Win 7 Ultimate duplicate User Files: Normal?

[JimHarmon]

Hi, 1st post so if you're feelin cranky go ahead, I've thick skin and a sense of humor (left it in my commodore floppy drive though, just a sec, I'll get it...)..

Would like to know:
1. Is it broke?
2. Do I have 35,225 or 70,450 files on my hard drive?
Conventional wisdom would lead me to 1. No and 2. 35,225 files.

Toshiba U505-2002
Pentium Dual Core CPU T4400 2.20 GHz
4GB Ram (LOL!)
Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit
100gb hard drive, 70gb available, external 500gb plus various usb sticks, etc.

The following two directories (with sub-dirs) 'exist' on my laptop:
(no complex explanation of why or how this is 'standard', just want to know if it's 'normal'

C:\Documents and Settings (35,225 Files)
Sub Directories:
Administrator
Default
Jim
owner
Public
Seven

C:\Users (35,225 Files)
Sub Directories:
Administrator
Default
Jim
owner
Public
Seven

Experience taught me, long ago, that the ANSWER, the WHY is hardly ever worth the time it takes to figure it out cuz it's really the FIX that one is most earnestly seeking, and I'm indifferent to pursuing the Phi Beta Kappa Sigma Cum Loudly learning curve since Windows 3.0 arrived, as long as there isn't, never was, nor ever will be a problem that hasn't been resolved with the proper tools, foot, hammer, etc., and/or knowledge of HOW to fix it..

For example, I don't have a single CLUE as to WHY my previous laptop began working again AFTER I tossed it out my fourth floor apartment window, missing the dumpster I was aiming for but I could hear my recording of John Belushi swearing that it wasn't HIS fault about 3 minutes after following my shrinks advice and heaving-ho then punching my sofa cushions... sigh!

Sooooo... Yes No... 35 or 70 thousand files?
THANKS VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP OR ONE-LINERS THAT I CAN RECYCLE...
O 3 <3 :O :v <(") (^^^) 8|

 

[karlsnooks]

Not normal.

What handy-dandy, super cleanup, speedup, wonder software did you install?

What software did you use to show that info?

Possible is that the 3rd party super program is reporting incorrectly.

Download TreeSizeFree, use same to display your C drive folders & subfolders,
Make a snip using the snipping tool of the display
Upload the snip.

For treesize free:
JAM Software - Windows Freeware

to make a snip:
[FONT=&quot]Make a snapshot (Snip)[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]WIN |[/FONT][FONT=&quot] type SNIP | ENTER | New
Drag the cursor around the area you want to snip.
File | Save as | select save location and name | Save
[/FONT]
WIN=key with the Microsoft logo on top.


===================
to upload:
Post a File or Screenshot in Seven Forums

 

[logicearth]

You shouldn't even have access to Documents and Settings...

 

[karlsnooks]

logicearth,
100% correct which I why I suspect a 3rd party program or other questionable activity.

Let's see what we will see.

 

[JimHarmon]

For what it's worth (and NOT including any presumptive expertise exceeding that of my 11 year old nephew) I am 64, got my first TRASH-80 PC at 17, my fingers have touched a keyboard, daily, for the past 47 years.
I missed three years of grade school but I caught up at the Library.
So what you will see that you see is pretty much what you perceive correctly: a voluntary state of ignorance in the more advanced areas of operating systems and modern hardware. This MAY be coming to an end as your selection of tutorials is nothing short of AWESOME.

I, as the 'Secret Administrator', have taken ownership of most files and folders while 'sharing' all of the files on my PC. which I have done continuously for the 30 or 31 computers I have owned and operated.

Only had one problem (although my friends have been less fortunate), last year, Bronk Virus, this laptop.
Used KASPERSKY RESCUE DISK 10.0 to deal with that and although I found remnants weeks later, no attributable problems since.


Here is a list from my Program Files Directory.. (a list of Dir/Files in my root is below)
-if you do not recognize any that concern you please let me know and I'll give you the C.V. on them...

Used these for YEARS, some for over ten years...
 
1BY1
7-ZIP
CATHY
CCLEANER
ERUNT
HIJACKTHIS
IRFANVIEW
JETAUDIO
K-LITE CODEC PACK
MICROSOFT FRONTPAGE
MICROSOFT OFFICE
MOZILLA FIREFOX
SCANDIR
SPYBOT - SEARCH & DESTROY
SYSFILELISTER
TURBO NAVIGATOR
TXTCOLLECTOR
 
Used these a few times, not much interest
 
AWATCH
BIGTIME
MYEVENTVIEWER
PINGVIEW
PROCESSACTIVITYVIEW
PROCESSEXPLORER
SIMPO PDF TO TEXT
UNINSTALL TOOL
UNLOCKER
WIN MALSOFTREMOVE
FOXIT READER
ICONSEXT
IP SCANNER
MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD
NETRESVIEW
NETROUTEVIEW
NETSPEEDMONITOR
NETSTATMONITOR
NETWORK STUMBLER
WIFIINSPECTOR
WIRELESSNETVIEW
 
