Windows Explorer fails to show subfolders but they show up using Search

[Groundhog3]

I'm using Win 7 home premium with service pack 1. ,,, 64 bit op sys

Issue: 2 subfolders that were stashed in a common host folder evaded any visibility in Windows Explorer. Both those subfolders however were easily found using the search feature on that same host folder (!!)

The path statement for these 2 folders showed these 2 folders exactly where I thought I had put them, exactly where the search feature found them, yet Windows Explorer refused to show them in that location. I am an experienced user, though not a pro developer. This is VERY UNUSUAL. I have never uncovered such a serious bug in Windows in many, many years. I've seen many cosmetic or minor issues but nothing like this.

Closing out all files and folders had no effect. Restarting the machine had no effect. The two subfolders were "hidden" in that Explorer refused to show them as existing, yet Search finds them easily.

So far,I MOVED these two subfolders from the Search Listing to a different host folder for safe keeping until I can understand this problem. That worked fine and of course they show there as they should using the Windows Explorer tree. I also COPIED the same two folders back into the host folder under different names which worked fine and Explorer shows them in the tree correctly.

Anyone seen such a thing ? What the heck is going on here ?

Potential extenuating circumstances: The host folder has 454 subfolders. The host folder is currently around 38GB in size.

 

[TrainableMan]

Are the other 452 subfolders in the host folder visible?
Could you right-click on the host folder & choose properties & take a screenshot of the attributes, then do the same for both subfolders?

 

[Groundhog3]

Yes, every other one is visible and I have been building the content of that host folder for more than 10 years. NEVER had trouble finding a subfolder I stashed there. Since the original post I have added 4 more subfolders to that same host and they all work fine and show properly. The biggest problem I have in doing what you ask (the 2 screenshots) is that I have already moved the two subfolders not shown in the tree out of the host to protect them from potential total loss (using the search list) and now I cannot reproduce the problem. I can still do the screenshots if you want.

 

[Groundhog3]

Here's the host folder

 

[Groundhog3]

Here is one of the two subfolders that had disappeared and retrieved using Search. Note that it is "T2 bug test" in the tree after I copied it back into the host folder. Pardon the dual screen unintended photo on the right.

 

[TrainableMan]

My only thought was that the HIDDEN attribute (or a SYSTEM attribute, which you don't see in properties) got enabled somehow. I really suspect it was something like that rather than an actual problem with your W7 OS.

 

[Groundhog3]

I suppose so BUT when I copied the exact same folders with no changes back into the same host folder, everything was rosy. Wish I had taken a screenshot when the problem was present. Now I can't re-create it. Somewhat of a miracle that I could "Search" and locate the subfolders and move them anywhere I wanted even though they didn't exist if one believed the folder tree. I hope you are right about it not being a W7 OS bug but if the Hidden attribute was tuned on and off without user intervention, that is a bug too.
Thanks for your time.