vortex.deployment.json disappeared

[SebBro]

So, the vortex.deployment.json file straight up disappeared when I booted up my pc today, and I can't deploy mods, can't purge mods, the mods themselves stopped working and I can't even move staging folder anywhere. How do I fix this?

[ChemBoy1]

Where did the file go? Did you delete it? Did your Antivirus delete it? Did you run a disk check to see if your drive is failing? Files don't simply disappear without a cause. 

You'd probably need to stop managing the game and then add it again to fix this. Vortex cannot know it's deployment state without that file. 

But if you have files disappearing like that, you have a much bigger problem on your system. 

[7531Leonidas]

Might it be some sort of false flag from a security/AV program?  Check to see if it is in quarantine.