Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 September 13

= September 13 =

After win 10 update, can't see files
The latest Windows 10 update (1903, OS Build 18362.356) basically reset everything, as if I had a new computer. Most seriously, File Explorer does not display any files. I know they're there because Notepad++ can access them. How do I get File Explorer to recognize the files? Thanks. --Halcatalyst (talk) 14:03, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I am 98% sure that Notepad++ uses CommonDialog Controls meaning that the Notepad++ Open file screen is using Explorer to display files.
 * If you hold down the Windows key, then tap the letter E and release the Windows key a new File Explorer window should pop up. Have you tried that? What happens? Can you make a screenshot or even a photo of the screen and upload it to a image sharing site like Imgur.com and share the URL here? You may also wanna try holding the windows key, pressing R and then releasing the Windows key. In the windows that pops up type the following: C:\ then press Enter.
 * Do you see the taskbar with the start menu button in the bottom of the screen? If not then explorer.exe needs to be restarted. Poveglia (talk) 16:02, 13 September 2019 (UTC) Poveglia (talk) 15:49, 13 September 2019 (UTC)


 * Try pressing F5.  I've noticed this on some Win10 machines in the last week, mounting remote devices. They initially load an empty directory, but a refresh shows everything, as expected. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:57, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Good point I've seen the same thing happen on local but external USB drives and F5 fixed it. Poveglia (talk) 16:03, 13 September 2019 (UTC)


 * When you've had enough try this: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=windows%207%20professional%20OEM&sprefix=windows+7+profe%2Caps%2C268 93.136.122.4 (talk) 18:58, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * You misspelled "Linux". Poveglia (talk) 19:57, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Another fine alternative too. I recommend Q4OS. 93.136.122.4 (talk) 21:41, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Thanks for your replies. Here’s the imgur URL: https://imgur.com/a/Re9gLAd

Windows E, C:\ and F5 continue to show empty. I do see the taskbar. --Halcatalyst (talk) 20:28, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

I poked around in Properties and found out that the empty directories were in c:\users\TEMP instead of c:\users\hal, where all is well. However, when I click on This PC, I get the empty folders again. How can I make File Explorer start at c:\users\hal rather than at TEMP? --Halcatalyst (talk) 21:26, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I am curious whether this has something to do with a corrupted user profile. Are you using a Domain Server in this setup, or is this a simple, standalone home system with Local Users? You may want to check the properties of the user profile. The web is full of tutorials on how to move or rename your home folder, such as this one; I would say that you should at least check the registry or user profile manager app, and see if it's somehow reassigned your profile's home folder (and others) to the wrong value? It's just a shot in the dark... Elizium23 (talk) 07:46, 16 September 2019 (UTC)

My first guess would be https://www.thewindowsclub.com/reset-folder-view-in-windows (and make sure to select "Show hidden files, folders and drives"). Poveglia (talk) 01:32, 17 September 2019 (UTC)

Convert PDF back to Latex
Is there a tool that can convert a PDF back to Latex? I've got a PDF of a thesis that was obviously created in some sort of a Latex program. It looks something like this, but the text is single-column, so I'm thinking it should be easier to change it back. I want to turn it into a reflowable format like DOC or EPUB to read it more easily since it's set in a very small font which makes for long rows that are hard to read. Obviously there's OCR and the text can be copy-pasted but I'd like to preserve the formatting too (with as little manual editing as possible). 93.136.122.4 (talk) 19:05, 13 September 2019 (UTC)


 * PDF supports including bitmaps, and if the equations were bitmaps, then OCR would be the only option. But I looked at the PDF file, and I'm glad to say those don't appear to be bitmaps. That is, they don't look pixelated when I zoom way in, and I can highlight the equations one character at a time. So, theoretically, you should be able to convert back to LATEX without using OCR, if you can just find the right program to do it. SinisterLefty (talk) 20:38, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Well yeah, the right program is what I'm looking for. Any ideas? 93.136.122.4 (talk) 21:39, 13 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I googled "PDF to Latex" and there were quite a few options. Maybe try Inftyreader? What operating system are you on? Poveglia (talk) 01:42, 14 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks, InftyReader converts very well, unfortunately the full version is too expensive for me and I've got 150 pages to process, so 5 pages per day in the trial version won't do. What other suggestions do you have? (I have Windows and Linux) 93.136.122.4 (talk) 11:35, 14 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Google showed quite a few more options. Just search for "pdf to latex". Poveglia (talk) 03:07, 17 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm surprised that it worked well. Last year when I did an automatic Word to TeX conversion (with another program), the results were unacceptable.  But if it works well, the one-year version is $45 US, so even if you use it only for that, it is amounts to 30 cents per page.  Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 17:05, 14 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Word to latex is much more difficult than latex-generated pdf to latex. Poveglia (talk) 03:02, 17 September 2019 (UTC)

Depending on how much work you're willing to do, if there isn't too much math you could use pdftotext and then hand-massage the output into something usable. Anything like equations will be garbled pretty badly and you'll have to format them yourself. 67.164.113.165 (talk) 22:01, 16 September 2019 (UTC)