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Question

My C:\Windows folder appears empty, but cannot be.

Sep 21, 2012 6:09AM PDT

It says "0 objects" in My Computer. I have all the "view" options set correctly (display system folders, folder is not hidden). A warning message I used to get on opening the folder no longer appears either. I am the administrator. Help?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Actually that's proper.
Sep 21, 2012 6:22AM PDT

Because folk had a tendency to destroy their installed OS, the first time you look it does that.

As to your comment about the Admin, that's not a "God" account. Admin accounts must obey permissions and more.

Try a new admin account and take care in what you do to answer those prompts.
Bob

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Tried it
Sep 21, 2012 8:35AM PDT

Thanks for the tip, but it didn't work.

That warning message used to come on every time; when I acknowledged, then it would display the contents. Now it doesn't come up and all I see is the empty folder.

The new account had the same result. The only prompt or option I had was to make it an admin or a limited user.

Other ideas?

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Just a little discussion to read.
Sep 21, 2012 9:16AM PDT
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/137921-45-administrator-folders-files-user-account covers all the articles about permissions and more. This also applies to the Windows folder.

But before we go dabbling with that, be sure there is no root kit infection. A few weeks ago I encountered a very nasty "ZeroAccess" infection and sadly, because they didn't have the Windows media I could not remove it. They decided to get a new PC over that one.

Grif's advice at http://forums.cnet.com/7726-6132_102-5098912.html?tag=posts;msg5099421 helped as the root kit was spotted in seconds with RKILL.

Also, you can always go old fashioned with the command line and DIR C:\WINDOWS /A
Bob
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It's fixed!
Sep 23, 2012 4:40AM PDT

First I tried the CMD prompt. Same error; it said the directory was empty.

Next I tried the infection cleaners suggested in your link. Side benefits: I now have free and great anti-walware and anti spyware software, plus they both found a few things and removed them. But the problem was still there.

Next I tried the ownership and permissions thing. Side benefit: I now know a lot more about how to manage ownership and permissions than I used to. But I also found that I already had all the ownership and permissions. Still no fix.

On a whim, as I was poking around dealing with the permissions, I found in the C: drive folder properties a Tools tab that included the Check Disk tool. I'd already long before done a "run chkdsk" but this one was apparently more thorough. Long story short, after I used this tool with all the options turned on, my problem was gone!

Bob, thanks so much for your time and assistance. I hope this thread can help someone else if they have these symptoms.