Empty folders

[gwatts]

Hi
For some months I have noticed empty folders, particularly on several USB hard drives. This has occurred on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 laptops. It also occurs on the independent internal hard drive on this Windows 7 laptop that I am using now.


This always occurs with folders within folders, all of which are preserved but without any contents. I’m not aware of any folders themselves that are missing. Most of the contents are documents but all types of files are missing.


This occurs despite re installing images as well as after complete DVD Windows reinstallation.


The snipping tool images show the empty folders yet with properties revealing 52 GB of data which cannot be found. Recuva freeware reveals only 2 PDFs.


I will greatly appreciate advice.

 

[MilesAhead]

Some of the folder names imply you are running encryption software. That would be the first thing I would check. Perhaps that software(assuming I'm correct) has a forum you can check for this type of issue.

Edit: another assumption.. you already tried in folder view options setting it to show hidden files?

 

[gwatts]

Thank you Miles. Nothing has ever been hidden, all has always been shown (first thing I do on reinstall or new computer) and never any encryption. Win 7 PW removed on 2nd day of this re-install last week done hoping to cure this problem.

Disorganized names is from over the years and copying from multiple USB HD devices. Athough I never searched on the HDs of Win 7 or 8 for missing files I was surprised to find missing files on the installed W7 HD.

 

[MilesAhead]

I've seen a post now and then about missing files. I seem to remember one person saying it was related to bit defender, but I have no link to the post. Just a vague recollection.

Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[whs]

Many programs place folders into Documents. That's why I have my own folders on another partition. That way I can keep easy control of the program or system generated folders.

I would just leave them alone. The fact that they may appear to be empty does not mean that they are really empty.

 

[gwatts]

But how to access? Any paid programs worth try?

 

[whs]

If those are folders that belong to programs, only those programs may be able to access them.

 

[gwatts]

Thank you. I don't understand. What do I do with Word, Excel OO etc docs?

 

[whs]

Do you have Windows Office on your syste,. Else you can get the free Word Viewer or the free Excel Viewer. And if you want to do some processing with the files, you can try Libre Office. That is somewhat compatible.

 

[gwatts]

Have OpenOffice 3.3.0 and MS Office 2010. What do I do?

 

[whs]

Then you should be able to open Word and Excel docs. Just double click on them and see what happens.

 

[gwatts]

But the docs are absent.

 

[MilesAhead]

I would run a scan with MBAM and see if it finds anything. Some nasty malware can survive a reinstall.

 

[gwatts]

Thank you. I have always used the paid MBAM for protection and have run several deep scans without finding anything.