Won't let me create New Folders

After a month or two honeymoon with my new computer last summer, Windows
Vista quit letting me create new file folders!!! This is really, really
annoying, needless to say. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell
me how to fix this.

The other thing is that Windows Vista crashed this weekend and lost some of
my files - and the start menu quit working. I think some of the indexes got
screwed up or something. I don't know what brought this on except that we had
a couple of power failures - and the machine doesn't seem to run chkdsk
automatically on restart. If I started the machine and walked away and didn't
see the prompt, then I've been using a 'dirty disk' for a week or two and it
finally crashed. Or I also installed wireless networking. Also Windows Update
downloads automatically and could have downloaded something incompatible with
my software. So who knows what might have caused this ...

I couldn't restore either - now if I ask for Windows restore, it comes up
with an error message.

I've been using DOS and windows machines for 20 years and I've never had
this happen to me before. I've always had virus checkers and been
conscientious about backing up my data.

I'm not too happy at the prospect of having a crippled machine.

JuneBug;716186 Wrote:
> After a month or two honeymoon with my new computer last summer, Window
> Vista quit letting me create new file folders!!! This is really, reall
> annoying, needless to say. I would really appreciate it if someon
> could tel
> me how to fix this
>
> The other thing is that Windows Vista crashed this weekend and los
> some o
> my files - and the start menu quit working. I think some of the indexe
> go
> screwed up or something. I don't know what brought this on except tha
> we ha
> a couple of power failures - and the machine doesn't seem to run chkds
> automatically on restart. If I started the machine and walked away an
> didn'
> see the prompt, then I've been using a 'dirty disk' for a week or tw
> and i
> finally crashed. Or I also installed wireless networking. Also Window
> Updat
> downloads automatically and could have downloaded somethin
> incompatible wit
> my software. So who knows what might have caused this ..
>
> I couldn't restore either - now if I ask for Windows restore, it come
> u
> with an error message
>
> I've been using DOS and windows machines for 20 years and I've neve
> ha
> this happen to me before. I've always had virus checkers and bee
> conscientious about backing up my data
>
> I'm not too happy at the prospect of having a crippled machine

Hi JuneBug

With that many problems, I would recommend that you backup what you ca
for what you do not want to lose and do a clean install again

It sounds like the power failures really corrupted your hard driv
data

Sorry
Shaw

--
Brin

*There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not as
them.*
'*VISTA FORUMS*' *Please post feedback to help others.*

JuneBug wrote:
> After a month or two honeymoon with my new computer last summer, Windows
> Vista quit letting me create new file folders!!! This is really, really
> annoying, needless to say. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell
> me how to fix this.
>
> The other thing is that Windows Vista crashed this weekend and lost some of
> my files - and the start menu quit working. I think some of the indexes got
> screwed up or something. I don't know what brought this on except that we had
> a couple of power failures - and the machine doesn't seem to run chkdsk
> automatically on restart. If I started the machine and walked away and didn't
> see the prompt, then I've been using a 'dirty disk' for a week or two and it
> finally crashed. Or I also installed wireless networking. Also Windows Update
> downloads automatically and could have downloaded something incompatible with
> my software. So who knows what might have caused this ...
>
> I couldn't restore either - now if I ask for Windows restore, it comes up
> with an error message.
>
> I've been using DOS and windows machines for 20 years and I've never had
> this happen to me before. I've always had virus checkers and been
> conscientious about backing up my data.
>
> I'm not too happy at the prospect of having a crippled machine.

Safe Mode - F8 key at bootup, remember? :-)

Try booting into safe mode, see what happens, run scandisk etc. Take it
from there. From my experience, a lot of these problems are rectified
just by booting into safe mode and then immediately rebooting into
regular mode.

Thanks, I'll give that a try - actually I think I did boot up in Safe Mode
once or twice - but only to run chkdsk - and by then it was too late.

