"My Pictures" Disappeared - Computer Help Needed

[MOPARHOUND!]

Know just enough about computers to find my way around on the internet, but troubleshooting is another story.

I have Windows XP. 

Tried to save a picture onto my PC today from the digital camera, and no option for "My Pictures", which used to be within "My Documents", was given as in the past.  Also notice many of the documents I had created within "My Documents" are not showing up either.

Tried to upload a picture to a post of mine here on the board, and after clicking "Browse", no option for "My Pictures" turned up in the window as normally would be the case.

I have the Norton Anti-Virus software installed, and it shows running normally.

Tried restarting the computer, and still no sign of "My Pictures".

Help?? 

[Ponch ®]

is the folder missing altogether, or just when you try to download the pics from the camera?

[MOPARHOUND!]

If I click on "My Documents" icon on what I believe is termed the Desk Top?? and it brings up what I believe are some sub-folders (files?) with some icons listed next to the file/folder names.  "My Pictures" would show as a selection.  Not there any more.

[Ponch ®]

1 - check your recycle bin. you might have accidentaly deleted it.  if its there, right click and then click on "restore"

2 - if its not there, it is possible that you (or someone using the computer) might have accidentally 'dragged' the folder into another folder. that means it didnt get deleted, but just moved somewhere else. You can either try to look in every folder in "My documents" and see if the Pictures folder is there, or you can run a search for the folder (or better yet- a file in the folder if you can remember the exact name, like "Charger.jpg") using the "find" or "search" function in your "Start" menu.

that's all I can think of...it is also possible that it might be a "hidden" folder now, but that takes more than an "accident" to do.

[MOPARHOUND!]

If I click on the Recycle Bin icon, it comes up as a blank screen??  I don't know if Norton would periodically empty this??  I do delete my temporary files every other day, to eliminate the possibilty of any conflicts they may have with other software on my computer.

Tried a search with the terms My Pictures, but nothing came up.  Will try to search using some picture file names I have uploaded onto the site before my current problem.

Update:  Tried searching using the search for file with part of a file name.  Used my pic name from the Garage Sale section, CraftsmanHugePolishedWrenchSet.jpg , but nothing came up on the search of all files and folders???

[Ponch ®]

If I click on the Recycle Bin icon, it comes up as a blank screen??  I don't know if Norton would periodically empty this??  I do delete my temporary files every other day, to eliminate the possibilty of any conflicts they may have with other software on my computer.

Tried a search with the terms My Pictures, but nothing came up.  Will try to search using some picture file names I have uploaded onto the site before my current problem.

I do know if Norton does it or not. Maybe if you do a "disk clean up" when you delete your temp files - sometimes it'll clear the recycle bin too if that's how you have it set up.

Try the name search. if that doesnt work, i have another idea.

[MOPARHOUND!]

Okay, I expanded my search to "Hidden Files" and it found the CraftsmanHugePolishedWrenchSet.jpg
picture, but it does not show the pic, just a microsoft looking symbol with the picture name beneath it.

Tried to open it, but message came up that "Your current security settings do not allow you to perform system commands on this item" .

[Ponch ®]

Okay, I expanded my search to "Hidden Files" and it found the CraftsmanHugePolishedWrenchSet.jpg
picture, but it does not show the pic, just a microsoft looking symbol with the picture name beneath it.

Tried to open it, but message came up that "Your current security settings do not allow you to perform system commands on this item" .

ok..if its a hidden folder, this is what you do.

go back to your desktop, then "my documents" (where you used to see the folder"). up top, click on "view", then click on "Folder options" from that menu. Within the "folder options" pop up you get, there should be another "view" tab. In that view tab, there is an option that says "show hidden files and folders". select that. If your 'my pictures' folder does show up, right click on it, and under "properties" de-select the "hidden" option. You should be able to see it. Then you can go back to the begining of this process and select "do not show hidden files or folders" again. Otherwise you'll see a bunch of system stuff you dont want to mess with.

Im going to lunch but ill be back in about half an hour. Hopefully youll find it or someone else here can give you other ideas.

