Computer booted up showing the desktop as it is when you first get the computer - all programes show on the start menu, (default profile is being used)

But look in My Documents & there 's nothing in the folder. All email profiles & info that I had on the desktop completely vanished.

Go into safe mode - just the same

If you look in the profile eg C:\User\thedukes0brent\docs  - then all the files are there as expected, If you look on the profile desktop eg C:\User\thedukes0brent\desktop - then all the shortcuts etc are there.

So.......in effect the user account is there, but when you log on to it all settings & documents are not being accessed.

Solution:

In registry - HKLM\software\microsoft\windowsNT\currentversion\profile

• There are two folder enteries with the same id number, one ending in .bak & one without bak. 
• The one without the .bak should have an entry for the profile and is pointing to a  TEMP folder
• Swapping the .bak extension between the two folders, it points the profile back to the correct user folder