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Windows 7 desktop and file content drastically changed from shut down to reboot.

Friday shutdown, computer not used undel today. Bootup and the entire desktop view if different.
The start menu is missing most icons it had Friday.
The desktop only has program icons.
Looking in documents no files exist.
On the desktop we have 10-15 folders and many were hundreds of photos of all items in the house and list of contents.
These inventory project took several months.

I can only access Irfanfiew for these screen shots by using search > run.

Something very wrong and everything was fine before shutdown Friday and today upon boot, everything different and with a look in documents there is nothing in there.

I have not tried a system restore.

The 2nd image here is after clicking on Microsoft picture manager to crop the first photo.
What caused that.

Windows 7 Lenovo ThinkCentre.

I knew something was very wrong when i saw the desktop. All folders with hundreds of photos are missing from the desktop.
Pending further look around I'll post the question.


We do have Trend Micro.


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I entered my password as normal. The icons along the bottom are different and the background along the bottom is black.
Icons normally used like Google and IE are not in the start menu. The Street Smart Edge layout was all different as if the program has just been installed as all windows and the layout are totally wrong. I did have a saved layout from Nov. and went there and it is ok.

Shut down (power off), start up and at the login screen, make sure you are logging in as you.
..............name and password...........The system has been off since last shutdown.

No strange programs installed that had not been on the system for weeks.
I did have a saved layout from Nov. and went there and it is ok.  So is the computer running properly now? Something may have happened when you shut down last (no way to know now). The only reasons for a change like this are (a) temporary profile (common) or (b) viruses or malware. Do a virus scan for sure.
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Is the PC part of an AD domain? If so, are you properly connected to the Domain, are the DC's reachable? Are you using roaming profiles? Have the Domain Admins changed something?

I'd also say it is a profile problem.
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It was as if I was turning on a new computer for the first time. The download folder is empty. The icons along the bottom are too large with black background. All folders missing from "documents."

I downloaded and ran Malwarebytes last week and it found some items. I have the text of that scan on the desktop and it's not there, Maybe hidden somewhere.
Trend Micro is scanning 24/7

All programs I am logged out. Logged out of EE.
I just looked in the printer folder. An HP 1300 printer is the default and it was set on the 895 before today.
It looks like all history was deleted.

"Recent places" is empty. All document holders are empty.
The download folder is empty.

I had a folder on the desktop that contained 3-4 Lenovo specific programs (utility, maintenance) etc. and that folder is gone.

I use the ISP web mail and have Yahoo and Hotmail accounts so all those should be un-affected.

I got this first image when trying to open a photo using Microsoft Picture Manager.
I was able to locate some of the household photos by start > enter bed.... so it seems the folders and files are hidden.

I can not do a system restore until 4pm.

The only way to open Irfanview is to use the start > search method. It's not on the desktop as are other programs and Irfanview is not in the start menu or in "all programs."

John
I did have a saved layout from Nov. and went there and it is ok.  
................that layout was for Street Smart Edge and the layout when the program was opened was 100% wrong. I had not saved a layout from before Dec. except a Nov. 16 layout so it recovered 75% of what was there Feb. 3rd.

So is the computer running properly now?
................It seems to be but all folders, images, etc. are seemingly hidden somewhere. And I do not recall the first few letters of each one to be able to find then via search > enter same.

Something may have happened when you shut down last (no way to know now). The only reasons for a change like this are (a) temporary profile (common) or (b) viruses or malware. Do a virus scan for sure.
----------------------------I ran a Malwarebytes scan and the text of the results was on the desktop and now not "seen" as it may be hidden somewhere like the folders appear to be, and Trend Micro runs once a day and in the background.

I have had "changes" upon bootup over the years but nothing of this magnitude. Everything was normal when the system was turned off Friday pm.
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rindi:
Is the PC part of an AD domain? If so, are you properly connected to the Domain, are the DC's reachable? Are you using roaming profiles? Have the Domain Admins changed something?
.............none of that applies.

It looks like the documents are here but only accessed by going to the C drive.
Here are the users in the C drive.

