# Where did my files go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353 "2013-01-16T03:31:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/1 "2013-01-16T03:31:46Z")
I am sorry, but I am still not used to the latest version of Windows, so please forgive me. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Anyway, I found some photos stored in a temp folder or temp internet folder that Windows must create for I know I did not. The path defaulted to this temp folder, but I have no clue how to get back to it (having to change the path at the time). Any suggestions for the most common places where Windows would store stuff? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/2 "2013-01-16T05:19:15Z")
If you know what type of files they were (.gif, .jpg, .png, etc.), just open up windows explorer (not internet explorer). In the upper right is a text box for you enter a search term. first highlight the drive you want to search, which we’ll assume is your c: drive. then put the cursor in the search box. Let’s assume that the files are jpegs. type jpg in the search box and hit enter. It will find every file with ‘jpg’ in the file name. As long as the directory is not hidden, your temp directory should show up in the listing. edit: if you know the name of the directory had ‘temp’ in the name, you can also use ‘temp’ as a search string, which might be easier. ---
**Author:** ![spanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@spanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spanna)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/3 "2013-01-16T11:34:54Z")
Try typing %temp% in the address bar of windows explorer ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/4 "2013-01-16T11:37:29Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > If you know what type of files they were (.gif, .jpg, .png, etc.), just open up windows explorer (not internet explorer). In the upper right is a text box for you enter a search term… Thanks, but it sounds like you’re describing the last version of Windows. For starters, there is no Windows explorer anymore, and they shot the search dog, too! I swear they changed everything to be just like Apple. And every feature that sucked about Vista they kept. The latest Windows IS Vista in sheep’s clothing. FYI" Windows explorer is now “Computer”, but it does not appear one can search in a folder (or, even see a tree which would be helpful) anymore. WTF? Have they forgotten this IS still a computer, you dang MS geeks! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/5 "2013-01-16T11:50:04Z")
Sorry… sorry… I see what you’re talking about now. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/6 "2013-01-16T15:33:11Z")
Temporary internet files is the location which weirdly, you get if you hit “Save” instead of “save as” sometimes. In internet explorer, Tools - internet options - find the section on the general tab “Browsing history” and there will be a button “settings” which will take you to a location with “view files”; if you know the approximate date, sort by date, or sort by name or the web site it came from, etc. (May be slightly different if you have a different verion of IE). If the files came from some different program, you may have to go into control panel - appearances- folder options (or just Explorer - folder options in WinXP) and check the boxes to allow you to see system files. In Win7/Vista the applications may store data in Users(your name)\appData In XP, it is (IIRC) Documents & Settings(your name)\Application Data Also check C:\TEMP and C:\Windows emp If it is browser temp files, they may have been overwritten if it’s been a while since you saw them… If you know the name specific enough (I.e. “it was called something 'and Sally” something something…) you can open a DOS box (Start - run - cmd ) Then type the DOS command DIR C:\*sally\*.\* /S The “/S” means all subdirectories from the start (C:) Sometimes the old dog tricks are the best… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/7 "2013-01-16T17:07:31Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > FYI" Windows explorer is now “Computer”, but it does not appear one can search in a folder (or, even see a tree which would be helpful) anymore. WTF? Have they forgotten this IS still a computer, you dang MS geeks! Windows Explorer has always been found under “Computer” … well, “My Computer” until recently. What did you go through to get to it in previous version? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/8 "2013-01-16T20:37:57Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > If you know the name specific enough (I.e. “it was called something 'and Sally” something something…) you can open a DOS box (Start - run - cmd ) Then type the DOS command > DIR C:\*sally\*.\* /S > The “/S” means all subdirectories from the start (C:) > Sometimes the old dog tricks are the best… Yes, good approach. And if temp is in the directory name, you can search for directories with this command dir c:\*temp\*.\* /ad /s the ‘/ad’ parm will tell it to look for file allocation table entries that have the directory attribute set. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/9 "2013-01-17T00:31:18Z")
If you saved a photo from the internet and you used Firefox (I assume something similar works for other browsers), open Firefox, click on tools in the menu at the top and choose downloads (Ctl-J) is a shortcut for this). You will get a list of your recently downloaded files. Find the file you want (though probably any file will do if it was saved to the default folder). Right click on the file in the list and choose “Open containing folder.” This will open the folder with those files. Once your there, you might wish to use the path at the top of the screen and go up one level. When you’re up there you can right click on the folder you just came from and choose “make shortcut” This will create a shortcut to your default download folder in it’s parent (which isn’t much use, but you can then drag the shortcut to your desktop or some place convenient and always have a simple way back to your download folder. At lest this is how to do it in Windows 7. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/10 "2013-01-17T01:56:56Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Thanks, but it sounds like you’re describing the last version of Windows. For starters, there is no Windows explorer anymore, and they shot the search dog, too! I swear they changed everything to be just like Apple. And every feature that sucked about Vista they kept. The latest Windows IS Vista in sheep’s clothing. > > FYI" Windows explorer is now “Computer”, but it does not appear one can search in a folder (or, even see a tree which would be helpful) anymore. WTF? Have they forgotten this IS still a computer, you dang MS geeks! If you are talking about Windows 8, then you are incorrect. While they did change the name of Windows Explorer to File Explorer, it still has the same functionality, including the search box. On the Windows 8 start screen, click on the tile labeled desktop. There is a link to file explorer on the taskbar. Alternately, you can just search for file explorer from the start screen by simply typing file explorer. You don’t even have to use the search charm. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-my-files-go/647353/11 "2013-01-17T01:59:47Z")
Windows 7’s search doesn’t search in… sorry, I should say ONLY searches in very few selected user locations, doesn’t it? It doesn’t search (index) temp files by default.