Files gone after installation

[ruudjw]

Hi,

After a failing attempt to do a Vista -> Win7 upgrade, I had to start with a clean installation.
I installed Win7 on my C: partion, while all my data is stored on a D: partion.

After it finished I noticed that lost of files are missing.
I had several games installed on de D: partion, but I don't see any exe file no more.

HELP what has happened.

Thanks so far.

Ruud

 

[reghakr]

I believe a "clean" installation will format the entire C: drive

 

[ruudjw]

No it did not do a format, since other files are still there.
To make it even worse, if look in the backup I made with Vista, I still do not see the file I am missing.

I also found that it had moved my music, movie and pictures to a non logical place.

 

[Tews]

check to see if you have a windows.old file.... if so, look in there....

 

[ruudjw]

And there not in there either.
It are mainly the exe files that I don't see, almost like some kind of security issue??

I am administrator and have given myself full ownership of all objects.

 

[reghakr]

The C:\windows.old directory can be safely deleted.

 

[ruudjw]

The C:\windows.old directory can be safely deleted.

Has been done, both windows.old and windows.old.000

 

[reghakr]

What type of files were missing and what directory were they in?

 

[ruudjw]

What type of files were missing and what directory were they in?

Mostly exe files and they were spread through al kinds of directories.
It was not in just 1 dir, but in several. And all exe files.

 

[reghakr]

Possibly under the Program Files directory?

A "clean" install would wipe out all these files.

Anyway, a "clean" install requires that you have to re-install all your rd party applications.

 

[ruudjw]

Possibly under the Program Files directory?

A "clean" install would wipe out all these files.

Anyway, a "clean" install requires that you have to re-install all your rd party applications.

Files in the Program Files directory where also gone, but that was to be expected.
Installation files that where stored on de D: drive are not supposed to vanish, since I do need these to bring my software back.

 

[ruudjw]

It also looks like exe files, stored in a Vista backup are invisible.

 

[reghakr]

In your initial post, you said it was a partition, know you're saying it's a drive.

Could you clarify?

 

[Jacee]

Have you looked for the files after "unhiding" hidden files and folders?

 

[ruudjw]

In your initial post, you said it was a partition, know you're saying it's a drive.

Could you clarify?

D: is a partion from the primary disk, but the backup made with Vista is stored on a totally different harddrive.


Regarding hiding/unhidding. I made sure all file types are showing in the explorer.
Or is there an other hide/unhide option in W7?

 

[ruudjw]

I also came to the shocking conclusion that all my MS Access MDB files are gone.

I think I'll just re-install Vista.

 

[balky]

Files become corrupt

In my case it has been a nightmare...
My machine has three disk drives and one of them is used for storing data and executable files only.
Everything worked fine with Win7 RC, and then I did a clean install of Win7 RTM home premium and that was it...
During the installation windows took quite a while running chkdsk removing orphan files and deleting stuff...
I finally booted into the new installation and to my surprise all program installer files stored in a different disk than the one with the OS was all corrupt. EVERYTHING
Luckily I had an external backup of my installer files and data, so I formatted the corrupt disk and and restored from backup.
To my shocking surprise all the re-instated data was corrupt and not useable, so I had to run all my installer files from the external backup.
Thinking (or believing) that it was a hardware failure, I replaced the disk drive with a new one.
Then I tried to boot into the previous RC installation which was on the second disk, but ALAS! this was not possible anymore, I got an error message about a missing windows boot file, and to my surprise I couldn't access this disk drive anymore...
Is anybody able to tell me what might be going on here???
Ok, I formatted the drive but anything I put on it is immediately corrupt and not usable, just like the first disk that I replaced...
Is anybody having the same issue as well???
Does installing win7 RTM mean you have to replace all your disk drives???
This is so hard to believe...
Any ideas what is going on please????

 

[reghakr]

What drive did you instr Windows 7 on.

Was this a :clean: install or an upgrade?

 

[balky]

What drive did you instr Windows 7 on.

Was this a :clean: install or an upgrade?

This was a clean install...
I have three disk drives in my PC, I was previously dual booting Vista and Win7 RC with each OS installed on a separate drive.
The third drive contains my installer files and other data.
I formatted the drive with Vista on it and installed the Win7 RTM.

 

[reghakr]

Get into the BIOS and change the second drive to the top position.

Make sure it isn't your 3rd drive