Solved Regular format of downloads folder

[Slartybart]

Maybe.... as you said - it's an intermittent issue. Now we wait to see if Downloads gets trashed.

To test this, copy some files to your Downloads.

Use another folder when you download things you want to keep, as suggested by Andrew and Carwiz.

That will isolate the download process from the Downloads folder.

Three things might occur.
1. The copies in Downloads get deleted - indicating that the issue isn't related to downloading files
2. The files you download to the new folder get deleted - indicating that the issue is directly related to downloading
3. Everything works fine
4. of course any mix of 1 & 2 might also occur.

So we wait......

Bill

 

[Layback Bear]

So far I haven't found it so I must be lying or drunk.

Don't worry about that, I just thought a separate discussion could be started mainly, if you find the other post too that just extra.

Sounds like pretty scary stuff to me.

I got a PM from a friend.
This is what I was posting about.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/330743-system-properties-will-not-display.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/330743-system-properties-will-not-display-2.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...-properties-will-not-display.html#post2770129

 

[derekimo]

So far I haven't found it so I must be lying or drunk.

Don't worry about that, I just thought a separate discussion could be started mainly, if you find the other post too that just extra.

Sounds like pretty scary stuff to me.

I got a PM from a friend.
This is what I was posting about.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/330743-system-properties-will-not-display.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/330743-system-properties-will-not-display-2.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...-properties-will-not-display.html#post2770129

So I guess you didn't want to start a separate discussion. Thanks to you and your friend for finding that.

That just sounds like a MS scam call, I thought you were saying IOBIT called, as in they actually said they were from IOBIT, I was probably reading too much into it, that number has several complaints as a scam caller.

I guess anything is possible nowadays, better to be safe than sorry.

Sorry to derail this thread, you can return to the topic at hand.

 

[ethanchal]

Maybe.... as you said - it's an intermittent issue. Now we wait to see if Downloads gets trashed.

To test this, copy some files to your Downloads.

Use another folder when you download things you want to keep, as suggested by Andrew and Carwiz.

That will isolate the download process from the Downloads folder.

Three things might occur.
1. The copies in Downloads get deleted - indicating that the issue isn't related to downloading files
2. The files you download to the new folder get deleted - indicating that the issue is directly related to downloading
3. Everything works fine
4. of course any mix of 1 & 2 might also occur.

So we wait......

Bill

Right so it's been a few days and it went all so well until this evening... the copied files have disappeared but the originals still remain intact. What makes it more confusing it that fact that one of the two folders of files I copies were not downloaded files from the internet.. but photos from my camera instead. The other folder was some music I downloaded and It disappeared too. Which suggests it can't be a internet related issue.

So I suspect it's something related to the Downloads folder itself. Any suggestions?

 

[Layback Bear]

Just a thought.
Some have posted having problems with Bullguard.
No I'm not going to look for the posts.
Just a thought from my memory.

You could try moving things on your computer without Bullguard.

The only other thing I can think of is a Clean Install after saving what you can.
Others may have more ideas.

 

[Slartybart]

Right so it's been a few days and it went all so well until this evening... the copied files have disappeared but the originals still remain intact. What makes it more confusing it that fact that one of the two folders of files I copies were not downloaded files from the internet.. but photos from my camera instead. The other folder was some music I downloaded and It disappeared too. Which suggests it can't be a internet related issue.

So I suspect it's something related to the Downloads folder itself. Any suggestions?

Ok, you copied some files/folders to your Downloads as suggested to test the scenario. It doesn't matter where they originated, only that they were in Downloads.

Just to be sure, you used a different folder for downloading from the Internet, not your Downloads folder, right? If this is correct and the files in that folder are unaffected, then the registry change wasn't the solution. This is a key question - Are the files that you download to the new download location left intact or do they get deleted?

If you did even one download to your Downloads folder, that would invalidate the test and you should try again, perhaps not downloading anything for a few days (if that's possible).

I thought about auto-updates, but I think most auto-updates use the temp folders or create a sub-folder in their own tree.

Layback might be correct on BullGuard, could you check the settings on your machine. I'm not familiar with that application, but I will see what documentation is available on their site.

Look for BullGuard settings that reference things such as; file cleanup, Internet files, Temporary files...

I'll post what I can find out about BullGuard.

If neither of us can find a setting that looks like it might cause this issue, then I think an easy test would be to disable BullGuard and replace it with MSE. I'll post back.

Keep using the different folder for downloading files until this issue is resolved.

edit: Is it BullGuard AV, BullGuard Internet Security (the suite), or Premium that is on your machine? And what version - 2014, 2013, 12, 10 ?

