hi....i recently discovered that all the files in one of my folders, specifically (kazaa/my shared folder) have all vanished. also when i double click on the folder to open it, it takes about 3 seconds before it actually opens. and then there is nothing inside. but the funny thing is that when i open my kazaa, the transfer window is full of the files which i was downloading, meaning that the temp files are still in the folder and i'm pretty sure that the other files are there as well but how come they just suddenly vanished??



This post has been edited by BuffaloHELP: Feb 1 2006, 07:44 PM

Since kazaa and its methods alike are borderline of breaking copyrights and board rules, this is going to be some tough discussion. But I know that there are some bomb files out there that edits your Windows registry or folder explorer from preventing playing or showing kazaa or other P2P related download files from granting the proper access.

This means that you may have successfully downloaded a file using one of P2P software but you won't be able to play or view that file. If this is the case for you, the only way I know is either registry patch or fresh install. Or it can be a simple software removal...

as what buff says, or you (or others using your PC) may have inadvertently set your files/folders hidden. you can set it to view hidden files (if they are really in HIDDEN attribute mode) via the WINDOWS EXPLORER > TOOLS > FOLDER OPTIONS > VIEW > hidden files & folders.



that's the first thing i'll check anyway if i experience the same trouble you're having. especially if your kazaa is still showing download progress when connected online, which means it's still saving your downloads somewhere.

or you may want to check your kazaa download folder settings, you may have moved it elsewhere in your drive unwittingly, so when you check the folder where you think your kazaa downloads are, they are not apparently there any longer.

You may have a trojan or something, too. Kazaa files tend to be infested with trojans, worms, etc. Not to mention the Kazaa program itself has spyware in it. If you want to keep using Kazaa, get a copy of Kazaa Lite, or whatever they're calling the non-spyware version nowadays.

Make sure your anti-virus program is up to date, and that it is set to scan your incoming files automatically as they come in. Two anti-virus programs are better than one if you're going to download from P2P networks like Kazaa. ClamWin (open source) is excellent, usually getting new virus updates every day. AntiVir (a free for personal use AV from Europe) is also excellent, and works well with ClamWin. Sometimes one AV will catch something the other doesn't, so use both. Sometimes anti-virus programs don't catch trojans, so get a trojan scanner or two as well. Two trojan scanners work better than one, too, as one may catch things the other does not find.

Have your new incoming files go to a non-shared folder, then check them thoroughly before putting them in a shared folder. That way you won't have people downloading infected files from you. If more people did that, there would be less viruses on P2P networks.

One of the ways to recognize a bad program is the file size is not right. Trojans and worms are usually of the same size, the file name is just different. So if you download a file that's 712 Megs, for instance, and it's infected, and a search for the same type of file shows several files with different names that are also 712 Megs, chances are, they are all trojans, too. Write down the size of files that are just trojans or worms and keep a lookout for files of those sizes. You'll waste a lot less time downloading junk that way. Trojans and worms are sometimes labelled as something illegal, like "warez" or "illegal copy", so don't download anything labelled like that. You should only use P2P for legal downloads, anyway, of course. Not saying you would, but maybe other people might read this, and be tempted by a label like that. Remember the RIAA is suing the parents of 12 year olds for illegal copies of songs these days. And the parents have to pay heavy fines, so don't get your parents or yourself in trouble by sharing illegal stuff.