was organizing and updating my favorites folder in order to make a backup. i got to this one link that kept slowing down my computer and forcing me to use ctrl-alt-del to "end task". it was a familiar link and nothing that I didn't intentionally put there. after the third time trying to open it and using "end task" to close it all of a sudden the entire contents of the favorites folder disappeared. everytime I try to open the favorites folder nothing is there. i have spent years building that folder up and now it's all gone. I have tried to use a delete recovery program and nothing is there. it is not hidden either.
this just happened this second and need some help so that I can possibly fix it before having the computer re-write on top of the files eliminating any chance of further recovery.
i am running xp with 512ram & 2200mhz on a 100gb hdd.