Files disappeared fro desktop

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Info please…. I had just completed an email and when I clicked the “Send” tab all the files I had on the desktop [excepting shorcut folders] disappeared. I did a search for some of them entering both the titles and a phrase with the text but nothing was found. Any idea why this should have happened & where they might be lurking. I disabled the firewall and tried to perform a System Restore in the hope that the original desktop might appear twice bit it refuses. I have not been able to perform a S R for quite some time…… any clues please. (yep, two questions in one but they are connected)
Regards Dave.

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A system restore would not restore lost files on the desktop. System restore only affects Windows and (some) software, not data files.

Turning off your firewall shouldn’t be necessary for system restore. Temporarily turning off your antivirus program might help. But I repeat that it won’t get your lost files back.

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If you let us know what Operating System this PC is running then we can move it to the correct forum. It definitely doesn’t belong in the General Office forum, where we discuss issues relating to Microsoft Office.

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[snip]… all the files I had on the desktop [excepting shorcut folders] disappeared.

Apart from Stuart’s question, since this could possibly involve OS, e-mail client etc. What kind of files was it? That is, what extension did they have, DOC, EXE etc.

One should not save files on the Desktop (apart from short cuts) for any longer period of time, best is to avoid it.

Perhaps we can come back to what can and can’t be done with System Restore (SR), depending on your reply and further info.

If the recipient of the e-mail got the files perhaps that person can send ’em back. (The files not e-mailed is of course a different matter.)

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Apart from Stuart’s question, since this could possibly involve OS, e-mail client etc. What kind of files was it? That is, what extension did they have, DOC, EXE etc.

One should not save files on the Desktop (apart from short cuts) for any longer period of time, best is to avoid it.

Perhaps we can come back to what can and can’t be done with System Restore (SR), depending on your reply and further info.

If the recipient of the e-mail got the files perhaps that person can send ’em back. (The files not e-mailed is of course a different matter.)

Thanks to each of you for your kind responses. Let me deal with the various points raised as best I can. * I am resigned to the fact that the vanished files are unretrievable, they were not really critical but wanted never the less. * I appreciate that performing a SR does not restore lost files and since I cannot remember the exact names of the files, can’t use the data recovery software that I have installed to retrieve them. * Even with [AVG] disabled I still am unable to perform a SR!!!. * I am running Windows XP Prof. SP3. * Sorry I do not know the extension details of the lost files, a couple were “Word” and others Folders with Word docs in them. * I take the point that Word files should NOT be saved on the desktop for any great length of time though I never realised it was not prudent. * The email I sent at the instant the files vanished did not have any attachments on it so why the files went AWOL at that instant I can’t imagine. Hope that fills in a few of the gaps. Thans again Dave.

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The email I sent at the instant the files vanished did not have any attachments on it so why the files went AWOL at that instant I can’t imagine.

Well, I don’t know if we can help you then. SR is another issue and best dealt with in one of the OS forums, as Stuart said.

But:

I appreciate that performing a SR does not restore lost files

isn’t true, and I don’t completely agree with Hans’ statement earlier.

True, SR doesn’t monitor documents, pictures etc. That is why I asked what extension the files had, what type of files it were.

However, SR does monitor the Desktop (or put in another way, the Desktop is not on the list of excluded folders (the Desktop is a folder); My Documents etc. are excluded, thus protected). So if, for example, an EXE file is lost from the Desktop and it was there at the time when a RP was created earlier, it would be possible to do a temporary restore, copy/move the file to a non-monitored folder, and then undo the restore.

Below is an old article at MSFT, the point is to protect files from being lost during a SR, but as mentioned above, if that works, well, then you can restore files that SR monitor.

See:
Using Windows XP – Protecting Files During System Restore
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h…sysrestore.mspx

By default monitored file name extensions – more or less, XP/Vista
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa378870.aspx

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Well, I don’t know if we can help you then. SR is another issue and best dealt with in one of the OS forums, as Stuart said.

But: isn’t true, and I don’t completely agree with Hans’ statement earlier.

True, SR doesn’t monitor documents, pictures etc. That is why I asked what extension the files had, what type of files it were.

However, SR does monitor the Desktop (or put in another way, the Desktop is not on the list of excluded folders (the Desktop is a folder); My Documents etc. are excluded, thus protected). So if, for example, an EXE file is lost from the Desktop and it was there at the time when a RP was created earlier, it would be possible to do a temporary restore, copy/move the file to a non-monitored folder, and then undo the restore.

Below is an old article at MSFT, the point is to protect files from being lost during a SR, but as mentioned above, if that works, well, then you can restore files that SR monitor.

See:
Using Windows XP – Protecting Files During System Restore
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h…sysrestore.mspx

By default monitored file name extensions – more or less, XP/Vista
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa378870.aspx

Looks like it’s curtains for the files that vanished but I’ve digested all the comments & apart from learning that one should avoid saving files on the desktop I’m not much wiser. What is meant by “OS” in the phrase [i]Well, I don’t know if we can help you then. SR is another issue and best dealt with in one of the OS forums, as Stuart said.[/i] …and how does one undo a SR? Thanks again anyway. Dave.

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OS = Operating System. Your operating system is Windows XP. It would have been better to ask your question in the Windows XP forum than in the General MS Office Suite forum.

If you have performed a system restore, the System Restore dialog has a button “”Undo my last restoration”. This button will not be displayed if you haven’t performed a system restore.

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OS = Operating System. Your operating system is Windows XP. It would have been better to ask your question in the Windows XP forum than in the General MS Office Suite forum.

If you have performed a system restore, the System Restore dialog has a button “”Undo my last restoration”. This button will not be displayed if you haven’t performed a system restore.

Thanks again for the patience shown me as I struggle to get my old head round this techno stuff. Hans, As I explained in the first post I am unable to perform a SR despite having disabled both the AV & firewall respectively!!!!! Not that it is vital at this stage to so do but it may become necessary in the future if things go hay wire after some fresh install. Cheers Dave.
PS I take the point that it would have been better in the first instance to have posted the question in the XP section but I am puzzled as to why it was not moved there by one of your WMVP’s.

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WMVPs can’t move topics, only administrators and moderators (for the forum) can do that. I will move this topic now.

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Has your PC maybe performed a spontaneous Desktop cleanup (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306542 ). If so, look for a folder called “Unused Desktop Shortcuts” or something similar on your desktop.

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Has your PC maybe performed a spontaneous Desktop cleanup (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306542 ). If so, look for a folder called “Unused Desktop Shortcuts” or something similar on your desktop.

Hi Jon. Thanks for the tip, I regret to say that there is no folder on the desktop with anything like the name you suggest. I will muse over the link you pointed me to see if I can learn something. Regards Dave.

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