My Pictures missing

Hi, im trying to find a fix for a relative's PC, the My Pictures folder disappeared yesterday (16/2) from the My Documents folder, i've tried using system restore, rolled back first to the 15/2 (not there) and then to 10/02 (still not there).

As far as they know, it was not deleted, i tried a recovery program and the My Pictures folder isnt among the deleted files found also preformed a search with explorer, there is a short cut to the folder but it will not work and cannot be fixed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, they have alot of family pictures that were lost.

 

Tried a 'search' for pictures....just to verify they are still on the system?

 

Try this. Right click on the task bar at the bottom of the screen and click properties. Click the start menu tab at the top of the window, then click on customize. Next click on the advanced tab and under Start Menu Items, make sure that 'My Pictures' are set to be shown in the start menu.

Jimbob

 

Hi, using the search shows none of the pictures that were in the folder, im not sure but it seems to have been deleted from explorer, bypassing the recycler.

 

Ouch! ........I'd be mortified if I lost all my family photos! No chance the folder was accidentally dragged and dropped inside another folder?? It would probably still show up under search I suppose. Tried to open a known picture under one of the picture apps? Hidden Folders? Might be time to start exploring some different recovery apps? I'm sorry I'm not much help....had a google, but couldn't find much!
Might go and burn all mine to disk/s just in case!
Sorry!
Buck.

 

Thanks for your help.

Its not the icon thats the problem, the folder seems to have just disappeared with its contence.

Can any one recommend a good file restore app, ive tested a few free trials tonight, none seem to work on pictures.

The first program i used on the troubled PC was REST2514 (my regular choice) it could not find any enties for the My Pictures folder, this problem seems to be very mystrious, if it was deleted why is it not showing up in the deleted file list, using system restore to a date the My Pictures folder was know to be there does not help, it remains missing.

Any further ideas or suggestions?

 

If you can recover the pictures, you may want to back them up to disk just incase you ever loose them again.

Jimbob

 

Hi Sweetie,

I think Ronjor shot a "bullseye" here.

Everything I searched came up corrupted desktop icons being the cause, refreshing the icon cache the most likely solution. You didn't mention the system you're trying to repair, but some desktop tips that may prove helpful from one computer guy.
~ Well, almost everything ~


Good lead Ron... * wink *


* EDIT * - Sweetie, a few other thoughts....

Reset the Shell Folders paths to defaults, Re-register the 'My Documents' DLL file,
Give XP ability to search the Active Directory, and XP file association fixes.


GF

 

Hi thanks for the help so far, the OS is Win XP Pro.

 

Hi Sweetie. I lost some pics one time. I eventually found them in a backup of a registry cleaner !! However, my pictures folder was still in my documents. I just clicked on my picture folder one day, and it was empty.

I tried everything to locate them, without any luck. Then I got the idea to undo all the backups in the registry cleaner. I started restoring the backups one at a time. The pics reappeared after the second backup was restored. Might not be your problem, but I would give it a try. Good luck.

 

Hi, just updating the situation, i was able to spend a bit more time with the troubled PC, all the missing pictures are still on the system, but they have been changed to thumbs, as in they have been resized to 8-12kb and renamed THUMBS.... random number, this totally baffels me.

I spent 4hrs going over the PC, removed 12 java infections, Rbot worm, Bankfruad Trojan, Adware.gen and various other spyware, it may be possible there was a hack attempt (can't be sure).

One possible therory i am thinking of is an infected picture file, not being able to be removed by the AV (Norman), then destroyed the whole My Pictures folder, backing up pictures to thumb-nails in its effort to clean the infection.
Im not sure this is even possible, there is no log of any Viruses in Norman, but i have no other explanation.

Norman AV has been given the boot in favor of Nod32 which i used for the clean up, very poor form on Normans part allowing Rbot and Bankfraud Trojan to run free on the system, and yes it had the latest updates, as too did Windows.

I really hate to leave the matter unresolved but im out of ideas, file restore programs show no evidence of the missing pictures ever being deleted, system restore does not help, tried restoring to a know date that all was well, the My Pictures folder is still missing.

If anyone has ever seen anything like this please let me know, thanks.

 

Hello-I have been going through the exact same situation basically. I have tried numberous unerase programs-which have found things I have deleted months ago, and deleted after the contents of My Pictures disappeared, but still no luck. I havent found a solution as of yet-but I am working on it daily (over 600 pictures missing from the holidays-unbacked up) I know that I should have been backing things up-I have an external, a burner, and having been using back up programs since the days of tape drives-just one of those unlucky lapses in PC security, LOL. Wow I have to laugh to keep me from crying-

 

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Maybe the trojan was the reason why they have all been resized, people use trojans to gain access to your computer, and maybe someone actually did come into your computer and do something annoying like that.

 

I may be on the trail of a possible fix-maybe it has something to do with the properties of the My Documents folder-or more specifically the My Pictures folder? After a lot of searching, I found a thread in some random forum-it was about someone who was trying to delete thier My Pictures folder-and as it was explained, in the registry, there are a few keys that reference the folder, and when it is not present, it is automatically regenerated. Myself, I went through the registry and deleted all of the keys that cause My Pictures to be regenerated, and ran my favorite unerase program-so far, hasnt helped. I have tried 10 or 12 or so unerase programs before doing that, will try them all again when I have time. I was thinking that maybe the actual folder bieng deleted would make a difference-seeind as how the unerase programs I have tried found things a deleted way before and soon after my My Pictures folder accidentally got deleted..

 

It's nice to see that you are on the ball. Don't give up!