Lost My Documents, Favorites etc.-corrupt profile

[br945]

I have two user profiles on the same PC with one (main user)having the administrator rights.

Today, when I attempted to log in as the main user, I got the following message: "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt local profile. If this problem persists, contact your network administrator."

I found one microsoft support note which suggests that a new profile needs to be created and the contents of the old profile except .dat files have to be copied in the new profile folders.

However, all my folders in the original profile including are EMPTY The My Documents folder has disappeared altogether.

I am unable to retrieve valuable files.

Can anyone who has actually faced the same problem and has successfully resolved it suggest a step wise procedure to locate where my files have disappeared.

By the way, I tried system restore operation to restore the system three days backward. yet, everything is the same and the folders are empty. so, i have undone the system restore. thanks

Secondly, I see in my C: disk under hidden files and folders, several folders named "FOUND.xxx" folders numbered 1 to 16. the last one "FOUND.016" was created around the same time that i lost my profile. It is large sized at 897 mb. I understand that it is same as CHK.xxx files and can be removed. But in view of the problem of missing folders and files, I am hesitant to remove it.


please advise on my main problem i.e. missing MY documents folder and other files.

FYI I HAVE WIN XP SP2
thanks

"br945" <br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I have two user profiles on the same PC with one (main user)having the
> administrator rights.
>
> Today, when I attempted to log in as the main user, I got the following
> message: "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible
> causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt
> local profile. If this problem persists, contact your network
> administrator."
>
> I found one microsoft support note which suggests that a new profile
> needs to be created and the contents of the old profile except .dat
> files have to be copied in the new profile folders.
>
> However, all my folders in the original profile including are EMPTY
> *The My Documents folder has disappeared altogether*.
>
> I am unable to retrieve valuable files.
>
> Can anyone *who has actually faced the same problem and has
> successfully resolved it *suggest a step wise procedure to locate where
> my files have disappeared.
>
> By the way, I tried system restore operation to restore the system
> three days backward. yet, everything is the same and the folders are
> empty. so, i have undone the system restore. thanks
>
> Secondly, I see in my C: disk under hidden files and folders, several
> folders named "FOUND.xxx" folders numbered 1 to 16. the last one
> "FOUND.016" was created around the same time that i lost my profile. It
> is large sized at 897 mb. I understand that it is same as CHK.xxx files
> and can be removed. But in view of the problem of missing folders and
> files, I am hesitant to remove it.
>
>
> please advise on my main problem i.e. missing MY documents folder and
> other files.
>
> FYI I HAVE WIN XP SP2
> thanks
>



Due to a drive error or improper shutdown,
all your missing data has infact been converted to "chk" files.

If you do not have a backup you are in serious trouble.

Your best hope is to stop using the machine
and get the drive to a data recovery expert...however the price is going to
be *very* high...
so hopefully you have a backup.

Fixing your file system may be impossible. But, some options to move
forward include:

(1) If XP home, boot into safe and use the built-in, but usually hidden,
administrator to create a new user with admin rights. Then boot back into
normal windows mode as that new user. Uninstall/reinstall all programs you
want this new user to have. If a program is not really "installed", meaning
has a bunch of registry entries, you can grant access to it by simply making
a link to its executable file.

(2) Try recovering files from CHK.xxx files: But, be aware that most
CHK.xxx files contain incomplete and/or corrupted information. Thus, the
odds are small of actually getting back all, or even most, of you files that
have been converted to CHK.xxx.

http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/chkmate.htm
http://www.ericphelps.com/uncheck/
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/...-and-scandisk/

(3) Try to recover some files using a program that can find files from
their bit patterns. These are commonly called file recovery programs. If
the bits are still on disk, and not yet overwritten (or corrupted), some
files may be recovered. Try to use a program that runs form a CD or USB
stick. If you install anything on the PC, you run the risk of overwriting a
file, whose space is no longer shown in the master file table. Here are
some possible programs:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads38.html

(4) Save all personal files and info you can find to an external hard drive
or CDs/DVDs. Then, do a clean install of XP (if you installed XP from a CD)
or do a system restoration per the manufacturer's instructions (if XP came
pre-installed). If you do the former, first partition the hard drive into
at least two chunk, one for XP and programs, and one for personal data.
This will help you handle future problems easier.

