Files from desktop disappeared

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Files from desktop disappeared

Hi all,

All of the files from the desktop of my 15" Macbook Pro operating on OS X 10.7.5 disappeared and I can't find them from anywhere. Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone know of a solution? It took it to our university's IT repair desk and they couldn't figure it out either. The files in other folders are okay, but everything from my desktop folder has been deleted and is not in the trash either. I'm currently writing my thesis and had some of that data on the desktop...

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Feb 14, 2014 5:29 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 14, 2014 6:19 AM in response to Matti141

You could restore from your back up.

If no back up, try a long shot:

command, option esc (three keys together), select Finder then Relaunch.

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Answer 2

Matti141 Author

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Feb 14, 2014 8:49 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

I don't think I have a backup and relaunching Finder didn't work nor did restarting my computer..

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Answer 3

Feb 14, 2014 8:59 AM in response to Matti141

If you open Finder and click on Desktop in the sidebar- do you see your files.

Did you look in the trash?

Did you try a Spot Light search for known Desktop file or Folder?

Do you have local snap shots turned on? http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4878

By chance do you have another user account open?

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Answer 4

Matti141 Author

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Feb 14, 2014 8:56 AM in response to leroydouglas

If you open Finder and click on Desktop in the sidebar- do you see your files.

No

I did look in the trash (weren't there) and I did try a Spotlight search and couldn't find any of the files. I also checked my 'all files' and couldn't find them there either

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Answer 5

Feb 14, 2014 9:05 AM in response to Matti141

You can in the terminal.app copy and paste:

defaults delete com.apple.finder CreateDesktop; killall Finder

This will restore a hidden desktop if something got corrupt. If your files are there they should appear.

Try loggin out and logging back in to your user account.

This would be the next logical step after a relaunch of Finder did nothing.

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Answer 6

Matti141 Author

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Feb 14, 2014 11:42 AM in response to leroydouglas

I don't have an external hardrive to backup my files (I'll have to get one) so I don't use time machine. I only have one user account (and guest) so there aren't 2 user accounts open. When I tried to restore a hidden desktop, the terminal gave a message:

"There is no (CreateDesktop) default for the (com.apple.finder) domain.

Defaults have not been changed."

Logging out and logging back in didn't work either.

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Answer 7

Feb 14, 2014 12:04 PM in response to Matti141

try this comand line instead copy and paste:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true; killall Finder

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Answer 8

Matti141 Author

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Feb 14, 2014 1:49 PM in response to leroydouglas

I got the following message:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true; killall

usage: killall [-delmsvz] [-help]

[-u user] [-t tty] [-c cmd] [-SIGNAL] [cmd]...

At least one option or argument to specify processes must be given.

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Answer 9

Feb 14, 2014 3:25 PM in response to Matti141

Matti141 wrote:

I got the following message:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true; killall

usage: killall [-delmsvz] [-help]

[-u user] [-t tty] [-c cmd] [-SIGNAL] [cmd]...

At least one option or argument to specify processes must be given.

the command line above is incomplete as you have it written:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true; killall Finder

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Answer 10

Matti141 Author

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Feb 14, 2014 3:28 PM in response to leroydouglas

Ups, my bad. When I ran that in the terminal, the desktop blinked but I still didn't get back the files that used to be there...

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