Downloaded files disappear

kantastisk · Oct 17, 2008

I've googled for threads on this, but no fixes. I have seen some threads on this forum regarding this as well, one where the blame is mainly put on AVG Antivirus (even though one poster reports it happening on a machine with "NO Firewall, NO AV, NO UAC, Reset IE7 OR Newly installed Firefox (downloaded via another PC), One original User ADMIN account all running in Genuine Vista Ulitmate X86, SP1 and fully updated"), and another in which using Chrome is proposed.

What I'd really like to know is why my files disappear upon download completion.

It happens in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, but for some reason not in Chrome. I'm not switching to Chrome, so it's quite annoying having to switch between browsers to download a file. -And I guess I'm quite thankful I had Chrome installed before this happened.

I don't run a firewall other than my router's own, I have Avast Antivirus Home installed, and I've had it for several years without any problems. Disabling it doesn't change anything. I've done a full virus scan with no result, but I've never had virus issues anyway. UAC is turned off. Download location has no effect on the issue.

WHAT is going on? Anybody?

fieseler · Oct 17, 2008

Try creating a new user account & see if it happens

kantastisk · Oct 18, 2008

it happens on a new account with admin privileges

SLAiNTRAX · Oct 18, 2008

Try changing download folder. Most of the browsers download to your download directory. Try like C:\Downloads

kantastisk · Oct 18, 2008

Changing download folders has no effect on the issue.

kantastisk · Oct 28, 2008

azhar · Nov 16, 2008

If you're using FF, try follow this: at address bar, type "about:config". change value "browser.download.folderList" to "2" and "browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone" to "true".

for IE7, Tools -> Internet Options ->choose Advanced tab ..click to Reset button for the original settings.

Hopefully it will helps.

azhar · Nov 16, 2008

p/s

don't forget to Reboot your pc for permanent changing ..

~no pain, no gain~

kantastisk · Nov 16, 2008

thank you for your reply. As I wrote in my first post, I have the problem with FF, IE7 and Safari.

I did what you said, but sadly my issues remain the same.

sidewinder · Nov 17, 2008

Are the files being deleted after download? Or just being moved or made invisible?

Check the free space on the various hard disks in your system before and after the download. Does the free space change by the size of the file being downloaded? Or does the free space stay the same?

S-

Hoogs · Nov 18, 2008

I have the same problem with the exception that IE7 works.

I do have AVG free.

It doesnt seem to matter where I download to, the file is always cleared on download completion using both Firefox and Safari.

Just tried using safari with typical results; tried to save spamfilterEval4-1.0.1.785.zip to downloads folder. While downloading the following file appears:
C:\Users\Hoogs\Downloads\spamfilterEval4-1.0.1.785.zip.download

In safari's downloads window I click show containing folder and are directed to:
C:\Users\Hoogs\AppData\Local\Temp\Saf156.tmp\Saf157.tmp.download

Both files exist while downloading but as soon as the download completes they are cleared.

I search for the file names:
Saf157.tmp.download - nothing
Saf157.tmp - nothing
spamfilterEval4-1.0.1.785.zip.download - gets my hopes up with one result, only to find its just my recent items alias - which points to my empty downloads folder.
spamfilterEval4-1.0.1.785.zip - as above

If anyone can shed any light on this it would be greatly appreciated.

JimBeamBlack · Feb 5, 2009

Hello everyone , I'm new here so..Nice to meet y'all and hope everyone is doing fine today. this is a Fantastic Vista site been here many many times but never posted.!!

Sorry to say that I also have this problem with my kids computer , I just found it the other day but my daughter said it has been happening for about a month now so theres no telling what the kids have done to this computer.

I have AVG Free on this PC and also use defender and SpyBot , all of those programs seem to update and run normally and I have run for spyware and Viruses and removed everything they found no matter how small.

AVG found CoolWeb something but removed it and after 2 scans it seems to be clear.

But I cannot download OR run any program from the internet , it downloads and then removes itself like nothing has changed or simply will not install and just dissappears....I've never seen anything like this before.

if anyone can help solve this mess i would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks!!

