Urgent: Folder disappeared from external HDD

[jason2074]

You need to burn the ISO image using a media software or if in Windows 7. the built-in burning feature.

[ThatGuy11200]

I tried another cd and it worked.  I booted up Puppy Linux and ... it didn't work.

It loaded to desktop and the cursor moved around but I couldn't select anything or do anything.  I tried it a few times.  The clock didn't even change so it must have crashed.

I'm not going to waste more of my time today.  I'll try downloading some other Linux crap on Monday, to see if actaully works.

[jason2074]

Try this in command prompt by copy-pasting and run as administrator. The external drive should be connected and recognized.

attrib -H -R -S G:\* /S /D

[strollin]

Do you recall any of the data file names?  If so, I would try searching for one of those files.  Instead of suspecting that something hid the files or the entire folder, I would suspect that the folder is actually within some folder and not where you thought it was.

[ThatGuy11200]

Try this in command prompt by copy-pasting and run as administrator. The external drive should be connected and recognized.

attrib -H -R -S G:\* /S /D

It didn't work.

Do you recall any of the data file names?  If so, I would try searching for one of those files.  Instead of suspecting that something hid the files or the entire folder, I would suspect that the folder is actually within some folder and not where you thought it was.

It isn't in another folder.  I previously copied the entire drive (i.e. right click on Drive G: in This Computer, then copy) to my desktop.  But that only copied 28.2GB, rather than the 80 or so GB that This Computer is saying is on their.

[patio]

Why would you copy that much data to the Desktop ? ?

I fear that's the issue right there....

[ThatGuy11200]

I did that after I had the problem.  I didn't want to lose anything else.

[Gonz!]

There is a virus/worm that hides your folders and while they are still there, they are unreachable.  I iad that happen to me in a couple of USB drives before, what I did was open then on a Mac, got my information out, and deleted any .exe files that you don't recognize.  That got rid of the problem for me.  Good Luck.

[ThatGuy11200]

I don't hav a Mac and I don't know anyone that has one, either.

I just tried Knoppix and that couldn't find the folder either.

A few of you have mentioned a virus but the folder only disappeared after Windows went to sleep.  It also isn't the first time this has happened to this drive, though the last time was many years ago ( maybe 4 or 5 years ago).

[jason2074]

See http://en.kioskea.net/faq/4210-how-to-remove-autorun-inf-file

[ThatGuy11200]

Update: I just used Auslogics Disk Defrag to analyse the drive.  It found the missing files in $Recycle.bin.  The entire filepath is the same except for the initial folder (the one that vanished).

For example.  The initial folder name was 'Games'.  A file that was in G:\Games\KotOR\... is now in G:\$RECYCLE.BIN\S-1-5-21-3837688345-3605417749-2742955248-500\KotOR\...

It won't open the containing folder and neither Recuva nor TestDisk can see the files.  When I open the Recycle Bin on the desktop, there appears to be no files there.

Any suggestions?

[PCdoc]

Hi,

Like Gonz said, there are some malwares that hide folder on your external drive. If you haven't tried yet, open my computer > Tools > Folder Options > click View Tab > under advanced settings, uncheck "Hide protected operating system files {Recommended}". and select "show hidden files and folders". Click Apply and then Ok to close the box.
In your external drive, you may see some hidden folders or drive with there icons fade out. Click on them, check to see if you can see the missing files?

[ThatGuy11200]

I still can't see them.

I find it hard to believe that Auslogics Disk Defrag can see them (it can see their size, their filepath, their name) but I can't get to them.

As I understand the malware, it hides the files when the drive starts up.  But that isn't what happened.  The folder was there.  I know it was there because I checked.  I went away for a while and when I came back Windows was asleep.  I woke it up, moved the cursor over the folder and it said 0kb.  I double clicked on it and it said that the filepath didn't exist.  I then unplugged it, plugged it back in and the folder was gone.

[patio]

Have you tried SafeMode ? ?

[ThatGuy11200]

It's one of the first things I tried and I just tried it again but it didn't work.