Local Settings and Applications Data Folders Disappeared

I am using windows xp sp2. My local settings folder, and application data folders have disappeared from the follow paths:

1.) C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings

2.) C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data

3.) C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data

Interestingly enough my .pst (Outlook files) are still under C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook , as are other folders contained under the paths in items 1,2,3 above. However, while a click on my C drive reveals my user folder, when I open it, the folders in items 1,2,3 above are not revealed.

If I use a search program and use *.pst , my outlook folder appears under the search and opens just fine.

Is there a way to recover the above mentioned folders to reveal in the normal paths? Can I recover them without doing a restore, recovery, or reformat? My restore is turned off. Thanks in advance for any input.

Tarheelfan001

 

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your quick response. I had thought of that too. The only one I still had checked was hide protected operating system files. I unchecked it too, but still the folders in question are not showing . Any more suggestions?

Thanks,
Tarheelfan001

 

Hi Steve,

Yes I am logging in as I always have. I have only my original account which is obviously an administrator account, and guest account (which is turned off).

A little more info for you, not sure if it is of significance, but, when opening the documents and settings folder, there a now two folders, my user account folder, and an all users account folder. In the past (before the problem appeared as contained in this post), there was a third folder in the documents and settings folder (called "default user" or "default users ") not sure if it was plural or not. Now that folder is missing too.

Thanks,
Tarheelfan001

 

Found cause AND solution to the problem

Hi Steve,

It appears I was a victim of my own demise (embarrassed). I recently installed a small freeware program called "free hide folder ". I set it up and used as described. It seemed to work fine. However, I didn't realize some of the default behaviors the program started automatically on install.

This program hid my local settings and applications data folders, along with default users folder. Also, it would not allow me to change some of my folder view options. It worked fine related to hiding the folders I asked it manually to hide. My oversight coupled with over zealous default behaviors of the program were the genesis of all problems related to this post.

Anyway, after uninstalling, presto! magically my folders reappeared and I can once again change my folder options.

Thanks for your efforts in trying to help me solve this problem,

Tarheelfan001