I can do a system restore and Malwarebytes at 4pm.

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Go to Folder Options in the control panel and tell it to show hidden files so you can see them then run Explorer and look at C:\Users.

I'll bet there is a new username folder and, with any luck at all, another that has all of your files in it.
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I'm going back to the top and take ideas one by one.

John: I logged in normally with the user name and password that "came" with the system.

The only reasons for a change like this are (a) temporary profile (common) or (b) viruses or malware. Do a virus scan for sure.
.................I did not change anything between shutdown and boot up today. The "Nov. layout was on SSE to get to a layout that resembled what I had last week. The layout shown to me was "as if" I have downloaded the program for the first time. Alot of things act like it is a system that has never been used before. All bookmarks for Chrome and IE are gone. All histories are gone. All auto fill windows are empty.
I can run a Malwarebyte scan at 4pm. Trend Micro works 24 hours a day in the background.
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I've never seen before (except possible when Office 2077 was installed aback in Nov. or Dec.) the Welcome to Office system shown 2nd image above.
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Davis:
I can check the event log after 4pm and I can do a system restore. Would a system restore give me back all my bookmarks? After moving from Vista to 7 I look all bookmarks for failure to ..............

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Bill,
Open Windows Explorer and go to C:\Users.
How many user folders do you see?
............I did that and the results are above.

Go to the Start Menu > Run and type in   CMD
What path does it show?  It should start in  the currently logged-on user's profile folder.
..............I can do that after 4pm.

I see nothing in rindi's comments that applies as far as I know. Not familiar with those terms.
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Davis:
I went to folder opens and in the "navigation" put a check mark beside "show all folders" and saw no good or bad results.
Here you see I changed both settings to the other and saw no results. So I changed them back.
 
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Below you see what look like all my files and photos and folders. I have to look in the C drive to find them.
In the second image there are 717 files. That is what is missing.

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My comments. The entire desktop theme changed upon boot up. The current one has a large Windows logo in the middle of the screen.
The back ground of the bottom tool bar is not what I had but it is a color I can live with.
Upon boot the theme I got is seen in my first image at the top. I did go to personalize to try to pick a new one. I do not know which one I had prior.

Here is the current theme and it is a light blue than at the top but not desiring the logo.

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Why do I have to go to start > and search for Irfanview that way? It's not showing anywhere except in the control panel under programs to be removed. If I do have a photo to edit I can right click and get to Irfanview that way.

So first I'll run a Malwarebyte scan. Then consider system restore.

Loss of bookmarks is very unfortunate because I had no record of them.
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So reboot may nullify the Temp login by returning to normal login in page?

I got a login page and entered my user name and password. I do not remember anything different or a different looking login screen.

Malwarebytes found nothing and neither did Trend Micro.

In my documents folder after boot this morning was Visual Studio 2010. I've never installed that and no knowledge what it is.

I have searched for folders and files by name and do find them. Search for bookmarks and favorites = nothing yet.

********* I rebooted the same way as always. Control + alt + delete key. Then enter user name and password and click on the arrow. It did take a while to reach the desktop just now but it did. All I've lost is a Word document created a couple hours ago.
Everything else seems normal.
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Reboot fixed it............


John,
Are you certain it started with your Account. It may have started with a temporary profile.

Shut down (power off), start up and at the login screen, make sure you are logging in as you.

............How would that have been done? Typed my own name wrong? That should have resulted in a failed login.
How to start with a temp profile?
................ to close the question..........
If you type your name wrong more than once, you might get a temporary profile. I have seen that.

Reboot fixed it............   That often fixes things like this.
Just additional comments on this thread.  (No points allocation to me please).

Make sure you have your data backed up to an external disk.  In case this happens again.  And quite probably it will.

I've had this happen to me several times.  Windows 7 and 10 seem to be more prone to this than XP ever was.  Improper shutdowns, power cuts usually cause this.  And yeah, unexplained times it has happened.  Possibly after an update?  But it does happen.
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Thank you Nick