Files gone after installation

[balky]

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

Make sure it isn't your 3rd drive

Ok, Thanks, I will do that when I get home later today...
But this still doesn't explain why data becomes immediately corrupt on the drive even after formatting it.
The drive is visible in the disk manager, it is formattable and the drive shows up in windows... I copy an exe file onto it and when I try to launch the file, I get an error message saying that the file is not a valid Win32 application...
If I run the same file from the backup location, it installs without any problems...

 

[reghakr]

Is it a standalone exe with no installation?

 

[balky]

Is it a standalone exe with no installation?

Not really sure what that means... but the exe files I am talking about are installer files for drivers... graphics, soundcard, ... and my programs... PowerDVD, RealVNC,... etc
I have these files on the third drive for easy re-installation after changing OS, and also keep them as an archive in case I want to roll back to previous versions that are not available for download anymore...

 

[reghakr]

Do you have the file or the zip files to re-install.?

 

[balky]

Do you have the file or the zip files to re-install.?

Yes, I had previously backed everything up on an external USB drive before starting with the installation of the RTM version...
That was what saved me from the chaos...
My current problem is that when I copy the saved files back on to the third drive, the copied files are not usable, it looks like something automatically makes the files corrupt as soon as I copy them back to the third drive.
The same files run without any problems from the external backup.

 

[reghakr]

Are you talking data files or programs from The Program files directory?

 

[balky]

Are you talking data files or programs from The Program files directory?

I am talking data files...
Installer files... files needed to install the program(s)
...
Thanks

 

[reghakr]

I should have been more specific. By data files, do you mean Documents, Pictures, videos, contacts, etc>

What program did you use to make the backup?

 

[ruudjw]

Issue is solved, but with out knowing the cause.
I did a complete re-install, at which I had to start at Win XP

Then after upgrading to W7, I did find my MDB files in the backup.
But no exe files. Turns out, the Windows backup does not backup the exe files.

So all the small tools and gadgets that I had are gone.

Good news about al this: my PC is totally clean and smooth as a baby bottom

 

[reghakr]

Good news,

Windows works like that sometime.