not showing files in C:\Windows' sub-folders; searches fail to find files

[koemyndo]

I'm using MC portable 6.9.1 in Vista x64 SP2 - maybe that makes a difference here.
I don't know that I've had problems w/ MC file search in the past.  Am I missing something to get MC to show ALL files & folders, whether w/ H & S attrib, or not?
I thought you just enabled show hidden & system folders.  (Though not all the files it's not showing are system or hidden).

Now, MC explorer panel shows about *5 files* in  C:\Windows\Drivers, when there are really > 300 files - per Windows Explorer.
I have show hidden & system files checked in MC explorer panel setup.  I toggled the settings on / off / on. 

I restarted MC in admin mode.  I verified "show hidden & system files  were checked -  in View>Layout. 
Also hit refresh several times - F5.
But it's not just a matter of not showing hidden or system files - most in that folder don't have 'H' or 'S' attributes.

MC shows 2280 files in System32, while Explorer shows 2472 files (not including sub folders). 

When I searched in MC for "i8042prt.sys" in System32 - it didn't find it, of course, but the log file showed it searched the drivers folder.

MC's explorer doesn't find or show the C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository folder -at all, but the folder exists w/ 756 sub folders & lots of files.

I checked a previous portable MC version & it now shows the same problems.  I don't have an installed version left to check.
But it seems to show other partitions' (non OS) files & folders.

[Mathias (Author)]

That is very weird.  Here is really nothing in MC that should cause this behavior

If show hidden/system files are on, Than they should be shown (If the files have those attributes).
There is nothing in MC that remove files from being shown. (Unless you assign a view filter. but then you see that, and it also say how many files it hides, That is not something that is set automatic)

So something must block MC from receiving the correct list of files that Windows send to MC.
Since it only happens with files under the Windows folder it almost sounds like you got some strange security software installed that blocks 3rd party programs from accessing/see some files in the Windows folder.. Maybe to protected OS files from being tamped with.

[koemyndo]

I'm a little disappointed in you Mathias - & myself.

I'm using MC portable 6.9.1 in Vista x64 SP2 - maybe that makes a difference here.

I got the MC 6.9.1 - 32 bit version by mistake.  It won't show some of the 64 bit parts of Explorer (System32).  Though it shows most of the Windows sub folders & files just fine.  The 64 bit MC versions show all System32 files & sub folders.

I was sure it had to do w/ some folder permissions differences - which I spent a long time comparing.
When I saw SysWOW64 had the same permissions & owner as System32, and MC (32 bit) correctly showed all folders & files in SysWOW64, it hit me what the problem was.

[Mathias (Author)]

Ahh ok,
I thought that was not the case because just some files was missing.
But I guess that folder was virtualized

[FileM]

I'm not sure whom I'm replying to    but this answer relates to everyone.   I noticed this by accident 2 weeks ago:  The C:\windows\system32\drivers\ directory and its etc subdirectory.

I get conflicting lists of what files I have.  (When I was looking for the best file manager, I tried several, and I'm glad I didn't delete any.)

Total Commander, Multi-Commander, XYplorer, and Search Everything show that all the files expected to be there are there.

Free Commander, Q-Dir, xplorer2, and PowerDesk 9, show that 412 of 419 are missing, compared to Total Commander and compared to the clone partition (E:). 

Also, when I was in one editor, I forget which, and I tried to Save As a file under another name, I navigated to the C:\windows\system32\drivers directory, and there was no etc subdirectory to put the file in!!!!

If it's a question of 64 vs. 32 bit, all I can say is I have win10-64 bit and in every case where I saw two versions of the program, I chose the 64-bit version.   Maybe some of these programs dont' actually ave a 64-bit version when they need one?   If that's the reason.   Is it?

[FileM]

>Also, when I was in one editor, I forget which, and I tried to Save As a file under another name, I navigated to the C:\windows\system32\drivers directory, and there was no etc subdirectory to put the file in!!!!

I tried to do this several times because I couldn't believe it.  So if this means what it might mean, this means that it's not enough to have a 64 bit file manager.   For full use of a file editor, for use of Save As when trying to edit some or all 64-bit files, it seems it has to be a 64-bit editor too, because whatever I was using would not navigate to the ETC subdirectory.  It couldn't see it.    Now I was using either notepad or notepad++.  the first came with win10 and the second was dl'd in the last 6 months to win10, so they should both work.   NP++ has been wanting to give me an update, so I should accept it.  OTOH, I  think I was using Notepad, but testing now, it will navigate to etc.

[Mathias (Author)]

I'm not sure whom I'm replying to    but this answer relates to everyone.   I noticed this by accident 2 weeks ago:  The C:\windows\system32\drivers\ directory and its etc subdirectory.

I get conflicting lists of what files I have.  (When I was looking for the best file manager, I tried several, and I'm glad I didn't delete any.)

Total Commander, Multi-Commander, XYplorer, and Search Everything show that all the files expected to be there are there.

Free Commander, Q-Dir, xplorer2, and PowerDesk 9, show that 412 of 419 are missing, compared to Total Commander and compared to the clone partition (E:). 

Also, when I was in one editor, I forget which, and I tried to Save As a file under another name, I navigated to the C:\windows\system32\drivers directory, and there was no etc subdirectory to put the file in!!!!

If it's a question of 64 vs. 32 bit, all I can say is I have win10-64 bit and in every case where I saw two versions of the program, I chose the 64-bit version.   Maybe some of these programs dont' actually ave a 64-bit version when they need one?   If that's the reason.   Is it?

Some Windows folders are virtualized to other folders on 64bit OS when running 32bit software..
The easiest way to valid issues is to use the 64bit version of MC on 64bit OS when you work windows the Windows folders.