Stupidly Modified the C:\Users\Username\AppData native folder's attributes. Don't know if I have badly messed up

CSharpDev · Dec 9, 2023

So I wanted to synchronize that entire folder including all its subfolders and files with Google Drive (backup). Couldn't so that so I figured why not try to un-hide what's hidden. So I right-clicked the AppData folder, and un-checked the "Hidden" attribute box. The process started. Then I got some error messages saying I don't have the permission to change the Hidden/Unhidden attributes of some XML and other files. I clicked on "Skip All" and waited for the process to complete.

Now I have some of the files of the "Local" subfolder, for example, hidden and most un-hidden. I haven't deleted any of the files of the entire AppData native folder, only attempted to change the attributes of all of them from Hidden to Unhidden.

I think my best bet would be to restore all of the AppData's native folder's content to its original state. How can I do that?

Would

"dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth" followed by "sfc /scannow" do this, or how could I do that?

I have written the following script to check if any of the files remain hidden, to which the answer is YES:

Powershell:

# Define the folder path to check
$folderPath = "C:\YourFolderPathHere"

# Get all files and subfolders within the specified folder
$items = Get-ChildItem -Path $folderPath -Recurse

# Check if any item is not hidden
$notHidden = $items | Where-Object { -not $_.Attributes.HasFlag([System.IO.FileAttributes]::Hidden) }

if ($notHidden -eq $null) {
    Write-Output "All files and subfolders within $folderPath are hidden."
} else {
    Write-Output "Some files or subfolders within $folderPath are not hidden."
    $notHidden | Select-Object FullName
}

POLYSIUS · Dec 9, 2023

Create a new user account/profile and copy your personal files to the new folders.
Do not delete the old Username folders and don't touch appdata.
Inplacement, Dism, SFC will not help.
Learn how to use a Backup program!

CSharpDev · Dec 9, 2023

POLYSIUS said:
Create a new user account/profile and copy your personal files to the new folders.
Do not delete the old Username folders and don't touch appdata.
Inplacement, Dism, SFC will not help.
Learn how to use a Backup program!

Here's what I did: I hid the entire AppData. Then upon realizing that normally AppData is hidden BUT its 3 subfolders are NOT hidden, I un-hid the 3 subfolders. I ddin't delete any files. Only ever changed the attributes

Am I trouble?

neves · Dec 9, 2023

dism & scm should fix corruptions - but you don't have such issue.

I don't really get the concern. Hidden or not - doesn't affect the OS functionality. Some files/folders are hidden -for the sake of being dumb-proof (in case a child starts deleting random files from from C:/ - files that happen to be needed by x app - since Windows files need extra steps to be deleted).

CSharpDev · Dec 9, 2023

neves said:
dism & scm should fix corruptions - but you don't have such issue.

I don't really get the concern. Hidden or not - doesn't affect the OS functionality. Some files/folders are hidden -for the sake of being dumb-proof (in case a child starts deleting random files from from C:/ - files that happen to be needed by x app - since Windows files need extra steps to be deleted).

So they don't do anything to programs or apps in terms of them running fine or not? Or date loading or not?

Spunk · Dec 9, 2023

A file that is Hidden is just not viewable to you, it doesn't affect the Windows OS, it can still See them.

Edwin · Dec 9, 2023

Depends..., if you Hide the Startup folder in AppData/Roaming, and the objects in it, they won't start on boot.

glasskuter · Dec 9, 2023

POLYSIUS said:
Create a new user account/profile and copy your personal files to the new folders.

No, do not copy files from one user account to another. It will screw up permissions big time. From old account copy files to external media. Create a new account and then copy from external media into new account.

The proper way to create a new account is in this thread, post#37 Thumbnail images VERY slow to load in File Explorer