Lost Account? files/programmes missing

Mayfly · 26 Dec 2023

Morning all. HP Envy 17in W10, all updates installed 3yr old. It started with a problem with email, when I wanted to open one down the list it opened all those above, so closed the email client and tried again but it happened again it so rebooted. When laptop started again it looks and behaves as tho' it has dumped my account. Desktop different layout, task bar icons missing as are some programmes, even some files on my USB I was working on. To me a layperson, it appears as tho' the memory has just dumped somethings but not all. I reinstalled and setup laptop up as I wanted but after shutting down it's dumped icons and programmes again. I can add icons to task bar but they just disappear when I try to open them. If I put it to sleep it's fine on waking. I assume it's hardware? But would like your opinions. Happy to buy another laptop but would like some insight to as to what has possibly gone wrong. I know the info is a bit vague but it all happened out of the blue, no errors or warnings.

dalchina · 26 Dec 2023

It started with a problem with email

- sounds like malware...

I reinstalled

Before you started reinstalling, did you wipe the disk?

To check, do at least boot your PC from a freshly created installation disk (not one you'd bought cheaply and had for a while e.g.) and delete all existing Windows partitions before proceeding with the installation?

After the installation you should have had no previously installed programs or user files present.

Note: once again- the way to give you a routine recovery path to getting things back up 'as was' is to routinely and regularly use 3rd party disk imaging - image files saved to e.g. a large enough USB disk, which is then stored securely and off line.

Had you been doing that, a clean install would not have been necessary.

What security program(s) do you use?

Presumably you have checked your disk (e.g. Crystal Diskinfo, Hard Disk Sentinel - covers SSDs too).
Thanks.

Mayfly · 26 Dec 2023

When I said I reinstalled I meant the dumped programmes. I haven't touched W10 at all, it is as it was at manufacture install plus any updates since new.

Then only thing I save to my hard drive is programmes etc, all my photos, files and stuff are saved to an external drive but it has dumped some things I've done in October from it.

I use malwarebytes, (full paid for version) it scans twice daily no malware/viruses/quarantines detected since June 2021. The emails I wanted to open are trusted regular emails, not junk. All was working fine one minute - not the next, no downloads in between times and as said previously no error notices.

dalchina · 26 Dec 2023

Thank you very much for your reply and your clarification.

I reinstalled and setup laptop up as I wanted

=> that sounds so much like a casual description of reinstalling Win 10. If you are precise in what you say, hopefully you'll get something useful more quickly.

Again:

Presumably you have checked your disk (e.g. Crystal Diskinfo, Hard Disk Sentinel - covers SSDs too).
Thanks.

I'm guessing you haven't, so please try that and advise the outcome.

If that passes, then from an admin command prompt run
chkdsk c: /scan
If ok, similarly run
SFC /SCANNOW

In both cases look at the end of the report on screen. Don't post the whole thing.

Thanks.

Mayfly · 26 Dec 2023

Thanks for your help tho' I did say I was a layman lol

Assuming I've done it right
This is from Hard Disk Sentinel
Performance 100% Perfect
Health 100% Perfect
The hard disk status is PERFECT. Problematic or weak sectors were not found and there are no spin up or data transfer errors.
No actions needed.

Report from CMD Prompt run
Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

SFC/SCANNOW showed this...
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at
windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline
repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag.

dalchina · 26 Dec 2023

That's a good start, establishing basics. (It was never intended to solve your particular problem - just a basic check).

If you have Fast Startup enabled, please disable it. That sometimes causes problems.
I don't know what sort of disk you have (not in your specs); if it's a SSD, Fast Startup makes only a little difference anyway.

Assuming you've still lost some programs, then try reinstalling one that you lost, and reboot- see if it's still there.

Are the programs that 'disappeared' MS Store apps, or ones you downloaded and then installed?

Other than a user being logged in with a temporary profile I can't think of a case where what you describe has happened.