(5) Learn from this experience. (a) have a backup of all personal data off
of the PC. (b) have a partition image of the operating system and installed
programs and a program that can restore it without having to boot into XP.
The classic program of this kind is Norton GHOST, but I prefer Acronis
TrueImage. See below for links to some backup/recovery software. (c) have
a backup of the Documents and Settings area, such as can be made by
ntbackup.exe, a Microsoft program that comes with XP. In a few cases this
can avoid the need for a full backup of the partition with the operating
system. But, it only runs from within XP, so is not all that useful if XP
will not boot.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads3.html



"br945" <br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I have two user profiles on the same PC with one (main user)having the
> administrator rights.
>
> Today, when I attempted to log in as the main user, I got the following
> message: "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible
> causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt
> local profile. If this problem persists, contact your network
> administrator."
>
> I found one microsoft support note which suggests that a new profile
> needs to be created and the contents of the old profile except .dat
> files have to be copied in the new profile folders.
>
> However, all my folders in the original profile including are EMPTY
> *The My Documents folder has disappeared altogether*.
>
> I am unable to retrieve valuable files.
>
> Can anyone *who has actually faced the same problem and has
> successfully resolved it *suggest a step wise procedure to locate where
> my files have disappeared.
>
> By the way, I tried system restore operation to restore the system
> three days backward. yet, everything is the same and the folders are
> empty. so, i have undone the system restore. thanks
>
> Secondly, I see in my C: disk under hidden files and folders, several
> folders named "FOUND.xxx" folders numbered 1 to 16. the last one
> "FOUND.016" was created around the same time that i lost my profile. It
> is large sized at 897 mb. I understand that it is same as CHK.xxx files
> and can be removed. But in view of the problem of missing folders and
> files, I am hesitant to remove it.
>
>
> please advise on my main problem i.e. missing MY documents folder and
> other files.
>
> FYI I HAVE WIN XP SP2
> thanks
>
>
> --
> br945
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> br945's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/br945.htm
> View this thread:
> Lost My Documents, Favorites etc.-corrupt profile
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>

[br945]

Thas really sad.

Is there a way to reconvert the .chk files?

"br945" <br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I have two user profiles on the same PC with one (main user)having the
> administrator rights.
>
> Today, when I attempted to log in as the main user, I got the following
> message: "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible
> causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt
> local profile. If this problem persists, contact your network
> administrator."
>
> I found one microsoft support note which suggests that a new profile
> needs to be created and the contents of the old profile except .dat
> files have to be copied in the new profile folders.
>
> However, all my folders in the original profile including are EMPTY
> *The My Documents folder has disappeared altogether*.
>
> I am unable to retrieve valuable files.
>
> Can anyone *who has actually faced the same problem and has
> successfully resolved it *suggest a step wise procedure to locate where
> my files have disappeared.

STOP using the system! That is the first step.

> By the way, I tried system restore operation to restore the system
> three days backward. yet, everything is the same and the folders are
> empty. so, i have undone the system restore. thanks

System Restore isn't of any use in a situation like this. It does not deal
with user data.



> Secondly, I see in my C: disk under hidden files and folders, several
> folders named "FOUND.xxx" folders numbered 1 to 16. the last one
> "FOUND.016" was created around the same time that i lost my profile. It
> is large sized at 897 mb. I understand that it is same as CHK.xxx files
> and can be removed. But in view of the problem of missing folders and
> files, I am hesitant to remove it.

You are prudent to do so, because that is likely where they are.

> please advise on my main problem i.e. missing MY documents folder and
> other files.

If you've run into this level of problem, start with suspecting that the
drive has serious problems and you have a significant data recovery task.

Turn the PC off and do not run it again until you install a new hard disk
and install XP and drivers to it. Yes, you have to start over.

Then, you can attach the old hard disk and copy the files you can find.
Install data recovery software *to the new drive* and point it to the old
drive, and let it see what it can find. Do not write *anything* to that
drive.

Unfortunately there are no guarantees, except this one: you will make the
problem worse if you continue to use the same drive.

