I was on hold for 40 minutes with a "supervisor" with absolutely no help, whatsoever. Great job, Microsoft.

The issue is: I'll create a new folder in documents, save a file in it, check that it's actually there... and the next time I turn on the computer, the file and folder are gone. I have done a search for the file and folder, and both turn up missing. The search says "shortcut missing or unavailable", or some nonsense like that. It's ONLY documents, I don't have that issue in Pictures, Music, or anything else.

1) why are my folders missing?

2) how do I get that information back?

I spent FOREVER making a spreadsheet and I don't want all that info to be lost.

Hi,

For the missing file, I am not sure if we can get it back.

First, I would like to help you fix the issue that we cannot create folder and file in Document.

Since this issue can be caused by corrupted system files, please use System File Checker tool to troubleshoot this issue.

Run CMD as admin and type following command:

SFC /SCANNOW
 
If the issue persists, import the following registry key and see if the issue can be resolved.
 
First, please refer to this knowledge base (KB) article to back up the registry key. After backing up the registry, please follow the steps below to import the registry:
 
1. Click Start, type Notepad in the Search bar and pres ENTER.
2. Copy the following commands and then paste them into the open Notepad window.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}]
@="CLSID_ExecuteFolder"
"LocalizedString"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,33,00,30,00,33,00,30,00,39,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,65,00,78,00,\
  70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,66,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,65,00,2e,00,64,\
  00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\New]
@="{D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder]
"ContentViewModeForBrowse"="prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.DateModified"
"ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse"="delta"
@="Folder"
"ContentViewModeForSearch"="prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;System.DateModified;~System.ItemFolderPathDisplay"
"ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch"="alpha"
"EditFlags"=hex:d2,03,00,00
"FullDetails"="prop:System.PropGroup.Description;System.ItemNameDisplay;System.ItemTypeText;System.Size;System.HomeGroupSharingStatus"
"ThumbnailCutoff"=dword:00000000
"NoRecentDocs"=""
"TileInfo"="prop:System.Title;System.HomeGroupSharingStatus"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,33,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore]
"ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=""
"LaunchExplorerFlags"=dword:00000018
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open]
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
  65,00,00,00
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewprocess]
"LaunchExplorerFlags"=dword:00000003
"MUIVerb"="@shell32.dll,-8518"
"ExplorerHost"="{ceff45ee-c862-41de-aee2-a022c81eda92}"
"Extended"=""
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewprocess\command]
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewwindow]
"OnlyInBrowserWindow"=""
"LaunchExplorerFlags"=dword:00000001
"MUIVerb"="@shell32.dll,-8517"
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewwindow\command]
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\7-Zip]
@="{23170F69-40C1-278A-1000-000100020000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\BriefcaseMenu]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Library Location]
@="{3dad6c5d-2167-4cae-9914-f99e41c12cfa}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen]
@="{470C0EBD-5D73-4d58-9CED-E91E22E23282}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\QQShellExt]
@="{53D2405C-48AB-4C8A-8F59-CE0610F13BBC}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers\{BD472F60-27FA-11cf-B8B4-444553540000}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\BriefcasePage]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellNew]
"ItemName"="@shell32.dll,-30396"
"IconPath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
  00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,33,00,\
  00,00
"Directory"=""
"MenuText"="@shell32.dll,-30317"
"NonLFNFileSpec"="@shell32.dll,-30319"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellNew\Config]
"IsFolder"=""
"AllDrives"=""
"NoExtension"=""

3. After pasting the above commands, please click File on the menu and click Save.
4. Type in NewFolder.reg as the file name, select to save the file on the Desktop. Click Save.
5. Go to the Desktop, and double click NewFolder.reg. A dialog box will pop-up saying "Are you sure you want to add the information in fix.reg to the registry?". Click Yes to confirm.
 
Note: Administrative privileges are required to perform the above steps. Please click "Continue" when the User Account Control dialog-box appears.
 
Hope this helps.

I spent FOREVER making a spreadsheet and I don't want all that info to be lost.

Check with an Office forum to see if they have any ideas about being able to use its undo files.

FWIW this problem used to occur to people who would try updating documents that they had received via E-mail, not realizing that the attachment had been opened from the TIF and any changes to it would be saved there, only to be deleted when the originating E-mail message was closed.  Unfortunately you can not search the TIF in the normal way when you try using File Explorer but you could use a dir command in a cmd window to be more certain about whether you would have found it if it was there to be found.

These days a new wrinkle is that sometimes files are being saved "in the cloud" or backed up who knows where.  Those would be other possibilities to investigate before concluding that your work has vanished unrecoverably.

Goo