JuneBug

"propman" wrote:


> Safe Mode - F8 key at bootup, remember? :-)
>
> Try booting into safe mode, see what happens, run scandisk etc. Take it
> from there. From my experience, a lot of these problems are rectified
> just by booting into safe mode and then immediately rebooting into
> regular mode.
>

Yeah. I was afraid of that.

Unfortunately when they sell you computers these days, they don't include
the operating system cds. So I guess I'll just have to purchase some of
those from Best Buy or Gateway or whoever.

However, it quit letting me create new file folders a looong time ago - so
I'm thinking that problem is unrelated to the disk crash.

Anybody have any ideas? Could I have inadvertently altered some setting to
not allow me to create new file folders?

Thanks,

JuneBug


"Brink" wrote:


> Hi JuneBug,
>
> With that many problems, I would recommend that you backup what you can
> for what you do not want to lose and do a clean install again.
>
> It sounds like the power failures really corrupted your hard drive
> data.
>
> Sorry,
> Shawn
>
>
> --
> Brink
>
> *There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask
> them.*
> '*VISTA FORUMS*' > *Please post feedback to help others.*
>

JuneBug;716320 Wrote:
> Yeah. I was afraid of that
>
> Unfortunately when they sell you computers these days, they don'
> includ
> the operating system cds. So I guess I'll just have to purchase some o
> those from Best Buy or Gateway or whoever
>
> However, it quit letting me create new file folders a looong time ago
> s
> I'm thinking that problem is unrelated to the disk crash
>
> Anybody have any ideas? Could I have inadvertently altered some settin
> t
> not allow me to create new file folders
>
> Thanks
>
> JuneBu
>
>
> "Brink" wrote

JuneBug

Your computer should of at least included a protected Recover
Partition. You will need to check your computers documentation, but yo
should be able to boot the computer into it by pressing something lik
F10 during boot up to reinstall. The key you press varies from compute
brands, so I would check online at the computer manufacturer's help an
support website to see which one for sure

Hope this helps
Shaw

--
Brin

*There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not as
them.*
'*VISTA FORUMS*' *Please post feedback to help others.*

JuneBug,

When they sell you computers these days 'they are obliged to supply you with
an option to re-install the operating system' that means either a set of
recovery disks or an image of the operating system on a hidden partition on
your computer. If none came with your PC then contact the supply and demand
to know where they are. A computer with no way of recovery is totally
useless. You should 'not' have to pay for something that should be there by
default.

--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

"JuneBug" <> wrote in message
news:ED74A54A-5B96-48D5-A640-...
> Yeah. I was afraid of that.
>
> Unfortunately when they sell you computers these days, they don't include
> the operating system cds. So I guess I'll just have to purchase some of
> those from Best Buy or Gateway or whoever.
>
> However, it quit letting me create new file folders a looong time ago - so
> I'm thinking that problem is unrelated to the disk crash.
>
> Anybody have any ideas? Could I have inadvertently altered some setting to
> not allow me to create new file folders?
>
> Thanks,
>
> JuneBug
>
>
> "Brink" wrote:
>
>
>> Hi JuneBug,
>>
>> With that many problems, I would recommend that you backup what you can
>> for what you do not want to lose and do a clean install again.
>>
>> It sounds like the power failures really corrupted your hard drive
>> data.
>>
>> Sorry,
>> Shawn
>>
>>
>> --
>> Brink
>>
>> *There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask
>> them.*
>> '*VISTA FORUMS*' >> *Please post feedback to help others.*
>>

On Mon, 19 May 2008 07:59:02 -0700, JuneBug
<> wrote:

>After a month or two honeymoon with my new computer last summer, Windows
>Vista quit letting me create new file folders!!! This is really, really
>annoying, needless to say. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell
>me how to fix this.
>
>The other thing is that Windows Vista crashed this weekend and lost some of
>my files - and the start menu quit working. I think some of the indexes got
>screwed up or something. I don't know what brought this on except that we had
>a couple of power failures - and the machine doesn't seem to run chkdsk
>automatically on restart. If I started the machine and walked away and didn't
>see the prompt, then I've been using a 'dirty disk' for a week or two and it
>finally crashed. Or I also installed wireless networking. Also Windows Update
>downloads automatically and could have downloaded something incompatible with
>my software. So who knows what might have caused this ...
>
>I couldn't restore either - now if I ask for Windows restore, it comes up
>with an error message.
>
>I've been using DOS and windows machines for 20 years and I've never had
>this happen to me before. I've always had virus checkers and been
>conscientious about backing up my data.
>
>I'm not too happy at the prospect of having a crippled machine.

