Hidden Folder ??

[Fred S *****]

Hi,

I'm running WinXP and have been for quite a while now with no serious
problems at all.

Recently, however, an odd thing occurs with the Application Data folder
which is contained in the "Documents and Settings" folder under my username.

The Application Data folder was NOT there when I needed to check a user
file located there. I had to go to SEARCH and enter "Application Data"
and search Drive C - then found the folder was set to HIDDEN and READ ONLY.

I right clicked the search results and unchecked both attributes and the
App Data folder was returned to where it was supposed to be.

A few days later, the same thing has happened and it continues. I don't
know yet if it is related to a Windows Update or whatever. I have not
installed any new programs and the reason I think it might be related to
Win Update is that it also happened on my Laptop too.

I regularly use AdAware, Spybot, and Spy Sweeper and I suppose updates
to those could also be a factor but I doubt that. Windows updates really
are the only files that change system behavior.

Lastly, the Windows Explorer folder view settings are all set to Display
hidden folders, system folders, and to NOT hide them.

Need some ideas and would appreciate advice.

Thanks, Fred

 

[Jim]

Hi,

I'm running WinXP and have been for quite a while now with no serious
problems at all.

Recently, however, an odd thing occurs with the Application Data folder
which is contained in the "Documents and Settings" folder under my
username.

The Application Data folder was NOT there when I needed to check a user
file located there. I had to go to SEARCH and enter "Application Data" and
search Drive C - then found the folder was set to HIDDEN and READ ONLY.

I right clicked the search results and unchecked both attributes and the
App Data folder was returned to where it was supposed to be.

A few days later, the same thing has happened and it continues. I don't
know yet if it is related to a Windows Update or whatever. I have not
installed any new programs and the reason I think it might be related to
Win Update is that it also happened on my Laptop too.

I regularly use AdAware, Spybot, and Spy Sweeper and I suppose updates to
those could also be a factor but I doubt that. Windows updates really are
the only files that change system behavior.

Lastly, the Windows Explorer folder view settings are all set to Display
hidden folders, system folders, and to NOT hide them.

Need some ideas and would appreciate advice.

Thanks, Fred

You have malware. You need to get David Lipmann's MULTI_AV package and run
it.
Jim

 

[Fred S *****]

You have malware. You need to get David Lipmann's MULTI_AV package and run
it.
Jim

Jim,

Thanks but I ran it on both the Laptop and Desktop, found 0 viruses.

Something else is causing this.

Fred

 

[Nikhil]

The Application Data folder is system folder and is under Windows
control. Windows keep changing the attribute of this folder.
It may not be possible to unhide the folder at all.

 

[Fred S *****]

folder which is contained in the "Documents and Settings" folder under
my username.user file located there. I had to go to SEARCH and enter "Application
Data" and search Drive C - then found the folder was set to HIDDEN and
READ ONLY.don't know yet if it is related to a Windows Update or whatever. I have
not installed any new programs and the reason I think it might be
related to Win Update is that it also happened on my Laptop too.updates to those could also be a factor but I doubt that. Windows
updates really are the only files that change system behavior.

You have malware. You need to get David Lipmann's MULTI_AV package and run it.
Jim

Jim,

Thanks but I ran it on both the Laptop and Desktop, found 0 viruses.

Something else is causing this.

Fred

The Application Data folder is system folder and is under Windows
control. Windows keep changing the attribute of this folder.
It may not be possible to unhide the folder at all.

Nikhil,

The Application Data folder has always been displayed as I've made
entries there many times. Also, the App Data folder for the other
accounts are displayed, although, last week when this happened, they too
were all hidden.

I added the previous post info to this as your reply did not include it.

I changed the attributes on ALL of the accounts but now only my account
has the App Data folder hiddent again.

Fred

 

[Nightowl]

Hi Fred

Nikhil is right, it is Windows that controls the attributes on this
folder. On my system, the one in my account has always been Hidden. In
the built-in Administrator account it is set to both Hidden and
Read-Only.

I wondered if the attributes would change if I were logged into that
account, so as an experiment I logged in as built-in Admin, but the
folder in that profile remained flagged as both R and H. I changed the
attributes on MY profile folder in a command window and checked it was
now also both R and H, logged out and logged in again as myself. The
folder had been reset back to H only.

I tried this three times with always the same result, so my advice would
be not to worry about it; if you have Hidden folders set to display you
will still see it and it won't affect its operation in any way. It's
best to let Windows manage these things as it sees fit

 

[Fred S *****]

Hi Fred

Nikhil is right, it is Windows that controls the attributes on this
folder. On my system, the one in my account has always been Hidden. In
the built-in Administrator account it is set to both Hidden and Read-Only.

I wondered if the attributes would change if I were logged into that
account, so as an experiment I logged in as built-in Admin, but the
folder in that profile remained flagged as both R and H. I changed the
attributes on MY profile folder in a command window and checked it was
now also both R and H, logged out and logged in again as myself. The
folder had been reset back to H only.

I tried this three times with always the same result, so my advice would
be not to worry about it; if you have Hidden folders set to display you
will still see it and it won't affect its operation in any way. It's
best to let Windows manage these things as it sees fit

Nightowl,

Thanks for performing a "test" on your system.

However, it makes me more certain now that a MS Update has done this. I
felt it was something unique to my systemI was always able to open and
review the contents of the App Data folder. I use Thunderbird and
FireFox and the profiles for the user are stored in there. I've made
changes to special files in the user profiles often as T-Bird and FF
allow great customization. The App Data folder was ALWAYS there and
available. Now it is hidden regularly.

I have Hidden Folders set to display and the App Data folder does not
display until I change the attributes. Yet, the other accounts have the
App Data folder visible.

This is weird behavior and I don't like it. I set hidden folders to
display and they don't on my account until I go back and change the
attributes - I have to do this every day IF I want to view the App Data
folder. I shouldn't have to do this. I am going to find out what is
causing this.

Thanks for your efforts, most appreciated.

Fred

 

[Nightowl]

I have Hidden Folders set to display and the App Data folder does not
display until I change the attributes. Yet, the other accounts have the
App Data folder visible.

Ah, sorry, Fred, I hadn't understood you meant the folder was literally
invisible rather than just having the Hidden attribute set.

Is it the only Hidden folder that behaves this way? Can you, in your
user profile, see Nethood, Printhood and SendTo, for example?

 

[Fred S *****]

Nightowl,

Just did a quick check and the "SendTo" folders for ALL accounts were
hidden, Had to do a search, then manually change the attributes to get
it to display.

It will probably be hidden after the next reboot. This is crazy.

Fred

 

[Nightowl]

Fred, do you see the same behaviour when logged in as another user? I'm
just wondering whether it's something unique to your profile or a
system-wide problem.

 

[Fred S *****]

Hi,

Just looked in my wife's account and the SendTo folder was gone. Also
gone in all accounts. Sure enough, hidden.

I unchecked "hidden" and right now they are back where they belong.
Oddly, the Application Data folders were there for all accounts.

Fred