Updating your Windows system is essential to do regularly, as there are usually several features added to improve your experience. However, you must ensure your data remains safe during this process to avoid losing important data from your computer.
It is, therefore, confirmed that you can lose data from the hard drive while you perform a Windows update. But where do these files go? In this article, we answer the question and help you recover deleted files.
Sometimes, Windows updates may contain buggy files. The buggy security updates will most likely delete your critical files while updating the system. The end, you have an updated system but missing original files, some of which may be very important for your daily business or work.
The good news, files lost after windows update are, in most cases, never permanently deleted from the computer. They are basically moved from your account to another user account’s Folder.
Although some people have previously reported that the Windows update deleted their desktop files, some say their taskbars and Start menus reset to the default settings. The files were, however, not deleted and could still be retrieved.
Generally, the files appear deleted because Windows signs some people into different user profiles after updates are installed. These are meant to be temporary user accounts to help Windows perform a safe update without erasing your files. However, the Windows system may fail to restore the user’s profile when the update is complete.
Also, the system creates a folder and backs up copies of all your files to make them available when you need them. Therefore, the files will remain available in the backup Folder until you perform data recovery for the updated system.
Hidden Files
There are also more chances that the update will hide some files from view after the update. To lookout for these files, launch the File Explorer, click view followed by “Show Hidden Files.”
You can also look for specific file types by using the asterisk. You can look for music files by typing *.mp3 and searching for the File, for instance.
Can I Recover Files Lost After Windows Update?
As we mentioned already, Windows updates try to save your files by saving them in o different user account or creating a backup. As such, the files remain available as they are not permanently deleted or overwritten.
Therefore, you can recover the files with the various data recovery methods available, including data recovery software. We will show you some methods to recover deleted files on Windows 11. We recommend using these methods to get your files back especially utilizing data recovery software for Windows.
How To Recover Lost Files After Windows 10 Update
Method 1: Recover Files From The Windows.Old Folder
Step 1: Open File Explorer
Press the Windows key and the “E” hotkey simultaneously to open File Explorer. You should now see the available folders and drives.
Step 2: Open Windows.old Folder
Now open the Windows. old Folder through the “This PCC:Windows. old” path. Once you are there, open the subfolder named “User.”
Step 3: Open A User Account
Open the user account subfolder to make it possible for users to recover files that have been deleted from their account. Choose a file or more and press “Ctrl + A” followed by the “Copy to” button.
Once the drop-down menu is open, select another folder to copy the files to. Windows 10 creates Windows.old Folder, including the backup copies of the user files, which remain available for up to 10 days.
Method 2: Retrieve Files With Disk Drill Data Recovery
Step 1: Download the software from the official website install and launch the data recovery for PC.
Step 2: Select drive C and click “Scan.” If your drive is partitioned, you should scan the partitions available.
Step 3: Preview the files returned by the scanning process.
Step 4: Select the files you need to recover from the file preview pane and press the “Recover” button.