If you've had multiple power failures and aren't running a UPS then
very likely your file system got damaged based on what you're seeing.
You can always run chkdsk MANUALLY. Have you? From a command prompt?

NEVER run Windows Update automatically. It simply can't be trusted.
You seem close to the point where throwing in the towel in the long
run will waste less time. Little point in running a crippled system,
time to reinstall Windows. If you haven't yet you could also try a
repair if you have a Vista DVD.

JuneBug wrote:
> Yeah. I was afraid of that.
>
> Unfortunately when they sell you computers these days, they don't include
> the operating system cds. So I guess I'll just have to purchase some of
> those from Best Buy or Gateway or whoever.

As a couple of others have stated, there are usually backup cab files
etc include but installed on a hidden partition...which is probably why
you haven't noticed it when you've been using your file manager. There
are programs available that will let one observe this partition though I
can't think of any right now off the top of my head.....googling should
return some pretty fast results though.


>
> However, it quit letting me create new file folders a looong time ago - so
> I'm thinking that problem is unrelated to the disk crash.
>
> Anybody have any ideas? Could I have inadvertently altered some setting to
> not allow me to create new file folders?
>

Not totally up to date here on all the ins and outs of Vista's
permissions settings but it's definitely one aspect you should check
out.......if I remember correctly, there are the general settings and
then a more detailed subgroup of settings which can be refined. Check
to make sure you have total administrator rights over your whole system
and also make sure you have permissions access for making new folders
while logged on as "user" rather than "administrator".

PS If I remember correctly, the MS has a tutorial on Vista's new
permissions capabilities.

"Adam Albright" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Mon, 19 May 2008 07:59:02 -0700, JuneBug
> <> wrote:
>
>>After a month or two honeymoon with my new computer last summer, Windows
>>Vista quit letting me create new file folders!!! This is really, really
>>annoying, needless to say. I would really appreciate it if someone could
>>tell
>>me how to fix this.
>>
>>The other thing is that Windows Vista crashed this weekend and lost some
>>of
>>my files - and the start menu quit working. I think some of the indexes
>>got
>>screwed up or something. I don't know what brought this on except that we
>>had
>>a couple of power failures - and the machine doesn't seem to run chkdsk
>>automatically on restart. If I started the machine and walked away and
>>didn't
>>see the prompt, then I've been using a 'dirty disk' for a week or two and
>>it
>>finally crashed. Or I also installed wireless networking. Also Windows
>>Update
>>downloads automatically and could have downloaded something incompatible
>>with
>>my software. So who knows what might have caused this ...
>>
>>I couldn't restore either - now if I ask for Windows restore, it comes up
>>with an error message.
>>
>>I've been using DOS and windows machines for 20 years and I've never had
>>this happen to me before. I've always had virus checkers and been
>>conscientious about backing up my data.
>>
>>I'm not too happy at the prospect of having a crippled machine.
>
> If you've had multiple power failures and aren't running a UPS then
> very likely your file system got damaged based on what you're seeing.
> You can always run chkdsk MANUALLY. Have you? From a command prompt?
>
> NEVER run Windows Update automatically. It simply can't be trusted.
> You seem close to the point where throwing in the towel in the long
> run will waste less time. Little point in running a crippled system,
> time to reinstall Windows. If you haven't yet you could also try a
> repair if you have a Vista DVD.
>

Amazing. You gave some good advice without insulting anyone. Very good
Adam. There is hope for you after all.