[MOPARHOUND!]

ok..if its a hidden folder, this is what you do.

go back to your desktop, then "my documents" (where you used to see the folder"). up top, click on "view", then click on "Folder options" from that menu. Within the "folder options" pop up you get, there should be another "view" tab. In that view tab, there is an option that says "show hidden files and folders". select that. If your 'my pictures' folder does show up, right click on it, and under "properties" de-select the "hidden" option. You should be able to see it. Then you can go back to the begining of this process and select "do not show hidden files or folders" again. Otherwise you'll see a bunch of system stuff you dont want to mess with.

I got as far as the "show hidden files and folders", it was already selected with a dot in the circle beside that title on my screen.  Should I be seeing or looking for a a separate window with the hidden files listed in it??

[Ponch ®]

I got as far as the "show hidden files and folders", it was already selected with a dot in the circle beside that title on my screen.  Should I be seeing or looking for a a separate window with the hidden files listed in it??

hmmm...then all the files should be showing. that's weird.

run the search again using that filename you used earlier. when you find it, right click on it, then properties. It should tell you the exact location of the file...it will look something like "c:/my documents/my pictures/CraftsmanHugePolishedWrenchSet.jpg"

let's see where the file is.

[MOPARHOUND!]

I cut and pasted what it showed under properties:


file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Lonnie/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/Tools/CraftsmanHugePolishedWrenchSet.jpg

I don't recall the %20 being in any file names??

[Ponch ®]

paste this onto the "address bar" thingie at the top of the windows explorer (or "my documents") window:

C:/Documents and Settings/Lonnie/My Documents/My Pictures

lets see what happens.

[MOPARHOUND!]

It gave me a "Cannot Find" message in a Microsoft Internet Explorer window???  Something about -Make sure the path or internet address is correct???

[Ponch ®]

It gave me a "Cannot Find Message" in a Micorsoft Internet Explorer window???

damn...im stumped man. I'm no expert by any means, but I just walked you through every step I would have tried if i were in the same situation.

the only thing I can think of at this point is that your anti-virus found something in that folder and quarantined it, but I dont know enough about AV software to tell you more. Maybe someone else with more expertise can jump in.

[MOPARHOUND!]

Is there a way of changing the security settings?  Say from low to medium to high?

[Ponch ®]

Is there a way of changing the security settings?  Say from low to medium to high?

there might be. Im not familiar with Norton though.

[Shakey]

Ponch - you're a good man for trying so hard to help.

Lonnie - I am no whiz with the computers either but something similar has happened at work this past week.

I had some selling price caluculations (Excel) and I kept getting a message saying that the file was unavailable or moved - which was not the case.

Turns out that my path:

F/Sales/On&OffRoad/ExistingCustomers/UnitedStates/XXXXXX/XXXXXX/Quotes/SellingPriceCalculations/CurrentProductsSellingPriceCalculationsJune2006

was far too long.  I have been told that there is a maximum number of characters for a file path and the example above, is too long.

I am not sure if that is the case with your situation, but the size of the name of that picture you mention, may have something to do with it.  Try shortening it.  I don't know why it would not let you access all of your other photos.

[MOPARHOUND!]

Still stumped - who would of thought my computer would "hide" my pictures from me......LOL??

[Brock Samson]

 same thing happened to my music files on my old computer... 1,400 songs.. "not found"
I never did find them either, I took my old puter to work and the systems folks tried for two days to restore my files and never could and there were very sharp people woking on it to no avail...
I finally gave up in frustration and bought a new computer... good luck with that,.. really a pisser!

[MOPARHOUND!]

Latest.....

Right clicked on one of my photos here on the site to save the picture.

The window Save Picture came up on my screen, with My Documents in the box.  Thought I would try to create a new folder within My Documents for pictures.  Clicked on the little icon for Create New Folder in the Save Picture window.

In the past a little box would show up prompting you to enter the new folders name.

Now, I get the error message:

Unable to create the folder 'New Folder'
Data error (cyclic redundancy check).




It did however allow me to save the picture as it's own file within My Documents. 

Still trying to find the old pictures.....what a riddle........

[MOPARHOUND!]

Tried the Defragment Computer deal.

It showed moving picture file after picture file of the pic's I can't access, so they have to still be on the hard drive somewhere.

Also, when it was done, there was a report showing 30 picture files it could not "defragment", all were "My Picture" files.

The riddle continues........