Unable to see contents of C: drive

[Dukey]

hi i have a problem with one of our computers.

The computer boots normally and allows log on. The desktop for every
user is empty. Double clicking on the C drive opens an empty window -
as if the C drive was completely empty, which it can't be as Windows has
loaded. Attempting to open the contents of the C drive using a command
prompt also suggests that the drive is empty. It allows you to navigate
to the drive and even to directories that should exist (such as
documents and settings), but the DIR command (which should display all
the files within the directory) results in an error message (file not
found). At first I thought this might be a drive mounting error, but it
apparently isn't. I can't get onto the Administration Tools in the
control panel to check out the drive assignments, as Windows can't find
the file for opening this. I've tried running a scan disk, which didn't
help, and apparently someone else had attempted to defrag the drive,
which also hasn't helped.

It's one of the most peculiar errors I've ever experienced, and I can't
rule out that it's caused by a virus.

MEGA thanks will be given for your help.

Dukey.

[sted]

might be locked down via a gpo try running rsop see what it says

also worth going back to dos and drting dir /ah and/or dir /as

[Galway]

Is a reimage not on the cards ?

[LeMarchand]

Have you tried booting from something like UBCD or a Linux disk to see if the files are accessible?

[ricki]

Hi

I know this will sound silly but someone has not installed windows on another drive have they. You can set gpo so you cannot get at c drive. Are you logged in as a administrator. Try the local administrator as well.

Richard

[aaronjwilkinson]

Any Malware on the PC which might have hidden all the files and folders?

I've had a few laptops come to me like this. I opened the C: drive....to find nothing! All that had happened is that the Malware had hidden all the folders. I simply had to un-hide them once the virus was removed.

Might not be this though.

[Jawloms]

chkdsk /r?

[BatchFile]

Boot off a PE stick, run diskpart, list volume

should shed some light...

[Dukey]

Thanks guys sorry its been a while since i posted this, it was MALWARE! i've thanked all of your posts

[CESIL]

Last time I saw something like this it was a rootkit that had infected the ide driver and then hidden all the drives...the Kaspersky rootkit killer utility cleared it.