Solve : Urgent: Folder disappeared from external HDD?

1.	Solve : Urgent: Folder disappeared from external HDD?
Answer» Not sure if this is the correct place for this. I had my external HDD plugged into my PC. I went away and did something else for a while and when I came back the computer had gone to SLEEP. When it came back on, I tried to go into a folder in the eHDD and a message appeared saying the filepath didn't exist. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and now the folder is gone completely. However, when I look at the drive, it seems that Windows is still detecting the data there, because the same amount of space is in use. About 60GB is missing because of that one folder. I'm using Windows 8.1 and the HDD is a Buffalo 1TB HD that's formatted as NTFS. Quote About 60GB is missing because of that one folder. That sounds bad. You may wish to check the manufacturers site for a suitable diagnostic program. There have been reports of some users having trouble with external USB drives. Here is a link to another forum where a similar issue was considered. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/276751-32-buffalo-external-hard-drive-problem Also, you may need to use a partition recovery program. Here is one: http://www.minitool-partitionrecovery.com/ Use of any recovery tool has risk involved. It is a free tool. I found another forum where this problem was fixed for some people. But it didn't work for me. http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/view-folders-external-hard-disk/ The first suggestion was: "Go to Control Panel->Appearance and Personalization->Folder Options In view tab check show hidden file and also show protect folder of system on “Start” –>Run–>type cmd and click on OK. if your hard drive as G: Enter this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d g:. Then check if your real files will be showed" When I tried that it didn't seem to do anything. I even tried Recuva and TestDisk but neither found any deleted files. Even though I know I've deleted files on the eHDD. This isn't actually the first time this has happened, although it was years ago, and only affected a few files.I just tried copying the entire drive to my internal HDD. Despite the G: drive saying it has 85GB of used space, it only copied 28GB, which is the total size of the visible folders.Another suggestion. Use a 'Live' Linux CD to boot your computer. Then see if you can mount the USB drive. In some cases the Linux system can see the drive. Reason unknown. Also, in Linux, start up GParted. Or make a bookable CD kith GParted http://gparted.org/ Quote GParted is a free partition editor for graphically managing your disk partitions. With GParted you can resize, copy, and move partitions without data loss, enabling you to: Grow or shrink your C: drive Create space for new operating systems Attempt data rescue from lost partitions Sometimes it works. I'll try that but it isn't a case that the drive can't be seen by the computer. It's just that particular folder. Can you suggest which version of Linux to use?Hi there, I believe the files are still there, but had gone invisible. The attrib command was a good option, because sometimes really solves the issue. Check the drive on another PC and with another USB cable. I would try to take ownership of that folder from the Security tab in Properties. I LEAVE details below. Using a Linux Live CD is another option, which may give you access to those files. I believe that versions here do not really matter. If you access your data, do a backup and format the drive. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx – how to take ownership of a folder Hope this helpsI'll try that later. I've currently got Recuva doing a deep scan which will take another 7 hours. Also I won't be able to try another cable, it has a usb at one end and a larger connector (one that I've never seen before or since) at the other end. I've already taken ownership of the drive. I had to in order to get the attrib command to work. Quote from: R2D2_WD on October 21, 2014, 01:42:56 AM Hi there, I believe the files are still there, but had gone invisible. The attrib command was a good option, because sometimes really solves the issue. Check the drive on another PC and with another USB cable. I would try to take ownership of that folder from the Security tab in Properties. I leave details below. Using a Linux Live CD is another option, which may give you access to those files. I believe that versions here do not really matter. If you access your data, do a backup and format the drive. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx – how to take ownership of a folder Hope this helps 1) How do files "go invisible"? 2) Taking ownership has nothing to do with files disappearing, only the ability to access the files.Hi, Allan I have seen many cases, where users can not see the content of their external drives/pen drives without any particular reason, but they can confirm that the space on the drive is used, meaning that the files are still on the drive, but can not be seen. Sometimes this happens after OS updates, because of HDD issues, software issues, ANTI virus restrictions (after an update) or ownership changes. Some of these may happen without the authorization of the user (like auto updates). I think the files are actually there. Some users report that taking ownership helps, so that is why I suggested it. Quote on “Start” –>Run–>type cmd and click on OK. if your hard drive as G: Enter this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d g:. Then check if your real files will be showed" When I tried that it didn't seem to do anything. Try following the exact commands including run as administrator when opening cmd prompt http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-623304-hidden-files-on-my-hard-disk Quote from: jason2074 on October 21, 2014, 08:19:59 AM Try following the exact commands including run as administrator when opening cmd prompt http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-623304-hidden-files-on-my-hard-disk It didn't work. The Recuva deep scan also didn't FIND the folder, and when I used the drive on another computer the folder still wasn't there, but the computer could still detect the space being used. Quote from: Allan on October 21, 2014, 05:52:49 AM 1) How do files "go invisible"? 2) Taking ownership has nothing to do with files disappearing, only the ability to access the files. Malware can and does hide data on a USB drive. This has been documented.. The OP may need to go to the virus forum and get some needed help there. One one many references: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2253176/hidden-data-trick-could-be-malware-writers-boon Did you try Tools - Folder Options - Unhide in Windows Explorer of the external drive?After waiting all this time to get some CD-Rs delivered, it seems my computer can't even burn anything to disc. I downloaded Puppy Linux, inserted the CD-R and tried to format it and it says "Windows was unable to COMPLETE the formatting", or I get the error 0xc0aa0402 when I try to burn it to the disc.

Answer»

Not sure if this is the correct place for this.

