Documents gone. Folder empty?

Hello N;

The upgrade almost assuredly did not delete any user file.

Did you use the upgrade facility?

Since you have a backup, retrieve the folder from there.

Barry

Ninda,

Well, the first obvious thing that comes to mind is: Can you find any of the files known to have been in the Documents folder using Spotlight? If so, where is the file located? Are all the rest of the contents that were once in Documents in the same location?

If you search and still come up empty, there is at least one other thing I can think of to try. Post back and let us know.

Scott

Ninda,

OK. Open Applications/Utilities/Terminal. At the prompt, copy and paste the text below into the Terminal window, followed by a <RETURN>:

<pre style="overflow:auto; font-family: 'Monaco'; font-size: 10px">sudo ls -ale ~/Documents</pre>

When you press <RETURN>, you will be asked for your admin password. Enter it (it will not be echoed), then again press <RETURN>. Please post the entire results from this command, including the command itself.

Scott

Ninda,

Hmmm, that's interesting. Well, it appears that you have a "Microsoft User Data" folder in there, at any rate. Can you see it in the Finder?

However, the info you have posted reveals a weeee little problem. You just upgraded to Snow Leopard, and from a Leopard that had been upgraded from Tiger. All with your HOME folder in place. The problem is that your HOME folder- and all of the files, all of the folders within it- has retained just a little "Tigerness" (yes, that's a real word!!).

Please go back to Terminal. Copy and paste the line below, followed by a <RETURN>:

<pre style="overflow:auto; font-family: 'Monaco'; font-size: 10px">id</pre>

Please post the results from this command, including the command itself.

Scott

Ninda,

Were there previously any other files or folders in the "Documents" folder other than this "Microsoft Users" folder? Did the Microsoft Users folder appear before you opened Messenger? Is there anything inside the Microsoft Users folder?

I don't see anything in your Documents folder other than that "MS Users" folder. Sorry. However, we can and should fix your "Tigerness." It may be interfering with other things. This might seem scary, but it is perfectly safe as long as you follow the instructions.

1) Open System Preferences>Accounts. Create a new account, and make it an admin account. Log out of your own account, then into the new admin account.

2) In the new admin account, again open System Preferences>Accounts. Unlock the padlock to make changes if necessary, entering the password for the account you are logged into. Select your old "Ninda" account, then click the "-" button at the bottom of the list. You will be asked what you want to do with your "Ninda" HOME folder. Leave it right where it is!!!. The choice to do this is "Do not change home folder." Do not archive it to a disk image, and definitely do not delete it!

3) Leaving the System Preferences>Accounts where it is, open Terminal. At the prompt, copy and paste the following line of text, followed by a <RETURN>:

<pre style="overflow:auto; font-family: 'Monaco'; font-size: 10px">sudo mv /Users/"Ninda (Deleted)" /Users/Ninda</pre>

When you press <RETURN>, you will be asked for your admin password. Enter it (it will not be echoed), then again press <RETURN>.

4) Now, leave Terminal open and go back to the System Preferences.Accounts window. At the bottom of the list, click the "+" button. Create a new account, and use the exact same username and short name as you had before on your own account. Your short name will be "Ninda." Make sure it stays the same. Set your password, then confirm to create the account. A dialogue will appear, telling you that a home folder with this short name already exists, and asking if you want to use this home folder for the new account. You do! Click the "OK" button. Finally, make sure that you give your own account admin status. Check the box next to "Allow user to administer this computer." Close System Preferences.

5) Just to be on the safe side, go back to Terminal. At the prompt, copy and paste the text below, then press <RETURN>:

<pre style="overflow:auto; font-family: 'Monaco'; font-size: 10px">sudo chown -R Ninda/staff /Users/Ninda</pre>

If you are asked to enter your admin password, comply. Quit Terminal, then log out of this temporary account and into your own. You may safely delete the temporary admin account, and it is safe to delete the home folder when you do.

I cannot promise that this will return your ability to locate the missing files, but I can tell you that you will have removed all traces of your "Tigerness" that may have conflicted with Snow Leopard.

Scott

Barry,

You should be aware of this thread:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10113713

Hello Charles:

Interesting, but it does not appear to be relevant to the OP's problem. The thread you referenced indicates missing desktop folders. From the thread you linked, I extracted this:

everything in Documents, Photos, and other locations on my hard drive are all intact,

This OP has missing items in the document folder. There could, of course, be some correlation, but offhand I cannot see what it might be.

Barry

Ninda,

I'm terribly sorry. It was late, and I goofed. Please copy and paste again into Terminal, this time with the correct text:

<pre style="overflow:auto; font-family: 'Monaco'; font-size: 10px">sudo chown -R Ninda:staff /Users/Ninda</pre>

When you press <RETURN>, you will be asked for your admin password. Enter it (it will not be echoed), then again press <RETURN>.

You may have already tried logging into your account. That's fine, although everything might not have worked perfectly well. Nothing would have been damaged in any way by doing so. If you have, you can run the above command from either your own account or the "temporary" admin account. It makes no difference.

Scott