invisible files, incorrect paths . . .

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 03:31 GMT

Hi,

I seem to be having some problems with folders and files (so far, MS Word
files -- haven't really checked a lot of others.

Earlier today I moved some files into a folder, but when I looked in the
folder, it was empty. Okay, so maybe I had a brain-fart and moved the files
into some other folder. I did a file search and lo and behold, the files
were *in* the folder according to the search -- yet I still couldn't see
them! I did a system restore and everything seemed to be copacetic.

Later, I tried opening these MS Word files by double-clicking on them and I
would get a pop-up error message that it couldn't find the correct
path/filename -- and it would give the path/filename and that is exactly
what I was trying to open! Then if I right-clicked on the file and selected
the "Open" option the file would open right up. Double-clicking gets me the
error msg; right clicking and selecting the menu "open" option works.

What the hell is going on here? By the way, I did *another* system restore
using an earlier date and still have the file problems.

Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Mart - 31 Aug 2005 12:36 GMT

Mmm... - never did trust the Move command <g> I always use 'Copy & Paste',
test them THEN delete the originals.

Try "Copying" them back to their original location(s) and see if they'll
still work from there.

Mart

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 16:59 GMT

Matt,

Actually, the original location was another computer (Windows XP)! I copied
the files to a floppy then copied them from the floppy to the folder on the
desktop on my ME machine. The files on the XP laptop work just fine. The
copied files on the floppy work just fine on both machines. It's just the
files on the desktop ME machine that do not work.

I've tried saving them in different locations and changing the name, then
deleting the old files, still same prob.

- marty

> Mmm... - never did trust the Move command <g> I always use 'Copy & Paste',
> test them THEN delete the originals.
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> >
> > Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 19:39 GMT

And a follow-up to my previous posting . . .

I just tried opening a Word file that I haven't touched since the 26th of
August, and I'm getting the same pathname error message when I double-click
on the file. Using the right-click menu option "open" works just fine.

Seems to be a pointer or some such out of sync here, but beats me and I
don't know enough about it to do anything.

Suggestions most strongly welcome as I'm worried that one of these attempts
the file simply won't open and I'll not be able to access my work.

Thanks again.
- marty

> Mmm... - never did trust the Move command <g> I always use 'Copy & Paste',
> test them THEN delete the originals.
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> >
> > Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Rick T - 31 Aug 2005 20:16 GMT

Run IE6 Repair, scanreg/fix and an "everything but Thorough" Scandisk.

can't hurt.

Rick

> And a follow-up to my previous posting . . .
>
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
>>>
>>>Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 20:59 GMT

Okay, so I ran scanreg /fix but that didn't "fix" anything. I must admit to
stupidity because I don't know what IE5 Repair is.

For Scandisk, I have to go into "Safe Mode" because otherwise scandisk never
completes because I'm always told that something is running in the
background.

So I boot into Safe Mode -- yeh, right -- I get at least six different
fault error pop-ups including helpcenter and others, and then finally
Explorer, and when I click out of each of these fault errors, I end up with
nothing -- a Safe Mode completely blank screen -- nada! I can't even
restart my computer out of safe mode cuz there ain't nothing to click on.
Had to do a hard -- turn-off-the-power -- boot just to get back into
Windows.

I'm now looking for a sold concrete wall against which I can heartily throw
this freakin' machine!

- m

> Run IE6 Repair, scanreg/fix and an "everything but Thorough" Scandisk.
>
[quoted text clipped - 61 lines]
> >>>
> >>>Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Rick T - 31 Aug 2005 23:28 GMT

> Okay, so I ran scanreg /fix but that didn't "fix" anything. I must admit to
> stupidity because I don't know what IE5 Repair is.

whoops I was tired when I posted that; I thought you were Mart (who also
posted to this thread).

IE6 Fix is in

ControlPanel/AddRemovePrograms/AddRemove(Tab) ... IE6 ... Fix (button)

scanreg /fix can be run from a DOS window.

It's from what you say you may have some serious problems, but give that
a shot first.

Rick

> For Scandisk, I have to go into "Safe Mode" because otherwise scandisk never
> completes because I'm always told that something is running in the
[quoted text clipped - 102 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>>Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 01 Sep 2005 00:18 GMT

Rick

Thanks for the explanation on how to run the IE6 Repair. I ran it, rebooted
as requested, and now PRINTING IS BACK! for both IE and Outlook Express.
Evidently the two were related.

A couple problems down, a couple more to go.

Thanks again.
- m

> > Okay, so I ran scanreg /fix but that didn't "fix" anything. I must admit to
> > stupidity because I don't know what IE5 Repair is.
[quoted text clipped - 119 lines]
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Mart - 01 Sep 2005 00:59 GMT

Before you go any further - odd that you have a 'number' of issues, all at
once - have you tried running your AV utility (with latest signatures) and
checked for other malware?

See also the following, courtesy of Noel Paton :-

"You may already have a virus/spyware hijack

download the Stinger from here and run it to make sure that A-V-disabling
viruses are not present on your PC
http://vil.mcafeesecurity.com/vil/averttools.asp

- update your virus scanner and run a full system scan of all files.

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove variants of the
CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder.html
(download it without the accompanying rubbish)

download AdAware SE Personal Edition from www.lavasoftusa.com, install,
update, and run it to remove spyware, adware, and other such nasties from
your system.

Signature

Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's"

Then start troubleshooting your problems,one at a time.

Mart

> Rick
>
[quoted text clipped - 143 lines]
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 20:33 GMT

Ahh . . .

But it's getting even better!

I'm now unable to print from either Outlook Express or IE. No error msg, no
nada. Just nothing happens. Checked printer communication and all is well.
I can print a text file, I can print a Word file, just nothing from Outlook
or IE -- so far! Went into the Control Panel to look at the Printers, and
lo and behold . . .

The window says there are 43 objects in the folder, but guess what? I can't
see a friggin' one of them! To me, the folder is absolutely blank, but the
bottom left corner says 43 objects.

It just gets better and better. I've ordered a Windows XP disc to Upgrade
my ME machine -- but now it looks like I may be doing a complete/full
install --

and losing all the downloaded apps and all the apps that came preinstalled
on the machine in the process.

Sigh . . .

> And a follow-up to my previous posting . . .
>
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
> > >
> > > Any suggestions?

Reply to this Message

Marty Halpern - 31 Aug 2005 22:21 GMT

Sorry to inundate you all with my own postings . . . but things are
happening both for the bad -- and good -- before I get any responses.

The contents of the Control Panel are*back* -- appears a folder allowing the
classic desktop folder view had been changed. Now I know I've done some
stuff on this PC but I *never* changed any folder options! But with little
to go on I started checking the folder options out, selected the classic
folder view, and got all my visible contents of the Control Panel back.

I still *cannot* print from Outlook Express or IE, still get pathname error
messages when I try to open certain Word files. I've given up trying to
boot into Safe Mode because of all the page fault errors, but I did
successfuly run Scandisk from Windows (first time I've been able to do that
in over a year and actually have it finish!) -- Scandisk found some errors
and repaired them all.

But I'm still having the above mentioned probs. That's it. I ain't doing
nothing no more until I get some responses here, so hopefully you won't see
any more postings from me until there are at least some responses.

Again, my apologies for being long winded.
- m

Reply to this Message