PC won't save in My Documents anymore

[struggling]

I went to the user accounts :

 

OWNER Computer Administrator (and it shows an image of a guitar that used to appear

[BeeCeeBee]

ok read back to the previous post regarding a system restore (you may have not read it) and try that.

[struggling]

Whoops. Must've hit enter by mistake..sorry....try this again...

 

Went to user accounts:

 

Owner Computer Administrator. Image of a guitar is displayed --( same one that used to appear and require me to click it -- on bootup.)

 

Guest Guest account is off.

 

........ and no more.

 

 

 

Rebooted. First screen: Microsoft Windows XP

Second screen: Welcome

.......... and no more.

 

I'll address system restore and screen capture issues tommorrow.

[BeeCeeBee]

the welcome screen always required me to click on "User"

It now seems pretty clear that the "tech" must have set up your computer with 2 accounts one being "owner" and the other "user." You may want to look in windows explorer for C:\Documents and Settings\User\MyDocuments and see if it exists and, if it does, whether it contains the missing documents. You should also go back to the find target and list the folders contained and either take a screen shot of it or list the folders here by name.

 

The system restore that I suggested MAY restore the original settings and the apparently lost user account.

Edited December 19, 2008 by BeeCeeBee

[struggling]

I was about to throw up my arms and do a system restore to a time prior to when these problems started. But that was when I took it in for the tech to fix another set of problems. Seems it would be trading one set for another.

 

So for now I am following your most recent suggestions.

 

I looked in Windows Explorer C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents. Cannot Find.

 

I tried Search: Refers to a location that is unavailable. Could be on a hard drive or network. Information might have been moved to a different location.

 

I tried Run: Windows cannot find C:\Documents.

 

Went back to right click on Docs>Properties>Find Target I was unsuccessful doing a screen shot, so here is a list of the folders contained there:

 

My Documents (contains just 1 missing file)

Application Data

Printhood

My Recent documents (wasn't here last time I looked--neither were some of these others)

ntuserDATfile

lawnAPP

Local Setups

Send To

NetHood

Templates

 

I opened My Recent Documents and :eek:-- you guessed it! There's all my missing files. It may sound like I did something funny when I saved things the last few months. But I swear, I have been saving to My Documents these past 2 months exactly the same way I've been doing it for years.

[BeeCeeBee]

We are going to have to get you set up properly now that we found the little critters. If you have any portable storage (big enough memory stick, blank dvds or better yet a portable hard drive) I would backup all my data.

 

I am convinced that there was another account and it was corrupted or removed when you suffered your malware attack. My recent documents does not discriminate but get them into My Documents asap

[struggling]

I'm a little less than clear here. By "back up all my data", do you mean the entire hard drive, or just My Documents?

 

"My recent documents...get them into my documents asap" Do you mean to drag and drop them into the My Documents folder?

 

The only portable storage I have just now is blank CD-RWs. Sometimes my CD/DVD drive will recognize a blank CD, and sometimes it won't. If necessary I could get to town and buy a thumb drive. ( I keep my Quicken on those and they never fail to work)

 

Are we just trying to save my documents, or something more?

[BeeCeeBee]

I would suggest a portable hard drive but a memory stick, flash drive or thumb drive will do for now just make sure that your documents are safely backed up before you start moving them around.

 

A portable drive is about the size of a wallet and far greater capacity then any stick. They are also far more versatile. CDs and DVDs are fine but not if burning is unreliable.

 

Have you tried to save a new document yet? Where does it wind up?

[struggling]

OK, gotcha. I'll go to town tomorrow and get something.

 

I just saved a test file and it wound up in My Recent Documents.

 

I've learned so many new things here the last several days. You can count on me headin' to the donate button right shortly. :)

[BeeCeeBee]

That's great. We have to get it to stop doing that but get the backup first. I really would not trust the sticks for any long term storage and portable hard drives have really come down in price. Unless you are a big user I would not be talked into paying extra for a large capacity HD. Mine is only 180GB (considered small) and it will be a long time before it is even close to full.

[BeeCeeBee]

I know that you are having difficulties saving your files so that you can move on.

 

I want you to try the same thing with your E drive but in "Safe Mode"

 

The way you do that is shut down and reboot or restart your computer and as soon as it starts before any windows screen appears start tapping on F8. I f it goes into normal windows, try again.

 

You will get a black screen with a choice of start up options. Select safe mode or safe mode with network and let that load. It will look strange and everything will be larger but what you need to use will work for you. Safe mode will only load essential drivers so that it is likely that whatever is effecting you may not even load.

 

Now see if the computer will recognize your E drive (or F) and if so move your file there and get back to us.

Edited December 22, 2008 by BeeCeeBee

[struggling]

Same result in safe mode. E drive wil not read the CDs I burned and F drive says "please insert a drive into drive F" (it's already inserted).

[BeeCeeBee]

Sorry I did not mean for you to use the disc drive. I want you to try to use the external drives that you purchased (the sticks.)

 

If they are recognized by My Computer in safe mode (regardless of what drive letter they are assigned) you should be able to drag your documents onto them.

Edited December 22, 2008 by BeeCeeBee

[struggling]

I tested both the F drive (thumb or "stick") and the E drive (CDs) in safe mode. My Computer failed to recognize either.