Thanks,

Bill
.

 

[ethanchal]

Point of view: Downloads is more of a "one place" folder than a temp folder. It gives users one place to download anything and one place to look for downloads.

Downloads is not part of any native Windows cleanup that I know of, that's why I asked about 3rd party utilities.

Can objects be kept in Downloads? Sure, why not.

It is up to each individual to manage the Downloads folder. Most techies use it temporarily - download something; install and delete it, read and file or delete it, use it and move or delete it. But I really wouldn't classify it as temp storage in the same way \temp is classified.

Using another folder is a good suggestion, but managing your downloads (docs in documents, pics in pictures, music in music, vids in video, software install and delete.... etc) is, IMO, better.

My point? Files missing from the Downloads folder is not normal. Something cleaned them, not Windows.

Yes.. one of the 2 folders I copied over originated from a "new" downloads folder I created due to the suggestions previously mentioned. This folder remained perfectly intact with all the files (music) working fine.

And thinking of it now I did download an image to the normal Downloads folder during the period of fixing this issue. So I shall try again, forcing all downloads from chrome into the new downloads folder I created in the "Users" folder.

Bullgaurd was on my suspicious list but thought nothing of it as it's pretty good... and during the write up of this comment I've just found a the cause... It's Bullguard... In the PC Tune Up Optimization tab it shows a report once a "Tune Up" has been done (It runs automatically in background every so often.) In the report it shows "Cleaned Download Directory" line followed by the amount of data deleted. I just ran the test with some files in there and low and behold it showed up with the exact size of the folder that disappeared.. I even watched it disappear during the scan.

So, this was fun. Went into settings and disabled automatic clear in background and unchecked the "Clear Downloads Directory" folder. Did the scan again with the same folder and thank goodness... It remained untouched!!

Thanks to Layback for hinting the resolution and thanks to Slartybart and everyone else.

Glad to see we got the issue fixed! Still going to keep that secondary folder and only use the main Downloads folder for temp stuff.

Thanks again, Ethan

 

[andrew129260]

nice. good job guys

 

[Layback Bear]

ethanchal glad you are fixed.
I would suggest that you take a long thought on BullGuard. Using my memory and not any web sites or post, BullGuard has caused some very weird problems. You just might find some more.

 

[ethanchal]

ethanchal glad you are fixed.
I would suggest that you take a long thought on BullGuard. Using my memory and not any web sites or post, BullGuard has caused some very weird problems. You just might find some more.

Thanks, and if it does cause any similar in severity issues like this I shall be switching to something else... I just find it amazing that Bullgaurd assume that your Downloads folder needs emptying, this feature has only been implemented recently in an update... Stupid idea in my opinion.

Anyway enough rambling thanks a lot.

 

[andrew129260]

ethanchal glad you are fixed.
I would suggest that you take a long thought on BullGuard. Using my memory and not any web sites or post, BullGuard has caused some very weird problems. You just might find some more.

Thanks, and if it does cause any similar in severity issues like this I shall be switching to something else... I just find it amazing that Bullgaurd assume that your Downloads folder needs emptying, this feature has only been implemented recently in an update... Stupid idea in my opinion.

Anyway enough rambling thanks a lot.

It actually is not a bad idea. A lot of people I know leave everything they have ever downloaded in their downloads folder and never clean it out for some weird reason.

 

[Slartybart]

Kudos all around, especially to Jack (Layback Bear) and Ethan.

I have to spread some reputation around before I can give Jack another +rep, but you were spot on.

Thanks for posting what you found that resolved the issue, Ethan. I'll tuck that tidbit in somewhere in memory.

After a few days running without issue, or when you think enough time has passed to confirm it, could mark the thread as solved?


Bill
.

 

[Slartybart]

House cleaning:

Reverse the change I suggested in post# 39:

Before the change, the value was 0x3

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments
ScanWithAntiVirus REG_DWORD 0x3​

 

[ethanchal]

Kudos all around, especially to Jack (Layback Bear) and Ethan.

I have to spread some reputation around before I can give Jack another +rep, but you were spot on.

Thanks for posting what you found that resolved the issue, Ethan. I'll tuck that tidbit in somewhere in memory.

After a few days running without issue, or when you think enough time has passed to confirm it, could mark the thread as solved?


Bill
.

Yep, spot on.
Yes, I'm 100% certain it's the problem so within the next few days I shall mark as solved if nothing else happens in the meantime. No problem.

Thanks again.