missing Excel files in MyDocuments folder

[Guest]

We save or Excel files in the default location "My Documents" A few days ago
we noticed that all Excel files starting with the letter "K" and all the way
to "Z" are missing from this location. It is Office XP with only SP2 so far (
this might be the issue)( Also SP1 for Windows so far) and we are able to
locate the missing files by opening the "more worksheets" option in the Task
Pane(which opens My Documents) and typing in the first few letter of say a
"Wells Fargo...." spreadsheet. We can open the doc and when we try a "save
as" it tells us that the file already exists! We did a "Search" for "*.xls"
and couldn't find the missing files there. We tried a System Restore to no
avail. Any suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Dave Peterson]

I think I'd try to look at that folder using windows explorer--not excel.

If you see the files beginning with K to Z, then the problem is closer to
excel--not windows.

But if the files appear gone, maybe they've been hidden by mistake.

If you rightclick on any old file in windows explorer, you can change the
attributes for the file--to readonly or hidden.

And there's a setting you can change in Windows explorer to show those "hidden"
files.

Tools|folder options|view tab
scroll to "show hidden files and folders" and make sure it's enabled.

Then click ok and see if your files re-appear.

If they do, then do View|details (while in windows explorer)
followed by View|choose details and show the Attributes.

Select the files that have "H" (for hidden in them) and rightclick, properties
and change them back to non-hidden.

I like to see hidden files (as my default). But if you don't want to see them,
make sure you toggle that setting back to hide those hidden files/folders.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Dave. I did check My Documents through Windows Explorer and still
can't see the missing files. I know about "show hidden files" in Tools

Folder Options> View. I did uncheck that along with " Hide extensions for

known file types" but still can't see the files. Interestingly, I right
clicked an open space in the My Documents folder and Properties and General
and saw that the files in the folder where all Hidden so I cleared the box
and Windows ran through changing the attributes on I guess all the files in
the folder. Unfortuantely I was still not able to see "K" through "Z".(The
next time I booted the HIde attribute on MyDocuments was back) I am going to
go back to Folder OPtions and View in Explorer and uncheck " Hide protected
operating system files" and see if that makes any difference. Maybe Windows
attached some kind of reference to system files to the missing files I need.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I've never seen anything like that in windows -- where the changing the
attributes of a file wouldn't stick.

Maybe it's a permission thing and you're not really updating the attributes????

If this is for work, can you talk to someone in the IT department?

If it's for home, maybe posting a message in one of the newsgroups dedicated to
windows would be better???

 

[Guest]

I took your suggestion and posted the same question in the Windows XP
"General Discussions" group. I've gotten some helpful reponses so far. Thanks.