Techymike · Feb 5, 2009

Do an explore under :local disk (C) :Users : name listed on your system :Downloads
right click the start key, select explore, scroll down under the folders which comes up right away and look for the folder "downloads" your system should be defaulted to set up this way. Under downloads folder all the items you downloaded should be listed there.

JimBeamBlack · Feb 6, 2009

Hey Mike thanks for the response.

I actually have tried to save to the downloads folder , my Documents folder , the profile folder itself (outside of any other folder) , the desktop , both other hard drives installed on the system , custom made new folders on all 3 hard drives , my network places/windows home server shared folders and a flash drive.

this computer will not keep a downloaded file/program anywhere , they seem to be removed or denied at download finish with no error or warning.

I guess I should have given more info but I was a little nervous posting for my first time here lol , I build systems and fix computers as side job , right now I have 4 PC's here including a Windows Home Server on our network , I guess you could consider me above average in computer setup and maintenance , I have cleaned out many computers from Virus infections and done a thousand OS re-installs and setups BUT I have never seen this type of problem before , as a matter of fact after searching for a few days from one end of the Internet to the other and asking all my tech buddies this is the only place I have been able to find anyone with the same problem as me.

I would roll back the system but I have no idea when it started and the only info I do have is that my daughter saying this to me when I asked her about it "oh yeah that , its been happening for a month (or 2)" , and all I do on that PC is make sure the anti-virus is working , defrag the HDD's and help my son install games , all of the programs I need or want on that computer come straight off our server after I upload them from my PC so i never noticed before the other night when I went to try to update CCleaner from File Hippo and after 10 tries it would neither install (run from the download) nor download to anywhere on the computer.

I have a huge database of fixes tweaks and workarounds I have acquired through the years going back to DOS and I have never seen anything like this...ever , they system runs solid as a rock and the VISTA32 thats installed is as fast as the day I installed it over a year ago......its crazy.

appreciate any ideas as to what may have gone wrong , or a some kind of new Virus or maybe even my kids locked themselves out of the folders somehow...is that even possible?

I did have one system running Windows7 64 bit for about 2 weeks on our network (AWESOME FAST OS by the way) and its kinda loosy-goosy with the network sharing and stuff like that , is it possible for that system to somehow lock the folders on another PC as I linked it to their compter for printer sharing? but that was not over a month ago so..I don't know

I am at a complete loss here , but thanks again for the ideas.

delphin · Feb 6, 2009

JimBeamBlack said:
Hey Mike thanks for the response.

I actually have tried to save to the downloads folder , my Documents folder , the profile folder itself (outside of any other folder) , the desktop , both other hard drives installed on the system , custom made new folders on all 3 hard drives , my network places/windows home server shared folders and a flash drive.

this computer will not keep a downloaded file/program anywhere , they seem to be removed or denied at download finish with no error or warning.

I guess I should have given more info but I was a little nervous posting for my first time here lol , I build systems and fix computers as side job , right now I have 4 PC's here including a Windows Home Server on our network , I guess you could consider me above average in computer setup and maintenance , I have cleaned out many computers from Virus infections and done a thousand OS re-installs and setups BUT I have never seen this type of problem before , as a matter of fact after searching for a few days from one end of the Internet to the other and asking all my tech buddies this is the only place I have been able to find anyone with the same problem as me.

I would roll back the system but I have no idea when it started and the only info I do have is that my daughter saying this to me when I asked her about it "oh yeah that , its been happening for a month (or 2)" , and all I do on that PC is make sure the anti-virus is working , defrag the HDD's and help my son install games , all of the programs I need or want on that computer come straight off our server after I upload them from my PC so i never noticed before the other night when I went to try to update CCleaner from File Hippo and after 10 tries it would neither install (run from the download) nor download to anywhere on the computer.

I have a huge database of fixes tweaks and workarounds I have acquired through the years going back to DOS and I have never seen anything like this...ever , they system runs solid as a rock and the VISTA32 thats installed is as fast as the day I installed it over a year ago......its crazy.

appreciate any ideas as to what may have gone wrong , or a some kind of new Virus or maybe even my kids locked themselves out of the folders somehow...is that even possible?

