Things just keep deleting

Discussion in 'HP / Compaq' started by cheekymunkee, Jul 8, 2016.

  1. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi there, newbie here but quite technical, so hopefully any help will be understood ;-)

    Have a friend who is having trouble with her laptop - I've just got hold of it to have a look.

    It's an HP Pavilion G6 - about 4 years old, has hardly had any use tbh, the usual Itunes use and documents / music, that's it.

    For some reason on the desktop (it seems to be just here) folders and shortcuts just delete themselves or when you click on them once it comes up with the notification box (not always, sometimes it just deletes) "you need Admin access, do you want to delete this file" - you click OK and poof it's gone!!

    I've run Malwarebytes - all clean and also Kaspersky 2016 full scan - all clear...

    Next step is to run a fresh install to Windows 7 (apparently someone tried a Win8.1 but it made no difference - she had that originally)

    Just wondered if anyone else had any other ideas to try???

    Many thanks
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 8, 2016
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  2. cheekymunkee

    something back

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    Welcome to the laptop-forums site

    Well this seems to be a tricky one

    Have you tried to recover from an earlier point,this may help you recover
    some of the deleted folders and files. “The earlier the better”

    It does seem to point to some kind of virus, or rootkit.

    You may well have to do a full fresh install it could just be the fastest
    solution.

    If you do choose this root then format or use a drive eraser on the hard drive first.

    Don't forget that windows 10 free update is ending at the end of this month.
     
    something back, Jul 8, 2016
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  3. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi there, and thanks for the quick reply :)

    Well that's what I was thinking but the people who have looked at it before have run virus scans, as have I. She doesn't want Windows 10 (and I've gone back to Windows 7 I must say and so glad I did) so will run Win7 on hers I think, it's only to last a year then she'll be getting a new Laptop anyway but for now I just want to get her up and running.
    She's not worried about losing anything as she's managed to back up most of it - however I left a few files/folders on the desktop and it doesn't seem to have done anything, even when I've clicked about and on those files/folders they're still there - mighty odd LOL !!

    Can you just explain the order I would perform the tasks in please with regard to Drive eraser... I know how to change the boot order in the bios so that it reads my windows 7 disc on boot up, but what if I'm doing the drive eraser? That's a new bit to me...

    Thanks.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 8, 2016
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  4. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Only me :)

    Not sure if this is related but the time is wrong... I went into date/time settings and when I set it to London, Dublin etc (which is my area) it sets it an hour fast - yet when I set it to Rekyavik which I think is the one above (but also on 0 hours + or - then that reflects my current time) - something is not right there... however it's being good atm and not deleting anything.
    I've used iobit uninstaller to remove all toolbars, programs, additional crap tbh, and it's pretty much wiped clean now...
    This time thing is odd though...
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 8, 2016
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  5. cheekymunkee

    something back

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    All the trouble could be down to a faulty hard drive?

    May be the time resetting is an indication something went wrong.

    Do a surface scan

    Using a program called Aomei partition assistant standard

    http://www.disk-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html


    A great program that will help erase a hdd
    you will need to format the hdd after use.

    Active KillDisk (Free Version) 10.1.1

    http://www.freewarefiles.com/Active-KillDisk-V_program_2778.html

    or

    This is the same program listed above.

    AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 6.0
    With this one it's best to remove the hdd. and use a link cable


    This is the type of cable you need

    2.5" HDD USB to SATA Serial ATA 15+7 Adapter Cable

    EXAMPLE: This is one of many suppliers on ebay, always shop around

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB2-0-to...794194?hash=item5b21e6bed2:g:UpwAAOSwAuNW7sIK



    Iobit uninstaller IS A GOOD PROGRAM.
     
    something back, Jul 8, 2016
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  6. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi again

    Thanks for that... I'm going to hang fire until tomorrow before I do this - apparently others that have looked at it have replaced the hard drive, done scans, replaced keyboard etc just in case it was a stuck delete key bla bla - nothing worked... but for the last hour or so (I've left four folders and four files deliberately on the desktop to use as testers) nothing has been deleted. I've clicked them, opened them, moved them - nothing! Surfed the net with a new Chrome, gone back to desktop (oh, sorted out the time btw, the update setting was off) - I'[ve flushed the DNS as well as there was a security issue when browsing - but no malware or virus anywhere and that includes rootkit scans... So yes, I'll give it til tomorrow and reboot it a few times, turn it off for an hour and then on again and see what happens.
    It may have been a conflict with something that was installed (which I've since removed using iobit) - there were a few "game" things on there which always fill me with dread lol

    So yes, I'll keep you updated :) Many thanks for your help.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 8, 2016
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  7. cheekymunkee

    Corzhens

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    When a file or a folder is deleted, the first thing that comes to my mind is a stealth virus. That is the behavior of a sneaky malware that is hiding inside your hard disk. But since you have run a scan and found nothing, maybe it's not a malware after all. And if it not then this is the first time I've heard of such behavior for an OS to be deleting files and folders by itself. So again, we are back to that theory of... a virus. Sorry for my persistence.
     