HTH
-pk





>
> FYI I HAVE WIN XP SP2
> thanks
>
>
> --
> br945
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> br945's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/br945.htm
> View this thread:
> Lost My Documents, Favorites etc.-corrupt profile
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>

Could it be that you need to "take ownership" of the old profile folder
before you can see any of the files.
Neil
"br945" <br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:br945.3hiz7d@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I have two user profiles on the same PC with one (main user)having the
> administrator rights.
>
> Today, when I attempted to log in as the main user, I got the following
> message: "Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible
> causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt
> local profile. If this problem persists, contact your network
> administrator."
>
> I found one microsoft support note which suggests that a new profile
> needs to be created and the contents of the old profile except .dat
> files have to be copied in the new profile folders.
>
> However, all my folders in the original profile including are EMPTY
> *The My Documents folder has disappeared altogether*.
>
> I am unable to retrieve valuable files.
>
> Can anyone *who has actually faced the same problem and has
> successfully resolved it *suggest a step wise procedure to locate where
> my files have disappeared.
>
> By the way, I tried system restore operation to restore the system
> three days backward. yet, everything is the same and the folders are
> empty. so, i have undone the system restore. thanks
>
> Secondly, I see in my C: disk under hidden files and folders, several
> folders named "FOUND.xxx" folders numbered 1 to 16. the last one
> "FOUND.016" was created around the same time that i lost my profile. It
> is large sized at 897 mb. I understand that it is same as CHK.xxx files
> and can be removed. But in view of the problem of missing folders and
> files, I am hesitant to remove it.
>
>
> please advise on my main problem i.e. missing MY documents folder and
> other files.
>
> FYI I HAVE WIN XP SP2
> thanks
>
>
> --
> br945
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> br945's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/br945.htm
> View this thread:
> Lost My Documents, Favorites etc.-corrupt profile
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>

[br945]

[quote=Bob Harris;4033977]Fixing your file system may be impossible. But, some options to move
forward include:

(1) If XP home, boot into safe and use the built-in, but usually hidden,
administrator to create a new user with admin rights. Then boot back into
normal windows mode as that new user. Uninstall/reinstall all programs you
want this new user to have. If a program is not really "installed", meaning
has a bunch of registry entries, you can grant access to it by simply making
a link to its executable file.

(2) Try recovering files from CHK.xxx files: But, be aware that most
CHK.xxx files contain incomplete and/or corrupted information. Thus, the
odds are small of actually getting back all, or even most, of you files that
have been converted to CHK.xxx.

http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/chkmate.htm
http://www.ericphelps.com/uncheck/
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/...-and-scandisk/

(3) Try to recover some files using a program that can find files from
their bit patterns. These are commonly called file recovery programs. If
the bits are still on disk, and not yet overwritten (or corrupted), some
files may be recovered. Try to use a program that runs form a CD or USB
stick. If you install anything on the PC, you run the risk of overwriting a
file, whose space is no longer shown in the master file table. Here are
some possible programs:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads38.html

(4) Save all personal files and info you can find to an external hard drive
or CDs/DVDs. Then, do a clean install of XP (if you installed XP from a CD)
or do a system restoration per the manufacturer's instructions (if XP came
pre-installed). If you do the former, first partition the hard drive into
at least two chunk, one for XP and programs, and one for personal data.
This will help you handle future problems easier.

(5) Learn from this experience. (a) have a backup of all personal data off
of the PC. (b) have a partition image of the operating system and installed
programs and a program that can restore it without having to boot into XP.
The classic program of this kind is Norton GHOST, but I prefer Acronis
TrueImage. See below for links to some backup/recovery software. (c) have
a backup of the Documents and Settings area, such as can be made by
ntbackup.exe, a Microsoft program that comes with XP. In a few cases this
can avoid the need for a full backup of the partition with the operating
system. But, it only runs from within XP, so is not all that useful if XP
will not boot.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads3.html



Thanks for a detailed explanation. as regards chk-mate, i tried it but it generates txt files which are gibberish. the erich phlps uncheck requires some scipt. i do have vb6 in my windows/system32 but the program still says that i require scripting which should be donwloaded from msdn.microsoft.

as regards not using the drive, do you mean the physcial drive or only the specific partition? i have four partitions c,d,e, and f. the main one is c:.

thanks a lot. i am trying to learn, the hard way.