My "Downloads" folder is now the Recycle Bin!

[jbennett8000]

Hello internet! I'm new here, so go easy on me!

I have a rather odd problem. Preliminary searches do not shed any light on the matter, so I have come to you for help.

I physically cannot access my Downloads folder at C:\Users\Josh\Downloads, (hello my name is Josh )by using the link in the start menu, the link in my user folder, or by directly typing in the path. Whenever I do, I get pointed towards the recycle bin. This is unlike anything I have encountered before. See images:

Help me!

Many thanks
Josh

 

[Brink]

Hello Josh, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if using OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to restore the default location of your Downloads folder may be able to help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[jbennett8000]

Thanks for the suggestion, Shawn, but unfortunately no cookie! Now my Start Menu "Downloads" option has changed to "Recycle Bin", and the icon is now a grainy version of the recycle bin! Kinda odd, don't you think?

 

[Brink]

Well, you might see if you may be able to do a system restore using a restore point (if available) dated before this happened to hopefully quickly fix it for you.

 

[jbennett8000]

I apologise, I have not correctly implemented the fix, hold on a moment...

 

[jbennett8000]

Hmm, the command prompt will not complete the process... it has been going on perhaps 5 minutes now. I have stopped it, and looked in my user folder. No Downloads folder, but the Recycle Bin is displayed as a real, unhidden folder, and I the hidden version on the C:\ drive is missing.

I am going to try and search for the filename of a file that I know I downloaded to the Downloads folder before the problems started occurring and see where it is. I know the data is still there because my Downloads folder was massive, and there is no drop in the used space on my drive. I'll post the results shortly.

 

[jbennett8000]

Triple posting

Windows Search still shows the file as being stored where it should be I can access the file too, but I cannot access the folder itself! System Restore is not an option available to me.

There is a process where you can falsify the location of a folder to all intents and purposes on a hard drive. (Is it called mapping? I don't know.) Could this have happened by some strange sequence of events and "replaced" the Downloads folder (although nothing has been physically replaced)?

 

[Brink]

Did you do all steps in Option Two below, and no help?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

 

[jbennett8000]

No Shawn, I am afraid option 2 has done nothing to alleviate my woes

If all else fails, I will edit the registry key (creating a restore point first ) to change the location of the shell Downloads folder if nobody else has any ideas. However if you have more ideas, keep 'em coming!

Cheers
Josh

 

[Brink]

I'm not sure I follow. Option Two goes though changing the location of the Download folder's Shell location as well.

 

[jbennett8000]

Well, I followed option 2 completely. On another note, although the recycle bin shows as empty, viewing the properties of the folder shows more than 1GB files present. So the data is there, somewhere. Oh how much easier this would be with System Restore.

 

[andrew129260]

Just to add, if you do get this fixed I would highly suggest turning on system restore. One of the main benefits being restore previous versions of files and folders.

Hope you get your issue resolved....

I unfortunately cannot think of any ideas on how to fix this.

 

[Brink]

Josh,

You might see if you may be able to use the free program Recuva to recover anything.

 

[ThrashZone]

You have some interesting programs showing on your start menu list,
Post screen shots of your Uninstall a program screens so we can see what you have downloaded recently.
Make sure the Install date is listed along with the name of the programs.