

EDIT:

On restart, it went into safe mode, after doing a system restore it no longer goes into safe mode and only does the auto fix loop and cannot solve the problem. In fact, in order to get a command prompt I need to boot from the recovery disc.

have you tryed inserting windows installation disc and run startup repair?

windows 7 installation >> repair my computer >> startup repair

 

[maxpower7000]

The issue has been resolved! I found a thread iin the windows seven forum of someone,with the same problem. They said for some reason a system attribute was attached to it. I didn't know what that meant but they said using "attrib -s -h C:\users" worked for them and they were able to view the users folder again and whatever this is, it worked for me.


By having a registry issue in the past, I learned a trick to access and back up files using the registry editor. Here is how. Open registry editor in command line using "regedit". When it opens select File then select Import. This opens a typical browser in explorer that lets you search your computer to select a registry file to import. Because it thinks you are looking for a registry file, the search sets the default file type to registry files. Just change that using the,dropdown and select All files. Then instead of looking for registry files, connect an external drive, navigate to the important files thatcyou need to back up, right click and copy them, then navigate to the external drivecand paste them. This works great but can be tedious because you vsn only,select one file or one folder at a time. But when you cannot even access safe mode and have no other way to access your files, this is a life saver.

After removing the system attribute described above I went into the registry editor to view my c drive and the Users folder was back! Unfortunately there were no user profiles in the folder but I didn't give up. I used the command line to navigate to the user folder and used the directory command to view the contents by inputting c:\users then hitting enter then imputing "dir" it showed my user profile name so I kept navigating father in in order to see if my bookmarks file was still there using the cd command. I got into the appdata folder for my profile but there was no Mozilla folder whixh would eventually lead to the bookmark back up file. Ended up restarting my computer and pushed F8 to see if for some reason

 

[maxpower7000]

Sorry accidentally clucked submit before I was done. Anyway on rebooting I was able to access safe mode again! Once there I was a le to easily access my Firefox bookmarks and export and bavk them up. I'm now restoeing my computer to out of the box state. Even though I had safe mode I was never able to get correct the original issue which was the continuous system repair loop.

 

[maxpower7000]

Also yes I tried using system disc to repair but that wouldn't work either.

 

[wanchoo]

Congrats. All is well that ends well. Please mark the thread as closed and thanks a lot about the Registry tip.