    Corzhens, Jul 10, 2016
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  8. cheekymunkee

    IBMPC8088

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    It sounds either like a virus or a problem with the storage of the hard drive. If it is an early MMC/SD-card based system instead of a true SSD storage device, that kind of thing can happen...especially if there's a windows driver that is supposed to talk to the hardware and tell it how to work with a DMA buffer and have full capabilities of it as if it were a sata device attached...but that can backfire and totally send data to a black hole just as if it were an SSD device that were malfunctioning and not mapping a bad cell (on an SSD drive that has that issue, a bad cell can still be "written to", but can no longer be read from with a 0 value if it does. So if a file's data gets written to a bad cell, it becomes unreadable, and is almost like sending it to /dev/null on a unix system to delete it.

    If it's a magnetic drive, then that isn't usually the case since it works differently and doesn't have that issue most times (with or without S.M.A.R.T working), and is likely a rootkit or some other issue. Try to log in as Administrator and read and write test files to that account's desktop. If the files don't disappear or have any issues, then it's either a problem with permissions getting lost, blocking the file activities and getting lost in the FAT32 copy or NTFS stream...or a virus program that is getting loaded under the regular account that may not be present as a service when running as administrator.

    You could also try to use chkdsk and scan the drive to make sure there's no issues there with the file system that are getting hung up. If that doesn't turn up anything to fix or the problem continues, then try reformatting the drive (complete reformat, not just quick format which only resets the descriptors but not the file system or drive itself). Have it map and record any bad sectors if it's a magnetic drive to make sure it doesn't try to use them. Although data wouldn't be lost or a 0 value when trying to read in most cases, you'd get an error trying to read it back half the time if that's the case rather than it disappearing like it is doing now.

    If you reformat the drive (completely), reinstall Windows 7, and no longer have that issue...then it was likely a file system error or a hidden virus doing that. If it does persist though...consider replacing the drive and you shouldn't have that issue anymore.

    There's another (very rare) possibility that it could be a malfunction of the drive controller on the board, but that's extremely rare compared to the other possibilities it might be first.
     
    IBMPC8088, Jul 10, 2016
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  9. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi, me again,

    Everything was working fine yesterday, I had it running all day, put on lots of music etc, ran two more scans just to make sure, both anti virus and malware - nothing found! Also registry clean up bla bla, nothing found, running like new... turned it off last night.
    Just turned it on to check all is well and it's bloody doing it again... it's so weird. You click on an icon on the desktop and poof, it's gone!!

    People who looked at it before me tried another hard drive, Fresh install of windows, new keyboard, new ram, updated bios, cleaned motherboard, repasted CPU, cleaned fan etc etc - any other ideas??? It's 4 years old but has had hardly any use, the only thing that stands out is that it's not had a battery for 2 years (she's not bothered to get one) so it's just run on the charger, but that shouldn't make any difference I don't think... bloody typical, I've just ordered a new battery for it as well so I'm even more determined to fix it :(

    Begging for any advice please. Many thanks.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  10. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Actually, I've just powered it up again and if I hover the mouse over something on the desktop then that deletes it.. I am hovering the cursor over the APP tile which is bottom left of the screen on the taskbar but because you can't delete from there it's just flickering, but that's with just a hover, no clicking....
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  11. cheekymunkee

    something back

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    Note most of our members are part time users

    Well sorry to hear the problems are still with you.

    Sometimes it's going to be a process of trial, and error

    Take a look at the task manager, to do this right click on the task bar the click on the
    task manager. It will list what programs run and more important what company that
    software belongs to.

    See what runs at start up, right clicking on a certain line you can disable that program
    you can always go back and re-enable it.
     
    something back, Jul 11, 2016
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  12. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hey SB

    Only four things run on start up:

    1) HP Message Service
    2) ifgx Tray Module - Intel
    3) Power ISO -
    4) Synaptics Touchpad Enhancer

    Any of those likely to cause it? The odd thing of course is that it was perfectly fine for the last two days, only after a night it being turned off has it started to do it again today :(
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  13. cheekymunkee

    something back

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    No all of them should be fine.

