please someone help me :(

[Celestia]

i am so desperate for some help... i am ready to throw my pc out the window. i found this url through a search and i hope im not intruding... i really need help

basically the story is this

i was running win me two days ago. i changed my login pass. after i did that (i did NOT fiddle with anything else) i couldnt see my files. i could see folders, and some documents, but like, zips i saved to desktop (customary for me because i dl things then forget about them if they are in some other drive, short attention span heh) were invisible. id click on folders with mp3s in them, and the would not show up, therefore i cannot access them. everything was fine before i changed the password.

i bought and installed xp pro thinking it might solve the problem, seeing as how i should have access to everything on the drive being the computer administrator. same problem. ive tried everything i know, going to folders and tinkering with settings in the hopes they would show, and nada. it is driving me mad. i need my files!

does anyone know what im talking about and hopefully how to solve it? im seriously almost in tears

not to mention xp screwed up my quake and now the server i run is all jittery

:wants to go back to 98 but xp is so dern pretty:

 

[Lactic.Acid]

First, are there any other users on the computer? what folders do you see listed under Documents and Settings?? I'm wondering if you didn't somehow change usernames when you changed something in ME, so now all your files are under a different user. Can you do a Find and find the location of any of your mp3s or documents that are no longer accessible?
/L.A

 

[Celestia]

omg ty ty so much for the response...

ok now that ive had a bath and am somewhat calmer... hehe

i never changed my username, only the pass as it was an ex bf's name :l i am the only user on this pc, always have been. i chose pro because i run servers like for quake, and i wanted stability and heard that was the best option, i also have plans to build a network here in the next couple months or so.

anyway, i search for the doves mp3s and i find them in C:my music bla bla bla. so i go to my computer, go to windows/desktop, and i have no idea why i can see them now but they are there. so what now, can i move them and they will appear? the thing that boggles me is that they disappeared in the first place, but beyond that is that i have dled things to desktop *since* all this took place, and those things dont show up either.

at least i see i can access my files, but the funny thing is i tried to dcc pingtool to a friend through irc and it was invisible in the dcc send thingy. what does this mean, do i have to go manually through my whole computer and move everything so that i can access it?

 

[chooch]

Maybe they are set to be hidden, try this open a windows goto tools/folder options and click on the view tab, halfway down the windows select show hidden files and folders, now check to see if the files are available, if they are right click on the folder or file goto properties and remove the check mark on the hidden button and click ok, if it is a folder you are making the changes to you will be prompted to confirm changes, select the Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files, this will remove the hidden attributes to all foders and files located inside the folder.

 

[MiseryQ]

Here's a long shot, and pardon me I did'nt read the whole post...

I believe when you install Xp it automatically makes any existing users administrators... I know Xp can be set to hid "owned" files...

Try disabling simple file sharing and the in the properties you may have one or two new tabs... Go into "security" and see if you have full control of the files...

To disable SFS... Go into folder options and it's the last option...

 

[Druce]

when you changed the password in ME, something went arry, when you installed XP, it didn't change anything, just kept it screwed up...

try this

go to c drive

documents and settings

look for any old folders and usernames... look for anything lost

if you find it, try putting it in your username my documents

if you can't move it and it gives you an error about ownership - do the following

right clik file - properties - security tab - advanced - owner tab - double clik on your username - apply

then try to move it again

if that doesn't work try this

log out (windows key - L)

hit ctl - alt - del twice

login as administrator

open my documents - click on tools - folder options - view - scroll all the way down - uncheck simple file sharing - clik apply

then go to c drive

documents and settings

look for any old folders and usernames... look for anything lost

if you find it, try putting it in your username my documents

if you can't move it and it gives you an error about ownership - do the following

right clik file - properties - security tab - advanced - owner tab - double clik on admin - apply

then try to move it again

hope this helps.. really no clue how this happened...

 

[Celestia]

thank you so much all...

i have recovered some of my files and they are placed where i can access them now thanks to your suggestions.

thank you so much...

it definitely was a very strange thing that happened, and there really is no logical reason for any of it to have happened specially since i am the *only* user of this pc and have always been. i could blame it on win me and i probably should. :not a huge fan of me:

anyway ty, i had asked so many ppl and none of them had any help for me so tysm. im not a major software specialist but im certainly not a dummy and so this little problem made me feel reall stupid. :l

anyway the important thing is i can access some of my files now yay

i spose no one knows why my quake server is all screwed huh? its hitching every like, 20 seconds :l i guess ill have to reinstall q3a

 

[Lactic.Acid]

I'm a little unsure if this is going to help, but you'd said you couldn't see any of your icons or files on your desktop. Is it possible that your desktop is set to hide all icons? This could turn out to be the most embarrassing error, but maybe it solves it?
/L.A

 

[jw50]

One other thing that you can do is change folder properties to show hidden files, its also not a bad idea to have it show all file extensions also. Sorry I cant tell you exactly how to do this since I am at work and do not have XP here. If you are the only user on the computer this should allow you to see any file that is on the computer.

 

[Lactic.Acid]

I think someone explained that already, but you go to "Folder Options" from the Tools menu in Explorer or My Computer. All three (Show all files & Uncheck "Hide extension for known types"). But this shouldn't help in finding files, since mp3s are not hidden. Either way...
/L.A

 

[Celestia]

well, yea... i could see things on my desktop, but there were only certain files that i couldnt see. i dled um... i think osp for q3a, and i dl to desktop as i said up there i forget what i dl half the time unless its staring me in the face hehe... and it was invisible. anyway i managed to find a lot of my files. they were all willy nilly all over the place and i had to go to um... c>windows>desktop to find them. gonna try and find the others too. also now, i have tried to remove outlook (i hate that prog and have heard it has some severe security issues) and it wont go anywhere. not only that, but there are files with the names of the default pics that come with windows in folders where they shouldnt be, scattered all over, and the icon is the envelope which denotes it as being an outlook file. its sheer weirdness. the beck sampler that comes with windows was one too. they are all scattered throught my system in the wierdest places.

im thinking id better back up my data soon and just fdisk and start over. :l

ty all so much for your help, and if anyone has any other info im more than happy to hear it

 

[Lactic.Acid]

Oh, okay, did you actually save the files to "C:\WINDOWS\Desktop"??? If you did, that's the problem. Your desktop folder is actually under C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Desktop\. If not, then I don't know what the hell is up =) I would suggest using something like C:\Stuff to save downloads, installation files, etc. in. It usually makes it a lot easier to keep organized, and you can do it in whatever fashion you want. Or you can accept the MS doctrine and use the My Documents, My Downloads, My Music, My *Insert-something-here* system. =) All your personal choice.
/L.A