Full File Directory Tree

My previous question and this are not linked in any way. I am not responsible for this. A conspiracy theorist having a mental breakdown is, but thank you.

Right now a lot of things aren’t functioning correctly due to what they’ve done as it’s a mixture of operating system files and personal files that were affected. I recovered some items using recovery software before it froze up. Yes I am confident they are still there.

I need to manually appropriately allocate the system files, including driver files etc to appropriate folders and nest them correctly so I can proceed from there. As I can hopefully regain some of the functionality as I go and then move to an automated option. I can’t even remap as an option right now without creating random folders as they all came back into one folder with no path history and the files are titled using SHA-1 so I’d have to physically open each of them to really determine the purpose.

A functioning directory tree will eliminate my need to do that.

I know what I am asking for and yes, people can help me. What I need is for someone to run a command tree from a functioning version of Windows 10 (a bonus if they’re running on the same device) and just send me the information that’s just for Windows and any other system operating requirements ie Drivers that would normally sit directly off the main drive so that I can recreate the folders that the files are supposed to sit under. The event manager has been a small help but only for less than 1% so far as it’s only showing my issues it’s experienced due to not being able to complete a task and some of the pathways are nested too deeply for it to list in it’s entirety.

I can’t recover anymore until I do this. I can’t make partitions because it could overwrite the data I’m trying to recover. I just need a directory. If I want to “waste time” on it, surely isn’t that my decision? I just need the directory for Windows and system files, please

Well, yesterday I nearly delete my Program Files (x86) folder. Windows was lagging a lot possibly for a failed or dumb drivers updating attempt, I wasn't precise with the mouse, seconds afterwards two prompts appeared asking for admin permission to delete the folder I wanted to delete and Program Files (x86). The latter saved my Windows install, although I was doing a risky op and I had done a Windows drive image, which I ended up restoring and forgetting about my "risky op".

No install of Windows 10 in the world is 20 years old. You need to backup your important files. It's very advisable that you have them in a different not-Windows drive (even copying contents from the Windows drive to the data drive regularly, either manually or with the help of some app).

Are you having hard disk problems? Virus attack? There's a single thing to do to delete Program Files (x86) (or two, what saved my folder), but there's no possible user single action that can delete multiple files/folders randomly in the disk. A dying hard disk could certainly do such things (I suppose, I've never seen such event in first person, with dying USB sticks it was more about reported disk errors or no drive recognition by the system than a folder with say a.txt b.txt c.txt e.txt f.txt i.txt j.txt etc missing d.txt g.txt h.txt and other files).

If you're having a dying HD it's time to stop using it NOW and clone or image it. I mean running Windows (possibly a new install of it) and the cloning/imaging software from another drive in the same computer, and copying the data to this same other drive or a 3rd one like an USB stick.

In all other cases, the following two commands, in this order, run from the command prompt could repair your Windows install, they won't touch files that don't belong to Windows (neither files from other programs nor just data files):

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

SFC /scannow

If you follow Pentagon's route, there are programs that present a list of differences like SyncBack.

The computer and O/S aren’t that old, I’ve moved important files across and I no longer have the device they came from. The person who is responsible has mental health issues and I wasn’t aware they were doing it.

I’ve done DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth plus a ScanHealth and RestoreHealth and multiple SFC /scannow. I’ll try bringing a new copy of Windows on via an external and pasting across but not sure whether it will cooperate. Here’s hoping.

I'm sorry we appear to be unhelpful - but no person's directory tree will be the same as someone else's. There are standard locations for user files, but many users relocate them (as do I), not evryone has the same mix of programs installed, hardware drivers will be probably unique, and even Windows can vary a lot (W22H2 has a many build levels). If I created a listing of the 67,000-odd folders and contents (216,000 files) on my C: drive, how would that help you? I can't imagine you are going to go through the files one by one, trying to put whatever copies you have in the 'right' place.

Surely the 20-years worth of files (presumably user files) are unique to you, so what relevance does the location of my user files have? (they are on a separate partition). I know we seem to be deliberately avoiding providing you with the info you seek, but may I ask why you are not simply locating those 20-years of files (only you know what they are or may be called), and backing them up to an external device, eg USB stick. When you have located and copied them all, a re-install of Windows would seem best.

I now see it is just the Windows tree you want (post #11) - that is some 174,000 lines on my system when also showing the file names, 1.3MB when zipped up. Let's see if I can post it here...
win-tree-a.zip

I've no idea if that (W22H2 19045.4291) will be any use, if it even appears! Good luck, Martin

Thank you for the file! Fingers crossed! Yes, I’m not concerned with private file locations, just Windows.

SarahTGO said:

Thank you for the file! Fingers crossed! Yes, I’m not concerned with private file locations, just Windows.

Hi Sarah,

In that case, try to repair Windows 10 with an in-place upgrade. Here is the tutorial: Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

This will maintain your personal files and installed apps. Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

tecknot