Windows 7 forum: Windows 7 & the famous disappearing applications

Avira isn't on the list of compatible products in http://www.microsoft.com/windows/antivirus-partners/windows-7.aspx

Why not try another one? That's the pleasant thing about release candidates. Nice to play with, and whatever you do, it doesn't influence your production system.

Do I understand correctly that you connect to the web unprotected. Wouldn't it be better to install you protection software from disk before connecting?

Kees

"Has anyone else experienced this?"
-> I have in the past, as a result of overprotective (malfunctioning) security software, malware infections, hard drive failure, motherboard failure, and misc Windows glitches, largely involving chkdsk and Disk Cleanup. Each a separate issue on separate systems. (Reason why it can be hard to identify.)


"Is it because I installed a 64 bit system, where as previously I had a 32 bit? "
-> No, that part is not a potential contributing factor.


"I'm fairly certain that all the quad core series can run 64 bit OS, and by my logic, you shouldn't be able to install a 64 bit OS on a machine that cannot run it, correct?"
-> It would not install/run at all if the CPU was not 64-bit capable.


"period that it was unprotected was limited."
-> Typically final last words, given the numerous studies that have shown unprotected computers compromised within 2 minutes of connecting to the net, even without visiting malicious websites.


Bottom line: I would try reinstalling Windows 7 from scratch and see if the problems persist. If so, something deeper is amiss.


John

I did a lot of work last night and the installations disappeared, very weird. I first tought that I did not installed some programs, but the installation directories are there, just the exe files seem to disappear.

bit of a typo there - what i meant was "avoid installing multiple programs at the same time, because if you have an issue, you won't really know which one caused it."

good luck. windows 7 is proving to be the dream that vista was aiming far. so far so good...

I am experiencing the same issue. Programs and e-mail account suddenly disappear. This is a brand new Dell with Windows 7 64 bit edition. I could reinstall the programs or try a Windows system restore. The only problem is will this issue come back or is there a known fix?

I thought someone in the family was accidentally deleting shortcuts from the desktop until I saw it with my own eyes. A shortcut was there one moment and gone the next. Did a search for the original program, found it and added a shortcut. Rebooted, shortcut gone again. Did a search for the program and it was completely gone from the Start Menu and All Programs list. At first Microsoft teaches us to take every precaution against data loss. But losing entire programs is a bit too much. An OS that loses programs is one that I will not trust. I'm glad that this PC is not my work horse.

Some details:
HP, less than a year old.
32 bit
Latest affected program was Safari for Windows