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Question

Desktop issue with windows 7

Aug 16, 2016 10:02PM PDT

I am using Dell laptop with Windows 7 Pro

Today when i logged into my laptop as administrator all my desktop folders and files gone.

only default folders like recycle bin are there.

when i searched through windows explorer i found out that system is not pointing to default desktop folder which is under,

c:\users\administrator\desktop (here all my folders and directories are present. Can see through windows explorer)

instead

i found one administrator\desktop folder under my desktop folder which is strange. system is pointing to this desktop folder where only default desktop folder are available. Nothing else.

When i created new folder on my desktop it is showing under,

desktop\administrator\desktop

and not under

c:\users\administrator\desktop

I had pinned outlook to the taskbar. thats also gone.

What can be the issue and how to fix it.


One more issue, I had setup MS outlook on my laptop but now if i open it, it takes me to setup wizard.

Any help?

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Question. Do you normally use the admin account
Aug 17, 2016 2:19AM PDT

or use another account? This may sound like a stupid thing to ask but it needs to be ruled out. Each account will have a different desktop customized by that user. You didn't say what you might have tried but the obvious thing would be to use the system restore function selecting a time when you knew the admin desktop was as you remember it to be.

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Desktop issue win 7
Aug 17, 2016 5:46PM PDT

Yes. I normally logged in as administrator.
No haven't tried to restore the system.

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Desktop icons aren't usually files and folder
Aug 18, 2016 1:58AM PDT

These are links or shortcuts unless you copy or move them to the desktop...which is bad practice, IMO. If these were links to programs, it's easy enough to recreate them. If links to files and folders, those should still exist and Windows explorer will help find them. Some desktop icons are created for all users and are on ones desktop for that reason. As such, deleting them causes all users to lose them. Not knowing your habits or what you might have done to cause this, I suggested "system restore". This tool uses snapshots Windows takes of your system settings, configurations, etc. It doesn't backup files or folders but might keep links to them. You'll find it in the control panel under "Recovery". See if that works. You select a time that you know all was well. It's not foolproof but might be a first option. After that, I'd create another account and use it instead. Most recommendations I've seen suggest creating a second account with admin privileges and one for non-admin users. Use the non-admin account for purposes other than installing software and configuring the system. Also look at coming up with a good backup system if you don't have one. I use a disk imaging system for my hard drive and a simple manual system to back up documents, file downloads, pictures and such. This has saved me more than once.

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Desktop issue
Aug 21, 2016 7:36PM PDT

I rstored the system. That helped me . thank you.

I have kaspersky anti-vrus. After restore i cant install it.
Not sure if this is related.
It gives me error "Access to resource Admin$ or to the service manager on the client computer is blocked for the account under which this task is running. For additional details on the error see the task event log. To check access, open Admin$ on this client computer in Explorer run under the same account under which the task is running. If the resource is inaccessible, the task will be inactive either."

Any idea about it?

Thank you.

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Not much I can offer other than
Aug 22, 2016 5:14AM PDT

advise you to take this to Kaspersky support. I get hits when I google your message and these lead to their support site. My only experience with Kaspersky was in a school where an educational licensed version was used. I do remember thinking it's default settings were a bit too strict. I'd also wonder why you're installing it unless system restore broke it and whether or not your original problem was related to installing or updating the AV program. Some of these AV programs are notorious for their ability to cause more damage and frustration than the value of what they are supposed to provide.