Ok a little while ago I noticed that my user folder and the network folder were missing from my desktop.

I can still access all the files through my computer but I don't know if its related but the links are also gone from the start menu, and the network icon is missing from the task bar as well.

Does anyone know of what has happened and how to fix it?

I'm using vista home premium, and have already checked whether the folders are clicked in the show desktop items thingy, and they are.

Cheers in advance

I've had this happen to me once. I'd somehow managed to delete the shortcuts from the desktop on XP. While I did some research on how to fix it (Which was as simple as going into Control Panel and checking the boxes next to "show 'my computer'", etc) I discovered people could modify the registry to hide things from the desktop and start menu in both XP and Vista. I forget how to show the items again but if you Google hard enough you should get somewhere.

Yeah I've tried the going into the control panel thing, and both the network and the user folder is clicked to show up on the desktop.  Its really weird.

Also in some programs that open up a folder automatically to view files, they say they cannot find the folder anymore but I can easily navigate to it.  I think it might be something like the registry is modified but the places I have found talking about that are a bit over my head.  Does anyone have a simple way of fixing this, or at least a step by step way of doing it through the registry?

I've had those other problems too but I've forgotten how to fix them. Sorry if I can't be of much help.