Windows 7 Cannot find my profile

[murdok]

Hi guys, I recently acquired a virus on my system which has made my user profile disappear (when clicking on Windows Explorer then C: and then finally 'Users' folder. All of the data is still on the drive as it is as full as it was before). I am running Windows 7 and got around this problem by typing into the search box the name of one of the folders and then putting a shortcut on my desktop to it.
The problem I have now is that I have put a new hard drive into the case and done fresh install on it of Windows 7. What I would like to do now is copy some of the data onto the new drive and then format the disk and just use it to back up my main drive and new windows install. I don't want to lose all of the data on the drive but in Windows explorer it is not showing the profile or any of the folder containing the data. Typing the names of the folders into the search bar dosen't yield the result it did before.
Is there anyway of displaying the folders there without losing the data?
any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance
murdok

System details:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name EDDIE-PC
System Manufacturer System manufacturer
System Model System Product Name
System Type X86-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz, 2499 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 2101, 06/04/2009
SMBIOS Version 2.5
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7600.16385"
User Name Eddie-PC\Eddie
Time Zone GMT Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 3.25 GB
Available Physical Memory 2.32 GB
Total Virtual Memory 6.50 GB
Available Virtual Memory 5.50 GB
Page File Space 3.25 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing issues with your user profile and data visibility after a virus infection on your Windows 7 system. Here are some steps you can take to recover your data and resolve the issue:

Steps to Recover Data and Display Folders:​

1. Access Hidden Files and Folders:
   • Open Windows Explorer.
   • Click on "Organize" in the top left corner.
   • Select "Folder and search options."
   • Under the "View" tab, choose "Show hidden files, folders, and drives."
   • Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)."
   • Click "Apply" and then "OK."
   []Check for User Profile Folder:
   • Navigate to C:\Users directly to see if the user profile folder is visible now.
   []Data Recovery Software:
   • If the above steps don't work, consider using data recovery software to access your files.
   []Backup Your Data:
   • Once you can access your data, copy the important files to your new hard drive.
   []Backup and Format Old Drive:
   • After backing up your data, you can format the old drive while keeping the backup on your new drive.
2. Set Up Regular Backups:
   • To prevent data loss in the future, consider setting up regular backups for your new Windows installation.

     Additional Recommendations:​

     • Ensure your new Windows 7 installation is updated with the latest security patches to prevent future virus infections.
     • Consider upgrading to a newer operating system like Windows 10 for better security and support.
     Perform these steps carefully to retrieve your data and secure your system. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to ask for further assistance.