I had my external HDD plugged into my PC. I went away and did something else for a while and when I came back the computer had gone to SLEEP. When it came back on, I tried to go into a folder in the eHDD and a message appeared saying the filepath didn't exist. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and now the folder is gone completely. However, when I look at the drive, it seems that Windows is still detecting the data there, because the same amount of space is in use.

About 60GB is missing because of that one folder.

I'm using Windows 8.1 and the HDD is a Buffalo 1TB HD that's formatted as NTFS. Quote

About 60GB is missing because of that one folder.

That sounds bad.
You may wish to check the manufacturers site for a suitable diagnostic program.

There have been reports of some users having trouble with external USB drives. Here is a link to another forum where a similar issue was considered.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/276751-32-buffalo-external-hard-drive-problem

Also, you may need to use a partition recovery program.
Here is one:
http://www.minitool-partitionrecovery.com/
Use of any recovery tool has risk involved. It is a free tool.

I found another forum where this problem was fixed for some people. But it didn't work for me.

http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/view-folders-external-hard-disk/

The first suggestion was:

"Go to Control Panel->Appearance and Personalization->Folder Options
In view tab check show hidden file and also show protect folder of system

on “Start” –>Run–>type cmd and click on OK.
if your hard drive as G:
Enter this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d g:*.*
Then check if your real files will be showed"

When I tried that it didn't seem to do anything.

I even tried Recuva and TestDisk but neither found any deleted files. Even though I know I've deleted files on the eHDD.

This isn't actually the first time this has happened, although it was years ago, and only affected a few files.I just tried copying the entire drive to my internal HDD. Despite the G: drive saying it has 85GB of used space, it only copied 28GB, which is the total size of the visible folders.Another suggestion.
Use a 'Live' Linux CD to boot your computer. Then see if you can mount the USB drive. In some cases the Linux system can see the drive. Reason unknown.
Also, in Linux, start up GParted.
Or make a bookable CD kith GParted
http://gparted.org/
Quote

GParted is a free partition editor for graphically managing your disk partitions.
With GParted you can resize, copy, and move partitions without data loss, enabling you to:
Grow or shrink your C: drive
Create space for new operating systems
Attempt data rescue from lost partitions

Sometimes it works.

I'll try that but it isn't a case that the drive can't be seen by the computer. It's just that particular folder.

Can you suggest which version of Linux to use?Hi there,

I believe the files are still there, but had gone invisible. The attrib command was a good option, because sometimes really solves the issue. Check the drive on another PC and with another USB cable. I would try to take ownership of that folder from the Security tab in Properties. I LEAVE details below.
Using a Linux Live CD is another option, which may give you access to those files. I believe that versions here do not really matter. If you access your data, do a backup and format the drive.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx – how to take ownership of a folder

Hope this helpsI'll try that later. I've currently got Recuva doing a deep scan which will take another 7 hours. Also I won't be able to try another cable, it has a usb at one end and a larger connector (one that I've never seen before or since) at the other end.

I've already taken ownership of the drive. I had to in order to get the attrib command to work. Quote from: R2D2_WD on October 21, 2014, 01:42:56 AM

Hi there,

I believe the files are still there, but had gone invisible. The attrib command was a good option, because sometimes really solves the issue. Check the drive on another PC and with another USB cable. I would try to take ownership of that folder from the Security tab in Properties. I leave details below.
Using a Linux Live CD is another option, which may give you access to those files. I believe that versions here do not really matter. If you access your data, do a backup and format the drive.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx – how to take ownership of a folder

Hope this helps

1) How do files "go invisible"?
2) Taking ownership has nothing to do with files disappearing, only the ability to access the files.Hi, Allan

I have seen many cases, where users can not see the content of their external drives/pen drives without any particular reason, but they can confirm that the space on the drive is used, meaning that the files are still on the drive, but can not be seen. Sometimes this happens after OS updates, because of HDD issues, software issues, ANTI virus restrictions (after an update) or ownership changes. Some of these may happen without the authorization of the user (like auto updates). I think the files are actually there. Some users report that taking ownership helps, so that is why I suggested it. Quote

on “Start” –>Run–>type cmd and click on OK.
if your hard drive as G:
Enter this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d g:*.*
Then check if your real files will be showed"

When I tried that it didn't seem to do anything.

Try following the exact commands including run as administrator when opening cmd prompt
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-623304-hidden-files-on-my-hard-disk Quote from: jason2074 on October 21, 2014, 08:19:59 AM

Try following the exact commands including run as administrator when opening cmd prompt
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-623304-hidden-files-on-my-hard-disk

It didn't work.

The Recuva deep scan also didn't FIND the folder, and when I used the drive on another computer the folder still wasn't there, but the computer could still detect the space being used. Quote from: Allan on October 21, 2014, 05:52:49 AM

1) How do files "go invisible"?
2) Taking ownership has nothing to do with files disappearing, only the ability to access the files.

Malware can and does hide data on a USB drive. This has been documented.. ** The OP may need to go to the virus forum and get some needed help there.

** One one many references: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2253176/hidden-data-trick-could-be-malware-writers-boon
Did you try Tools - Folder Options - Unhide in Windows Explorer of the external drive?After waiting all this time to get some CD-Rs delivered, it seems my computer can't even burn anything to disc.

I downloaded Puppy Linux, inserted the CD-R and tried to format it and it says "Windows was unable to COMPLETE the formatting", or I get the error 0xc0aa0402 when I try to burn it to the disc.

Solve : Urgent: Folder disappeared from external HDD?

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