weird XP desktop folder problem

Carter · 19 Nov 2007 at 21:22

Hi, my brother has a dell dimension 9150, windows xp, can't remember if pro or home. Anyway, if you create a folder on the desktop, then put anykind of file into it, the files 'disappear', that is you can't see anything in the folder. If you right-click the folder - properties, it shows that there is something in there, you just cannot see it. also if you extract a zip file onto the desktop, the contents just disappear. If you create a folder anywhere else it behaves as expected.

So, any clues

audiolab · 19 Nov 2007 at 21:45

Never heard of that one before but it sounds like a user profile problem. Does it happen if you log on as different user? Try creating a new account and see if it happens on that, could also be to do with permissions but it is a strange one.

Carter · 19 Nov 2007 at 22:02

Thanks, there is another profile on there, his wife's, I'll try that one.

audiolab · 19 Nov 2007 at 22:58

Give it a go, I will talk to the Windows support guys at work tomorrow and see if any of them have encountered this before.

Good Luck.

Carter · 19 Nov 2007 at 22:58

Thanks

audiolab · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:14

Asked around in work today and no one had came across this problem before. I couldn't recreate it either. Did you get a chance to try it while logged on as another user?

swinnie · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:19

Could it be that windows does not allow files to be written to the desktop and next time it logs on or something it deletes them?

audiolab · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:29

Your guess is as good as mine, don't know why it wouldn't allow writing of files other than because of a profile/permissions problem.

Carter · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:31

Hi, no I have not been to see him yet, I've been busy fixing another

I've got some more RAM coming for it, plus I'm going to do a complete reinstall for him [lucky me] sometime in the next 7 days or so.

audiolab · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:46

That will definitely solve it....

Would be curious to know the outcome if you get a change to try it before you hose and reinstall. If not then don't worry about it.

Good luck.

Carter · 20 Nov 2007 at 19:47

Yes, I'll have a play first, see what i can find. He has a few issues with it, 2 years old, so it is in need of a good clean out.