Solved Start button no workie/can't 'find' digital cameras either

Weird. My start button won't open the menu. I can right click and open by clicking explore though. I would like the start button to work.

And.....I no longer get the options window when I plug any camera into either USB port.

Both problems were solved when they first appeared by going back 5 day on a restore point. Now I can't get back far enough in restore points to where it 'fixed' the problems.

Oh, and I can't get a right click "save as" to function either.

Many thinks in advance for ideas, I searched here and nuthin....

May be malware
Run a full anti virus scan. Update it
Download and run a full scan with malwarebytes, the free version.
Be sure that you update the Malwarebytes and Anti Virus before making the scans.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Yeah, thanks but I've done that including the paid version of Advances System Care [which really helped in other areas].

Weird....

First try an SFC command
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

If that does not work, we can try a repair install if you have a Vista DVD.

SFC command gets me the same limited info about the scan no matter which sfc I run but doesn't seem like I'm getting a scan.

I have a installation disk.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html?filter[11]=Performance Maintenance

Ok then....

I ran the reinstallation and we're back working but I can't locate ANY of my old files/information. [where is the total panic emoticon?]

I looked in disc cleanup and only see 22. GB in previous Windows Installation.

If done correctly a repair install should not lose your stuff. In any event, it is wise to always to have back ups.
Quote from the tutorial
This will allow you to repair your Vista installation and keep all of your personal user account files, settings, and programs. You will be performing a Upgrade Install from within your currently running Vista.

Everything should be located in that cleanup, may be compressed

How do I get [or open] the previous Windows Installation file in clean up?

It says I can access at Windows.old but typing that in the start menu search bar shows no results...

Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing.....


Wait! I found Widows.old.......

Per Microsoft

To recover personal files from the Windows.old folder, locate the folders that contain the files. Then, move the files to the appropriate folders in the current installation of Windows.
Back to the top

Locate the personal files

After you install Windows Vista or Windows 7, move personal files from their former folders to the corresponding folders.

Important We recommend that you do not delete any files or folders until you verify that you have successfully moved all the personal files to the current installation of Windows.
The Windows.old folder

When you perform a custom install of Windows Vista or of Windows 7, the Windows.old folder is created. The installation programs create this folder to store the files from the previous Windows XP, or Windows Vista installation.

To locate the Windows.old folder in Windows Vista or in Windows 7, click Start
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, type drive:\windows.old (for example, c:\windows.old) in the Start Search box, and then click Windows.old.
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If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.


The Windows.old folder contains the following folders from the Windows Vista installation:

1. drive:\Windows.old\Windows
2. drive:\Windows.old\Users
3. drive:\Windows.old\Program Files

The "Users" folder

Most programs store a user's personal files in the "User" folder. Generally, you do not find personal files in the Windows folder or in the Program Files folder.



The "Users" folder contains one folder for each user who logged on to the computer in Windows Vista. For example, the following folders appear in the "drive:\Windows.old\Users" folder:

• drive:\Windows.old\Users\Public
  
  If you used the Shared Files feature in Windows Vista, the shared files are located in the Public folder. For example, this folder contains recorded television shows on computers that are running Windows Media Center. Open the folders in the Public folder to locate any files that you may want to preserve. Then, copy these files to a new location that is outside the Windows.old folder structure.
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName
  
  Most personal files are located in folders that are labeled for each user who logged on to the computer in Windows Vista.

Individual User folders

Most personal files are located in the following location:
drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName


This folder contains the following folders:

• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Contacts
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Desktop
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Documents
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Downloads
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Favorites
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Links
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Music
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Pictures
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Saved Games
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Searches
• drive:\Windows.old\Users\UserName\Videos

Typically, these folders contain most of the important personal files from the Windows installation.
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Restore the personal files

To recover personal files from the previous Windows installation to Windows Vista or to Windows 7, follow these steps.
Step 1: Restore recorded television shows



By default, Windows Media saves recorded television shows in the Recorded TV folder. To recover these files, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Windows.old folder, and then open the following folder:Users\Public\Recorded TV
2. Right-click Recorded TV, and then click Cut.
3. Click StartCollapse this imageExpand this image
   
   
   
   
   , and then click the user name in the upper-right side of the Start menu.
4. Right-click the Videos or the My Videos folder, and then click Paste.

Windows moves the recorded television show files to the Videos folder.
Step 2: Restore your personal files



To move your Personal files folders from the previous installation to Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Windows.old folder, and then open the following folder:Users\UserName
2. Press CTRL+A to select all the items in the folder. Then, press CTRL+X to move the items in the users folder to the clipboard in Windows Vista.
3. Click StartCollapse this imageExpand this image
   
   
   
   
   , and then click the user name in the upper-right side of the Start menu.
4. Click Paste.

Windows moves the personal files folders to the Windows Vista user account.



To move your Personal files folders from the previous installation to Windows 7, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Windows.old folder, and then open the following folder:Users\UserName
2. Right-Click the Documents folder, and then click Rename. Rename the folder to My Documents.
3. Right-Click the Music folder, and then click Rename. Rename the folder to My Music.
4. Right-Click the Pictures folder, and then click Rename. Rename the folder to My Pictures.
5. Press and hold CTRL, and click to select all the folders in the user folder. Then, press CTRL+X to move the items in the users folder to the clipboard in Windows 7.
6. Click StartCollapse this imageExpand this image
   
   
   
   
   , and then click the user name in the upper-right side of the Start menu.
7. Click Paste.

Windows moves the personal files folders to the Windows 7 user account.
Back to the top

Restore other users' files and folders

If other users logged on to the computer in Windows Vista, follow the steps in the "Restore personal files" section to restore the other users' data. When you do this, you may want to log on to Windows Vista or Windows 7 as a separate user for each Windows Vista user who has data on the computer. This may help keep each user's data separate in current installation of Windows.
Restore other files and folders from the Windows.old folder

After you restore all the personal folders from the Windows Vista installation, examine the Windows.old folder to determine whether any other folders that contain personal data exist.

Important Make sure that all important data has moved before you delete the Windows.old folder.



From our fine tutorials
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/237033-windows-old-folder-restore-into-new-installation.html

Wow....thanks, I've located much of my stuff but all my Outlook emails are MIA....

Are they gone or hiding some where I haven't found them?

Eveything shoiuld be in that windows.old
I have, also, included our tutorial. Look at the end of my last post.

Both the program and personal filess in Windows.old are now empty and email is still MIA........

My contacts are back though.

richc46, I owe you a beer.

Thanks.

You are very welcome, come back any time
Sorry about the emails.

Located the email [I'm sure that's no surprise].

Any insight in to getting it back into Outlook? Right now every email including deleted ones are in one_giant_folder.

I'll even go through them one at a time to get the ones I need back in Outlook if I have to.