[KidPaintball]

Hi guys, how's everyone doing today?

Here is my issue, and I'll try my best to be as clear as possible. I am not very fluent in the computer world. Likewise, I hope that you all can give advice in a language I can understand. Thanks ahead of time!

If it matters, I have a Dell Studio Laptop with Windows Vista, 64 bit version.

For a while I was getting notifications saying that my trial version of McAfee that came with my laptop was expired. So I decided to get the free version of AVG right from their website, so I know it was legit. After I installed AVG, it said to uninstall the old McAfee so that there weren't any conflicts. So I followed the steps to unstall McAfee...

When I restarted my computer, I loged back into my account called, "MIKE."
I only have 1 account and it is called MIKE. But when I logged back in after uninstalling McAfee, the MIKE I was in, wasn't the MIKE it used to be. Basically what it did was create a new, "mirrored" account, if you will. It was still called MIKE, but I had no documents, and no folders on my desktop that I created, no cookies for the internet, no iTunes, no more BitTorrent, nothing. Odd right? But if I went, Computer > C > Users > Mike > Then I had everything there! So I figured it created a 2nd account that was blank. (It's happened before...) Me, in my inifinate wisdom, DRAGGED my filed from the OLD MIKE, to my NEW MIKE.

I then turned off my computer before I packed it back up to come to school. But alas when I logged in, back into MIKE... it was my OLD MIKE account. So I had my cookies back, and my desktop background. But no folders, because I had dragged them to the NEW MIKE. I moved the files to a place that no longer exists.

I still have the files, but they are shortcuts now. And it tells me it can't find them.

Pics :http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...iswrong1-1.jpg

Also, I did a System Restore. That did not put it back the way it was. From what I can tell from the docs that were moved, they are on an F: drive. I do not have an F: drive.

Help? Thanks!

[plushdragon]

i would first download avg free and malware bytes or combo fix and remove the virus first(might have to boot into safe mode to remove it). then reboot and see if your pc works.

[cww516]

first thing to check- go to computer > c: > users, and see if there are multiple "MIKE" accounts or similar. if there are, there's your stuff.

if not, chances are the F: drive is a recovery partition or something. right-click on the "computer" icon and select manage, then select the disk management item on the right sidebar. in the top pane, you'll see a list of the drives and partitions on your computer. if you see one without a drive letter by it, right-click it, click "change drive letter and paths...", click the "add..." button, and give it a letter. check in that drive and see if you find anything.

[KidPaintball]

I have run 2 virus checks, and all it has found were Tracking Cookies from Opera.

cww516, I did what you said and looked for the F: drive in that management program. The only blank drive there, did not give me the option to give it a letter.
I did realize that F: drive is actually my Flashdrive, but that hasn't been plugged in, in months. So I'm not sure why it would tell me files are there. (I looked, some .docx are, but no music or anything...)

[plushdragon]

have you tried using windows explore to find one of the files on your hd to see if there still there or if windows put them in a .bak folder??

[KidPaintball]

I've searched in the top right tool bar when I'm in my Computer. It just shows me the shortcuts.