 

Reason I tested E drive is that I had gotten it to burn CDs by using NIT CD & DVD Maker-gold, but My Computer won't open them.

 

Regarding the F drive: I insert the stick, computer makes sound to indicate it has received it, I go to My Computer and double click on F drive. Message pops up "Please insert disc into F Drive.

 

So I went to My Documents and looked for a way to do it there. File (unlike in Quicken) has no back up. A right click yields nothing either.

[BeeCeeBee]

Struggling

 

First are we at all sure that your documents are on these discs?

 

I don't understand what you mean when you say you tested E drive etc.

 

Please put the stick in a usb port, wait for the sound and then open my computer. Tell me what it shows, please. Indicate what it says for each drive starting with C

[struggling]

"Are we at all sure...? All I know is that the discs went spinning 'round, prompts appeared (such as disc is full, insert another) and it appeard to have done its job.

 

I "tested" the E drive by going to My Computer > E drive and trying to open the disc I had burned and put back in the drive.

 

Put the stick in a usb port, waitd for sound and opened my computer:

 

C: Acer, Documents & Settings, Program Files, Windows, Patch.rev, Book, DOTNETFIX, Support, Alrt_200.data DATA file, wps DAT file. Config.Ms, ELEMENTS, Sysinfo, CDAVFS user, DOCS, 1386, VALUEADD, CybDefinstall Info.

 

D: 12aaOa3cf253090279e260, 43dbe44daa6103e7a99aba4e, My Works, FREE PUPPIES.

[BeeCeeBee]

D: 12aaOa3cf253090279e260, 43dbe44daa6103e7a99aba4e, My Works, FREE PUPPIES.

 

I assume that is your disc. Since D is the dvd/cd drive.

 

Can you open it by clicking on it and see if the document are there?

 

If you already have just tell me.

[struggling]

This monster is doing enough strange things to drive any sane person crazy. It's as though the devil inside is sabbataging my efforts to get it fixed. Some of my posts are not sending and this last one --- it posted before I could finish it. The rest of its antics could fill a book. I described C: and D:

 

Here's what was left out:

 

D: I described in the last post what is in there (2 series of numbers, My Works, FREE PUPPIES).

 

i was surprised there's anything in there, since I've never known how to use it.

 

E: Blank - empty page.

 

On my computer C is the main hard drive. D is another hard drive, partitioned off. E is my CD/DVD drive. F is the usb port. That should help clear up some confusion for you.

 

F: Please insert a disc into drive F

[BeeCeeBee]

Do you know how to do a screenshot?

[struggling]

D drive contains:

 

1. (long series of numbers and letters) This is a very long document that seems to be describing things that have been done to the computer. One of the phrases in it that caught my attention was "disabling shutdown".

 

2. Update Folder is blank

 

3. My Works Folder is blank

 

4. FREE PUPPIES This is an ad I created in Word

[struggling]

I have instructions to do a screen shot. I will try. What do you want the shot of?

[BeeCeeBee]

Do you know how to do a screenshot?

 

I think you missed that

[BeeCeeBee]

This is what I want you to do.

 

 

1. Put the disk that may or may not contain documents into the disc drive.
   
2. Put the memory stick in a working usb port.
   
3. Go to my computer and right click on the icon
   
4. click on MANAGE in the menu that appears.
   
5. Look down the left side and click on Disk Managment
   
6. Maximise and do a screen shot.
   
7. If you can go back to the left side and click on removable strorage and do the same thing (screenshot)
   

Post them both (the first is more important right now) and let us look.

[struggling]

I started following instructions in you last post. Got as far as right clicking on the icon in My Computer and could not find "Manage" in the menu or in sub-menus.

 

Then a thunder bolt hit me. Maybe the new thumb drive is defective? So I opened the other new one and tried it. It found new hardware and prompted me to install software for usb mass storage devices. Windows said, "NO,NO,NO!!! This hasn't passed windows logo testing and may impair or destabilize your stytem!" That's when I remembered ---I chickened out at that point with the first new thumb drive. Then, of course---swamped with so many other issues---,forgot all about it. No wonder the pc wouldn't recognize the new thumb drives!

 

I figured the machine is so unstable at this point, what's the difference? And jumped right in.

 

Guess what? I now have backup!!!! :D:D:D

 

For now I don't want to worry about the CD drive. Just want to stay on track.

 

Ready to proceed when you are, Sir.

Edited December 22, 2008 by struggling

[BeeCeeBee]

Thank goodness for that! Now put it somewhere far away from that machine of yours.

 

When you did your our malware program did you have McAfee running at the same time?

 

In preperation for whatever comes next I would suggest the following:

 

1. Uninstall that cd burning program that you are using.

2. Go to add or remove programs in control panel and uninstall any toolbars or other downloaded programs that you know you don't use.

3. Try the screenshot again. Go to start and right click on the my computer Icon that is right there. If you use the classic view then the icon on the desktop.

 

A small menu should appear the 4th item down should say manage. (Open-explore-search-manage) once there you should have no problem finding the rest. You can also get to the screen by going to control Panel, administrative tools, computer management,and finally disk management on the left. Your account must be set as administrator for either path to work.

 

I would also disable McAfee and run the whole malware program again. I know that is a pain but if it helps get rid of some of the mess it will be worth it.

:)

Edited December 23, 2008 by BeeCeeBee