Oops! I think I moved my plug ins

When I click on the FX button on a track it no longer shows all my plugins. Missing are all the Cockos plugins. I may have accidentally moved them to a different folder when I was trying to download some drum samples. I can see them in the FX folder, but maybe it's not in the right directory? Also, where should you put samples when you download them? Thanks!

The Reaper VST plugs belong here: C:\Program Files\REAPER\Plugins\FX FYI: there is also another folder here: C:\Program Files\REAPER\Effects This one contains more folders of additional folders, but you shouldn't do anything with it unless you need to install JS or midi FX etc into any of those folders.

Wow, I really messed something up. When I opened up Reaper, it did not recognize me as a registered user so I had to re-install my license number and "poof" everything I worked on is gone! Luckily, I'm just getting started, so it was mainly just tracks I was experimenting on. However, all the plugins are back where they belong. This stuff is really confusing for me. I need to keep reading. Thanks for your help. This is a great forum.

Are you on a Mac? I think I recall reading that the Mac installer can overwrite things in the Reaper install directory. [I could have misunderstood though.] Before your next installation make a copy of your own work. Anyway, I would recommend saving all your Reaper projects into another folder (enable "Copy all media to project directory" too). I would set up another folder for your samples too. HTen create a shortcut to that folder in the Reaper media Explorer -- browse to the folder -- right-click (Command+click ?), select "Add to shortcut list"