Need help accessing hidden and read-only folders

[jvdlcr125]

Some how my Windows 7 PC stopped booting properly and when I access the drives via a bootable XP environment all files show that they are still there yet many of them how as a semi-opaque folder icon with a chain across the front. When I try to access the folders I get a message saying that "(file location) refers to a location that is unavailible". The folders also show that they contain no data (0kb). I made not changes to the operating system so I'm not sure what is going on.

 

[Tradesman1]

Go to control panel, > folders > view and check SHOW HIDDEN FILES, etc might work, however I think you've been hit by Malware, might want to boot into SAFE MODE (turn on and start tapping F8 key, when menu comes up select safe w/ networking, when in system download MalwareBytes, load, update and run