How is it that executables just vanish?

I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find. Thinking
maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they are
completely missing from the whole hard drive.

This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.

I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day) and
never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I did
a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
viruses.


JimL

---
The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's running it.

inkleput@isp.com wrote:
> How is it that executables just vanish?
>
> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find.
> Thinking maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run
> Agent Ransack and they are completely missing from the whole
> hard drive.
>
> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>
> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day)
> and never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might
> I did a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found
> no viruses.

If it is only happening to you (and I can say I have not heard of it
happening to anyone else) - then it is something unique to you/your
system/those using your system and you should troubleshoot accordingly.

When you say "EXE's", can you be more specific? Is it any/all EXE's or is
it particular applications?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

<inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
> How is it that executables just vanish?
>
> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find.
> Thinking
> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they
> are
> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>
> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>
> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day)
> and
> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I
> did
> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
> viruses.

Have you used System Restore by any chance? If certain recent files,
incuding .exe files, are not in "safe" directories, they will be lost if
you perform a System Restore. That's why I place them in a folder in My
Documents.

Files dont vanish without user imput

<inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
> How is it that executables just vanish?
>
> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find. Thinking
> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they are
> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>
> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>
> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day) and
> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I did
> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
> viruses.
>
>
> JimL
>
> ---
> The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's
> running it.

"DL" <address@invalid> wrote in message
news:ec8BymuHJHA.4816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Files dont vanish without user imput
>
> <inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
> news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
>> How is it that executables just vanish?
>>
>> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find. Thinking
>> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they
>> are
>> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>>
>> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>>
>> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day) and
>> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I did
>> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
>> viruses.
>>
>>
>> JimL
>>
>> ---
>> The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's
>> running it.
>
>

But the *input* can be direct (he selected a file and pressed "Delete") or
indirect (some other program he's installed (or got infected with) is
somehow doing it). Let's go for the latter, eh? Any ideas that will actually
help?

"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@gmail.com> said:



>inkleput@isp.com wrote:
>> How is it that executables just vanish?
>>
>> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find.
>> Thinking maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run
>> Agent Ransack and they are completely missing from the whole
>> hard drive.
>>
>> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>>
>> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day)
>> and never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might
>> I did a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found
>> no viruses.

>If it is only happening to you (and I can say I have not heard of it
>happening to anyone else) - then it is something unique to you/your
>system/those using your system and you should troubleshoot accordingly.

>When you say "EXE's", can you be more specific? Is it any/all EXE's or
>is it particular applications?

I just had the spider solitaire game disappear for the second time.
(Other games disappeared previously, but not this time.) RealPlayer
disappeared once. Actually I've had configuration files disappear, as
well as exe's. As for other specifics I blame my rotten memory.


JimL

---
The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's running it.

"Daave" <dcwashNOSPAM@myrealboxXYZ.invalid> said:



><inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
>news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
>> How is it that executables just vanish?
>>
>> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find.
>> Thinking
>> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they
>> are
>> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>>
>> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>>
>> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day)
>> and
>> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I
>> did
>> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
>> viruses.

>Have you used System Restore by any chance? If certain recent files,
>incuding .exe files, are not in "safe" directories, they will be lost if
>you perform a System Restore. That's why I place them in a folder in My
>Documents.

As a matter of fact I tried a restore to see if I could get the last one
back. I did not. But that one was nothing recent.

Of course there is the fact that my system tells me I will NOT lose recent
additions if I restore...


JimL

---
The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's running it.

Great! I'll tell my computer. I should have remembered. Years ago a
utility company clerk told me that computers never make mistakes. Why
can't I keep that in my head!? I'll be more careful about my imput.

"DL" <address@invalid> said:

>Files dont vanish without user imput

><inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
>news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
>> How is it that executables just vanish?
>>
>> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find. Thinking
>> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they are
>> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>>
>> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>>
>> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day) and
>> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I did
>> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
>> viruses.

JimL

---
The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's running it.

"Olórin" <incanus@erkljrjre890aeraekj4na.com> said:



>"DL" <address@invalid> wrote in message
>news:ec8BymuHJHA.4816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Files dont vanish without user imput
>>
>> <inkleput@isp.com> wrote in message
>> news:48da6414$1$vaxyrchg$mr2ice@news.isp.com...
>>> How is it that executables just vanish?
>>>
>>> I've had operational programs the system suddenly can't find. Thinking
>>> maybe the paths got messed up (registry?) I run Agent Ransack and they
>>> are
>>> completely missing from the whole hard drive.
>>>
>>> This has happened half a dozen times in the last year.
>>>
>>> I run AVG 8 Full at least once a day (Updated more than once a day) and
>>> never find any viruses. (I also use anti-spyware) Just last might I did
>>> a full system scan (as opposed to a faster smart scan) and found no
>>> viruses.
>>>
>>>
>>> JimL
>>>
>>> ---
>>> The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's
>>> running it.
>>
>>

>But the *input* can be direct (he selected a file and pressed "Delete") or
>indirect (some other program he's installed (or got infected with) is
>somehow doing it). Let's go for the latter, eh? Any ideas that will actually
>help?

Right. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a rogue program. Recently my browser put a .tmp file on my hard drive. Within a few minutes at most it wrote 7 gb into my documents folder, stopping only when it ran out of hard disk space.


JimL

---
The ONLY thing wrong with our economy is the hundreds of crooked CEO's running it.

inkleput@isp.com wrote:

>
> I just had the spider solitaire game disappear for the second time.
> (Other games disappeared previously, but not this time.) RealPlayer
> disappeared once. Actually I've had configuration files disappear, as
> well as exe's. As for other specifics I blame my rotten memory.

Are the actual ".exe" files disappearing, or just the shortcuts?

Windows XP does have a utility that periodically takes shortcuts off the
desktop that haven't been used for a while. The utility moves the
shortcuts to an "Unused desktop Shortcuts" folder. It's normally
possible to drag the shortcuts back out of that folder or use the RIGHT
mouse button to drag copies of the shortcuts from the "Start" button menu.

Consider activating the task bar's "Quicklaunch" tool bar. You can
launch applications from there without minimizing windows the way it's
often necessary to do to access shortcuts on the desktop. As normal you
can use the right mouse button to drag copies of shortcuts to the
Quicklaunch tool bar.

The task bar has a handy "Links" tool bar for your top web site
favorites too.