    It's sounding more, and more like a software item

    Next thing to try, go to the control panel, and see what programs run
    if you have the original programs to re install

    You could try this program to fully uninstall them
    then see if the problem subside trial and error with these things.

    Wise program uninstaller

    http://www.freewarefiles.com/downloads_counter.php?programid=88833
     
    something back, Jul 11, 2016
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  14. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    I did all that when I got hold of the lappy - I went through using iobit uninstaller, removed everything including residual files and then installed only Malwarebytes and Kaspersky to do the scans again etc and MS Office, all of which are fine... it's this two day thing where there are no issues and then overnight and back today and bang it's back to square one that's so strange, I'm not even doing anything other than load the desktop - I know it's going to happen because when the laptop loads a picture appears, you click it and then it goes to the log on screen - however, when the problem is apparent the picture appears for just a smidge of a second and then it vanishes (just like the desktop icons that are being hovered over, and it goes to the log on screen.... it's so strange.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  15. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    I have to take my father out for the afternoon but will be back in a few hours.
    I really appreciate everyone's help...

    Thanks., be back later.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  16. cheekymunkee

    something back

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    With what you are indicating, could it be a driver conflict.

    Type in device manager in the search window,when you are in the section if you scroll down
    to the display adaptor driver then right click uninstall it then restart the machine
    try this with a few different drivers.

    Question did to reinstall the operating system using a clone program or did you install it from
    usb/dvd.

    You may have to remove each and every program one by one to identify the problem.

    Question 2 what was the screen picture shown the intermittent one?
     
    something back, Jul 11, 2016
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  17. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi, just had to pop back and then I have to go out again unfortunately, but, since leaving the laptop on desktop since lunchtime I can move around, click, hover, no problems whatsoever - go figure... I guess I could tell her to never turn the laptop off haha, but that won't satisfy my (or others I'm sure) curiosity as to what's causing it. If anything experience has told me that a cooler machine would have LESS things going on, not more - like an overheated fan etc can slow things down and when the machine is cool it's fine... so this is mighty odd.
    As for your questions, I'm not sure on the windows re-install as I didn't do that... the picture that displays before log on is the lock screen picture....
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 11, 2016
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  18. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi there

    Just an update... I've left it on all night and all day today again and no issues whatsoever - so it's an issue that only happens when it's been switched off for a long period of time, i.e. overnight. It happened yesterday and I left it, untouched (after it was playing up) then tested it on some blank folders about an hour or so later and all fine, it hasn't done it since... mind boggles.

    So, for now, I've told my friend to get a new lappy for work and keep this one for home and effectively as long as she doesn't turn it off (ok now she has a battery) then all will be fine :)

    Still be good to know what's causing it though, even for my own sanity lol

    Thanks again for all help.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 12, 2016
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  19. cheekymunkee

    hades_leae

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    I actually had a similar problem on my HP laptop, I created shortcuts that went missing, some folders would end up deleted somehow. I also had times when I created a folder and when I open it, I get a message saying that the folder no longer existed and when I tried to delete that same folder, I would get a message saying the folder is no longer in the same resource I was trying to delete it from.

    A pain.
     
    hades_leae, Jul 16, 2016
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  20. cheekymunkee

    cheekymunkee

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    Hi everyone

    Just wanted to give you an update - it was nothing more than the battery. Someone suggested the CMOS battery but because the laptop itself didn't have a battery at all there was nothing to keep it charged whilst it was off (a trickle charge would have occured with an installed battery to the cmos battery) - hence why when it was just turned off for a little while it was OK but when it was turned off for a long period (i.e. overnight) it drained the CMOS and started deleting things and changing the time (bios etc) - as soon as it was running for an hour or so untouched then it was fine and the CMOS battery was charged up by the charger!!

    So now it has a proper battery installed and it gets turned off every night and on the next day - all works perfectly!! I told her to get a new battery for it months ago - typical woman hahahhaa!!!

    Glad it's sorted now though and it took a few days for it to develop a "pattern" before it falling into place.

    Thanks again to all the suggestions, and advice, thought it would be nice to let you all know what it was :)

    Cheers.
     
    cheekymunkee, Jul 16, 2016
    #20
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