Reviewed most of these without installing
Unless they can solve a problem I've no interest:
 
ADDRVIEW
AUTOMODE
AUTORUNS
CPORTS
CPROCESS
DCHPWATCHER
DEVMANVIEW
DNSDATAVIEW
DOWNTESTER NIRSOFT
DRIVERVIEW
DVD MAKER
ENHANCEWIN7
FALCON
FAVIEW
FILELIST CMD
FILETYPESMAN
FOLREP
GRANKCMD
INTERNET EXPLORER
JAVA
MACADDRESSVIEW
MICROSOFT GAMES
MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO
MICROSOFT.NET
MSBUILD
NETBALANCER
NIRCMD
NIREXT
NK2EDIT
PERFPING_201
PINGER
PORTPEEKER
REGFILEEXPORT
RESOURCESEXTRACT
SCAN
SEARCHMYFILES
SERVIWIN
SG TCP
SNREMOVE
SOCKETSNIFF
SPECIALFOLDERSVIEW
TOSHIBA
UACTS_X86
VISTUMBLER
WHATINSTARTUP
WHOSIP
WINDOWS DEFENDER
WINDOWS MAIL
WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER
WINDOWS NT
WINDOWS PHOTO VIEWER
WINDOWS PORTABLE DEVICES
WINDOWS SIDEBAR
WINLISTER
WINPREFETCHVIEW
 
These I mostly ignore (not WLAN)
 
COMMON FILES
CONDUIT
INSTALLSHIELD INFO
INTEL
REALTEK WLAN DRIVER
REFERENCE ASSEMBLIES
UNINSTALL INFORMATION
 
 
ROOT DIRECTORY
 
$RECYCLE.BIN 
ADMIN 
AUTORUN.INF 
BOOKMARKS 
DEVICE 
DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS 
INTEL 
KASPERSKY RESCUE DISK 10.0 
MSO_TEMP 
PERFLOGS 
PROGRAM FILES 
PROGRAMDATA 
RECOVERY 
SYSTEM VOLUME INFORMATION 
TEMP 
TWWGPC_TEMP 
USERS 
WINDOWS 
config.sys 
pagefile.sys

 

[rraod]

C:\Documents and Settings is not a real folder but only a link (Junction Point) to C:\Users. Windows 7 OS creates this link (with attributes Hidden, System and Directory) only for backward compatibility for older XP programs which look for this location to copy configuration files. Windows 7 OS does not need this folder. Hence it is hidden and locked.

You can see this folder only when you remove the check mark for Hide protected operating system files in Folder options. But you can not open this folder from windows explorer (Lock symbol on folder icon).

Third party explorers like xplorer2 will allow you to open it to show the same contents as C:\Users.

In reality the files are stored only in C:\Users and not in C:\Documents and Settings. This behavior is normal for Windows 7 OS.

 

[JimHarmon]

File listing in Excel

logicearth,
100% correct which I why I suspect a 3rd party program or other questionable activity.

Let's see what we will see.

Attached please find an Excel worksheet with a list of files, paths, sizes, dates and times just from scanning with ScanDir (skybird.net/ScanDir) copied to a text file using SysFileLister and then pasted to Excel.
These files are ONLY from C:\Documents and Settings

I tried that 'come buy this program if you really want it to be productive' tree thingy but found the non-hooked freeware programs that I have been using for years adequate enough for the moment.

Trying to remove that FILE LIST zip file... as it's superfluous...

 

[F5ing]

Why do you have an autorun.inf in your root directory?

As others have mentioned, the C:\Documents and Settings folder is visible, but not traversable on a stock w7 system. It's simply a junction to C:\Users for unaware programs, it's security settings are set such that they prevent these unaware programs from getting into an endless loop if they try to traverse the folders.

Unsure of what happens when you take ownership as you did; it's typically best not to make any modification to their properties (there are quite a few of these junctions and symbolic links on your system).

 

[JimHarmon]

C:\Documents and Settings is not a real folder but only a link (Junction Point) to C:\Users. Windows 7 OS creates this link (with attributes Hidden, System and Directory) only for backward compatibility for older XP programs which look for this location to copy configuration files. Windows 7 OS does not need this folder. Hence it is hidden and locked.

You can see this folder only when you remove the check mark for Hide protected operating system files in Folder options. But you can not open this folder from windows explorer (Lock symbol on folder icon).

Third party explorers like xplorer2 will allow you to open it to show the same contents as C:\Users.

In reality the files are stored only in C:\Users and not in C:\Documents and Settings. This behavior is normal for Windows 7 OS.

AHA! The light goes on... that sounds very very familiar, kewl, thank you very very much for your cogent assistance... Looking around to see if I can 'score' your reply....

 

[JimHarmon]

Why do you have an autorun.inf in your root directory?

Never confirmed this however it seemed a harmless effort at the time: with that folder in my root I understood that another FILE of the same name cannot be run and/or added thus helping in some small way to avoid the less erudite of those wishing to, well, destroy computers... your opinion?