I did have one system running Windows7 64 bit for about 2 weeks on our network (AWESOME FAST OS by the way) and its kinda loosy-goosy with the network sharing and stuff like that , is it possible for that system to somehow lock the folders on another PC as I linked it to their compter for printer sharing? but that was not over a month ago so..I don't know

I am at a complete loss here , but thanks again for the ideas.

Hi,

Try to change ur download location with regedit.
To do that open regedit by typing regedit in run, expand hkey current user\software\microsoft\internet explorer and click on downloads.
Now right click on right pane click new,string value give name as Download Directory. a string value will be created as download directory. Double click on the Download Directory and give the path of folder in which the files has to downloaded.

Restart ie and try, let me know the result

Techymike · Feb 6, 2009

I am no expert for sure as I am fairly new with Vista x64. I was reading the Vista Inside out book that I have and there was a mention about setting defaults in "AppData" this is a hidden folder. AppData?Local/Temp is where temporary files created by applications are stored. The "Temp" variable points to AppData\Local\Temp. Is windows explorer set for display hidden files? I may be way off here but it sounds like what you are NOT seeing yet it is still there.

delphin · Feb 7, 2009

Techymike said:
I am no expert for sure as I am fairly new with Vista x64. I was reading the Vista Inside out book that I have and there was a mention about setting defaults in "AppData" this is a hidden folder. AppData?Local/Temp is where temporary files created by applications are stored. The "Temp" variable points to AppData\Local\Temp. Is windows explorer set for display hidden files? I may be way off here but it sounds like what you are NOT seeing yet it is still there.

Hi,

U can directly access the temp folder by typing %temp% in run.

To make hidden files visible open my computer and press alt key, now the menu bar will be displayed below the address bar. There click on tools\folder options\view now check the radio button to show hidden files and folders. Now u can access all the hidden files and folders. :party:

JimBeamBlack · Feb 7, 2009

Hi again and thanks for the replies ,

Thats the first thing I checked , I turned on show hidden files and folders and the downloads still are not there. I have explorer let me decide where my downloads go
each time and I have tried every location on the 3 hard drive system.

delphin I have not yet had a chance to try your idea of changing the download location in regedit yet as my son was playing Counter Strike all night last night , I have to work again today so I will try what you suggested sometime tonight.

I also tried turning off "Read Only" from all files and folder in their Personal Files section but it goes right back to the Read Only setting , I don't think thats the problem anyways as when I select the desktop as a download spot Read Only should not effect that. Also all my folders on my PC are set to read only and my downloads work just fine.

I hate to say it but it seems as if I have tried everything , I may be looking at a complete reinstall , along with 2 separate drives FULL of games. :shock:

thanks again for trying

delphin · Feb 7, 2009

JimBeamBlack said:
Hi again and thanks for the replies ,

Thats the first thing I checked , I turned on show hidden files and folders and the downloads still are not there. I have explorer let me decide where my downloads go
each time and I have tried every location on the 3 hard drive system.

delphin I have not yet had a chance to try your idea of changing the download location in regedit yet as my son was playing Counter Strike all night last night , I have to work again today so I will try what you suggested sometime tonight.

I also tried turning off "Read Only" from all files and folder in their Personal Files section but it goes right back to the Read Only setting , I don't think thats the problem anyways as when I select the desktop as a download spot Read Only should not effect that. Also all my folders on my PC are set to read only and my downloads work just fine.

I hate to say it but it seems as if I have tried everything , I may be looking at a complete reinstall , along with 2 separate drives FULL of games.

thanks again for trying

Hi,

give a chance to my suggesion & let me know

i Hope it will work

Techymike · Feb 7, 2009

If you are worried about the games loaded them get another hard drive and reinstall saving the data on that existing hard drive. In case you don't know how to back up data. The fresh install may just fix everything! Keep in mind that Microsoft only keeps the activation key for a 6 month period then you can reinstall Vista again.

Downloaded files disappear

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