Hidden folder?

[Moby]

I accidentley put a tick in the hidden options of a folder,when prompted to
apply this to all subfolders and files i clicked "no".I seem to have lost
the folder contents now,and the folder will not let me access it.It says
"access denied" systen folder and properties shows 0kb.Have i lost the
contents completly
or can i rescue them?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Moby.

You DID change the default setting in Folder Options | View to Show hidden
files and folders, didn't you?

Sometimes we can do things from the Command Prompt that we cannot do
(easily, at least) from the Graphical User Interface.

Open a "DOS" window: Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt

In the "DOS" window, you can use nearly all of the commands that we could
use under true MS-DOS. To see a mini-Help file for any command, type the
command, followed by "/?" (without the quotes); for example: dir /?

Navigate to the parent folder of your missing folder. Type dir /a. The /a
causes dir to show you All files and folders, no matter what Attributes
(including Hidden) may be set. If your folder name is not in this list,
then it is not in that parent folder. (You may use wildcards to narrow down
your search if the list is too long.)

If you think the missing folder may be somewhere else on your HD, you can do
a longer, more thorough search by adding the /s switch. Starting in the
Root of the volume, you can search all of it for your missing folder. For
example: dir C:\<foldername> /s/a

Give it some time, but if this doesn't show the folder, it no longer exists
in C:.

When you do find the folder, use the Attrib command to remove the Hidden
attribute: attrib -h <foldername>

There may be other causes for your "Access denied", so if you still can't
access the folder, post back with details of what you did and what results
you saw.

RC

 

[Moby]

Hi, Moby.

You DID change the default setting in Folder Options | View to Show hidden
files and folders, didn't you?

Sometimes we can do things from the Command Prompt that we cannot do
(easily, at least) from the Graphical User Interface.

Open a "DOS" window: Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt

In the "DOS" window, you can use nearly all of the commands that we could
use under true MS-DOS. To see a mini-Help file for any command, type the
command, followed by "/?" (without the quotes); for example: dir /?

Navigate to the parent folder of your missing folder. Type dir /a. The /a
causes dir to show you All files and folders, no matter what Attributes
(including Hidden) may be set. If your folder name is not in this list,
then it is not in that parent folder. (You may use wildcards to narrow down
your search if the list is too long.)

If you think the missing folder may be somewhere else on your HD, you can do
a longer, more thorough search by adding the /s switch. Starting in the
Root of the volume, you can search all of it for your missing folder. For
example: dir C:\<foldername> /s/a

Give it some time, but if this doesn't show the folder, it no longer exists
in C:.

When you do find the folder, use the Attrib command to remove the Hidden
attribute: attrib -h <foldername>

I found the folder in dos but when i try to change the attributes it says
"access denied"?
If i can boot into dos without starting windows it may allow me access?

 

[Moby]

Hi, Moby.

You DID change the default setting in Folder Options | View to Show hidden
files and folders, didn't you?

Sometimes we can do things from the Command Prompt that we cannot do
(easily, at least) from the Graphical User Interface.

Open a "DOS" window: Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt

In the "DOS" window, you can use nearly all of the commands that we could
use under true MS-DOS. To see a mini-Help file for any command, type the
command, followed by "/?" (without the quotes); for example: dir /?

Navigate to the parent folder of your missing folder. Type dir /a. The /a
causes dir to show you All files and folders, no matter what Attributes
(including Hidden) may be set. If your folder name is not in this list,
then it is not in that parent folder. (You may use wildcards to narrow down
your search if the list is too long.)

If you think the missing folder may be somewhere else on your HD, you can do
a longer, more thorough search by adding the /s switch. Starting in the
Root of the volume, you can search all of it for your missing folder. For
example: dir C:\<foldername> /s/a

Give it some time, but if this doesn't show the folder, it no longer exists
in C:.

When you do find the folder, use the Attrib command to remove the Hidden
attribute: attrib -h <foldername>

There may be other causes for your "Access denied", so if you still can't
access the folder, post back with details of what you did and what results
you saw.

RC

All sorted thanks.For some reason even though i am the sole user i have to
go to safe mode to be able to log on as administrator,wich i did and it
enabled me to take permissions of the folder.
I got all my data back.thanks.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Moby.

I got all my data back.thanks.

I'm glad you got it sorted out. ;<) And thanks for the report back; that
oughta help the next person with such a problem.

RC

 

[Harry Ohrn]

All sorted thanks.For some reason even though i am the sole user i have to
go to safe mode to be able to log on as administrator,wich i did and it
enabled me to take permissions of the folder.
I got all my data back.thanks.

You should be able to go into Safe Mode then access Control Panel->User
accounts and make the account you normally log onto an Administrator
account. Or if you prefer to keep your log on account a "Limited account"
then create a new account that is an Administrator account. You can then use
Fast user switching to quickly log onto that account if you need to do some
admin work or install applications etc rather than needing to boot into Safe
Mode.

 

[Moby]

You should be able to go into Safe Mode then access Control Panel->User
accounts and make the account you normally log onto an Administrator
account. Or if you prefer to keep your log on account a "Limited account"
then create a new account that is an Administrator account. You can then use
Fast user switching to quickly log onto that account if you need to do some
admin work or install applications etc rather than needing to boot into Safe
Mode.

Thanks very much,appreciated.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Thanks very much,appreciated.

You are welcome.