DOWNLOAD FOLDER DISAPPEARED FROM THE COMPUTER

[andelang]

I have been using Newsbin 6.4 for 5 days. All downloads were directed to a folder created automatically by Newsbin, located
in Documents & Settings\Newsbin. I left the computer for about 2 hours working with a list of downloads with the total size of around 7 Gb. In the Newsbin folder there were already around 60 files downloaded during the last 3 days. When I returned to the computer the download list was empty = all files had been downloaded. But the ENTIRE NEWSBIN FOLDER HAD DISAPPEARED FROM MY COMPUTER, together with all recently downloaded files. I have 3 hard drives, 2 internal and 1 external. I have searched them with all available means, but the folder seems to have vanished.

I started a couple of new downloads to check where they are saved and the location is the same, although no Newsbin folder is created in Documents and settings. It seems impossible to detect where they are placed. Is there any reason why Newsbin could have decided to delete its own folder? I am using Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz, 4 Gb RAM, total hard disc space of 2,6 Tb, Windows XP Professional SP 3, Norton Internet Security 2012.

CAN ANYBODY EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED? Please help

[Quade]

Nobody else has access to this computer? You've been logged in as the same user the whole time?

I don't have an answer for you. I don't think this has ever been reported before. Did you do anything with the files in the files list? For example if you selected them all and hit delete, that would have wiped them all out.

[andelang]

Thank you for a quick answer.

1. Nobody else has access to my computer.

2. I was logged in as the same user the whole time.

3. I watched the first two files in the list being downloaded and the process proceeded as usually, although I did not check
if they were placed in the usual download folder, waiting until the whole list was finished.

4. I did not select the files to be downloaded, nor did I hit delete.

5. The most mysterious thing is that the whole Newsbin download folder, containing 50+ previously downloaded files,
disappeared without a trace.

6. I run Norton's rootkit search facility + anti-virus scan, but it did not detect any threat.

Aliens?

[DThor]

Two thoughts:

Ensure you don't have any custom unrar folders set, essentially have a very simple setup for downloading. You might well have it that way already, but just about the only unusual deleting newsbin might do is in the unrar folder. It's not supposed to touch it if there are things in there, but that would rule that out.

Kill Norton. Kill it dead. When files start mysteriously disappearing on a computer and you have Norton installed, look there first. Disable it, set it to ignore everything, delete it but my money is on Norton. Anti virus programs, especially old school like Norton, tend to have a raze the ground mentality with anything they think might be a 'dangerous' file.

DT