 

[JimHarmon]

Why do you have an autorun.inf in your root directory?

As others have mentioned, the C:\Documents and Settings folder is visible, but not traversable on a stock w7 system. It's simply a junction to C:\Users for unaware programs, it's security settings are set such that they prevent these unaware programs from getting into an endless loop if they try to traverse the folders.

Unsure of what happens when you take ownership as you did; it's typically best not to make any modification to their properties (there are quite a few of these junctions and symbolic links on your system).

Thank you for taking the time to further add to my edification. In spite of the dangers I like to kick the tires, take the radiator out, remove the crankshaft.. just to see what's what... learned a few things in the process without any irreparable damage done so, without the constant presence of a wagging finger under my nose by my Mom or Dad, I am unlikely to change my 'Pride of Ownership' and kicking and poking habits in this lifetime...

 

[F5ing]

Why do you have an autorun.inf in your root directory?

Never confirmed this however it seemed a harmless effort at the time: with that folder in my root I understood that another FILE of the same name cannot be run and/or added thus helping in some small way to avoid the less erudite of those wishing to, well, destroy computers... your opinion?

As long as you know what's in it. I'm not sure if it even gets processed if/when the system finds it, as it would be when the system sees it on a removable drive.

 

[F5ing]

Unsure of what happens when you take ownership as you did; it's typically best not to make any modification to their properties (there are quite a few of these junctions and symbolic links on your system).

Thank you for taking the time to further add to my edification. In spite of the dangers I like to kick the tires, take the radiator out, remove the crankshaft.. just to see what's what... learned a few things in the process without any irreparable damage done so, without the constant presence of a wagging finger under my nose by my Mom or Dad, I am unlikely to change my 'Pride of Ownership' and kicking and poking habits in this lifetime...

Sorry, wasn't trying to add. I was still composing that post and didn't see rraod's post by the time I finally posted.

I do the same thing. Best way to learn is to figure it out by tearing it apart and putting it back together.

 

[rraod]

About the autorun.inf folder in the C: drive, It is a good idea to prevent the viruses and trojans writing another autorun.inf file containing malicious virus programs. If you keep a file with autorun.inf, then the virus will simply overwrite it with it's own autorun.inf file. But it can not overwrite a folder with a file of same name. I also did the same for all my drives, external HDDs and Flash drives. I make sure that the attributes of this autorun.inf folder set to Hidden, System and Read only and remove all the access permissions for further protection. Obviously these folders are empty.

 

[F5ing]

About the autorun.inf folder in the C: drive, It is a good idea to prevent the viruses and trojans writing another autorun.inf file containing malicious virus programs. If you keep a file with autorun.inf, then the virus will simply overwrite it with it's own autorun.inf file. But it can not overwrite a folder with a file of same name. I also did the same for all my drives, external HDDs and Flash drives. I make sure that the attributes of this autorun.inf folder set to Hidden, System and Read only and remove all the access permissions for further protection. Obviously these folders are empty.

Yes, understand that and have done the same for all externals, but do you know if it's worthwhile to do it on "non-removable" drives? I mean, does the system ever look for or automatically process the autorun.inf on hard drives?

You know, I've looked for the answer to this before. Don't think I ever found it; I never did add it to any of my internals. Can't hurt to add it...

 

[rraod]

Quote from: Autorun.inf Does Not Work In Windows 7 Anymore

Microsoft has removed the autorun.inf feature from Windows 7. This means that when you insert the USB drive, the programs will not automatically start up. So is this good news or bad news? Spoiler Alert: It is good news!


First lets talk about the good aspects. With autorun.inf you could assign which programs should run automatically when USB drive is inserted, thus, making it easier for the users. This also saves them plenty of steps if the file/program is located deep inside some directory.

For every upside there is an equal downside. But in this case, it seems like autorun.inf has more downsides than upsides. One of the biggest problem of autorun.inf is the virus itself.

If a USB is infected by a virus, the moment you insert it in your computer, your system will get a virus too. The whole process is like a chain reaction. Autorun.inf virus is quite deadly and should not be taken lightly.

So how do we benefit from removing Autorun.inf feature? Lets suppose that you insert a USD drive in your computer running Windows Vista/XP, it will automatically catch the virus since the program(that is infected) will open automatically(if it is configured to open with autorun.inf). Now when you insert the USB drive in your computer running Windows 7 the virus will not come to your computer unless you don’t manually open the drive. Therefore, you will have a chance to scan the drive and clean all viruses before opening it.

Kudos to Microsoft for taking a good step here. We have covered countless ways to prevent Autorun.inf virus, but now thankfully Microsoft have saved the day. This is one of the many improvements Microsoft have made to make Windows 7 more secure.

Remember that Autorun will still work on CD/DVDs, it has just been removed from USB drives.

I used to add this protection to all the drives in Windows XP and now I am not doing it in Windows 7.

 

[F5ing]

I do remember now why I've never done it to my internals: they are in a safe environment.

Still interested in knowing the answer though. Found some info on it, but not definitive...



Another post of mine out of order...