Did the Windows 10 upgrade and I lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc. How can I get them back?

[Windows Central Question]

Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

My hard drive shows 20 more GB of space but everything is gone that I used or saved on the computer. I did not back up everything since the info I read said I would not loose this information.

Is there any way to retrieve it or roll back the hard drive to Windows 7 and retrieve the data I lost?

 

[SMMA]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

pls let me know how you recovered your data because i have searched windows.old and all the folders in that are also empty.

 

[Clayton Foss]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

network/???

 

[Clayton Foss]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

K... (how I fell with this so far)

for those still having issues finding them... here is the file path i found despite opting out of one drive (thanks windows)

network (accept or turn on public sharing or whatever it is if it asks)> :Your computer name:> Users> :your name/user:> OneDrive>Documents

 

[Clayton Foss]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Im no noob either, bs is changing way too much. search didnt even work... i had given up. but keep looking
I found my files in.
network (accept or turn on public sharing or whatever it is if it asks)> :Your computer name:> Users> :your name/user:> OneDrive>Documents

there were a few others to search through, but try that and i believe youll figure it out

 

[Maricel Lorenzo]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

All my files are lost after upgrading my Windows 8.1 into windows 10. I searched in local disk C and everywhere and I can't find it. I don't know what am I going to do. The files are very important to me. I am using that at work. How can I recover it? I hope you can help me. Thank u.

 

[tangledW]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Always back up before updating your OS. Same with your phone.

 

[Drum-smasher Soup]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

My windows 10 upgrade installed successfully, then I went to "Windows.Old" and started to copy over my files to their respective directories in windows 10, then all of a sudden, I got a blue screen, my computer rebooted then it came up saying "restoring previous versions of windows", !!!!! then it went back to windows 8.1 and all my files are gone because I copied over during windows 10. But I can see where my hard drive space is still being taken up by the files, so I know they are hidden somewhere, PLEASE MY SITUATION IS HORRIBLE I NEED HELP FINDING MY FILES PLEAASEE!!!

 

[Alice N Jamie Higgins]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc. I AM TOO!!!

I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS WELL!!
I have gone to the windows.old and there are no files in any of the folders!!
I am gutted!! I have 11 years worth of baby and family photos in there!!!
They better find them!!!!

 

[Nasta Sie]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Try download shadow explorer from shadowexplorer.com install the application and retrieve your files by simply exporting them back to your drive. It really works for me, yesterday I lose all my work in my laptop because of Windows 10 update, luckily I came across the forum of how to retrieve your files back using this application. Totaly legit.

 

[Alice N Jamie Higgins]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

do you know how to retreive them?? Telling us that we should have backed up everything doesn't do us any good! Helping if you can will!! I had all of my documents come across but somehow lost all of my pictures, music and videos. If I uninstall windows, will it all reappear or has the update process completely screwed with everything!?!?!

 

[nasellok]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

I mean, I feel bad for you all that lost any data, but to not backup your files, or use cloud storage as a backup, your really walking a tight-rope over shark and crocodile infested waters, without a balance and without a safety harness. Its harvesting honey in a bathing suit, while being allergic to bees............anotherwords - its kind of foolish. Again, I really feel bad for you, but every single article on the internet (and you have been able to find this forum, so you cannot plead complete ignorance) tells you to backup your data before updating your operating system.

Me personally, I have a external HD that I periodically migrate data to. But, I have fully embraced Onedrive, and I store literally everything there. All my documents, music, all my photos, videos, etc. For some reason, I trust Microsoft's cloud more than I trust any of the other storage companies, as they have been around the longest of them all. Every single photo and video that I take with my phone uploads direct.

You should have done a full system backup before you hit the "install Windows 10"

 

[Heather Armstrong1]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

After searching and following all the instructions on here I realized I was logging in through my admin account. I logged onto my usual account and boom... All my photos and everything else! I feel like an ***** but perhaps this helps someone else. Good luck

 

[Helenetoile]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

David Beach1:
You found your files on Network/.... - does that mean that they were in the cloud? Was your version of windows connected with the cloud (OneDrive?) the entire time?

See, I was not logged into the cloud (just logged in and out now, for the first time -- nothing there).

My files did carry over -- only certain ones didn't. For example, some of my photograph folders are empty now. I did not back up -- but might have SOME of the photos elsewhere, as well.

I am going to try and use the shadow explorer, as suggested in one of the posts below... this is just weird. Well, at least the folder names carried over.

 

[Lord Stark1]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Guys check and make sure your missing files haven't been made hidden. Turned out my missing files were just set on hidden for some reason.
Hope this helps and good luck everyone.

 

[Wayne Harrell]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Thanks. Shadow Explorer is the real deal. Been in a funk since losing about 25 G. of pics, tax docs, and music. Shadow Explorer will enable you to recover all the lost data.:excited:

 

[Lonewolf Magnakai]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Thanks, your suggestion was really helpfull. :excited:

 

[KK SARMA]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

That's why the Hard disk partition was invented. We make hard drive partitions to store our personal files on different partition than that in which windows is installed, and by doing so, we don't have to worry when we're upgrading windows, our files will stay where they were. C Drive for windows and Applications; D,E,F for our personal files. NO BACKUP NO WORRY until the HARD DRIVE fails!

 

[glamrlama]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Back.
Up.
Your.
Data.

/repeat!
//storage is cheap!!
///greater than 50GB of music; 2 copies is the living room; 2 copies in the basement; 1 copy in each car; 1 copy at Mom's house; 1 copy on the work PC; 1 copy in the cloud; and 1 copy in my phone!!!

 

[Yvonne Ballaera]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

So after many tense hours with me kicking myself for not backing up my files I am happy to report all is NOT lost!!! When you upgrade windows must automatically partician your pc. I found EVERYTHING, even my old desktop by going up to the top of the start menu and choosing the user named for my pc (example...mine is a toshiba and that is the user name) once you swith users you should find everything there!! YAY!!!!!

 

[Dellers65]

Re: Did Windows 10 upgrade and lost all my data files, music, pictures, documents etc.

Hi. Windows 10 upgrade creates a new account for you automatically. This is your windows 10 microsoft admin account. It also upgrades your windows 7 account but does not set it as the default account. This becomes your local account and contains everything that you had in windows 7. To access it after the upgrade, just click start and go to the top of the menu. Click on your name and you should also see another account. Click on this account and wait a few moments while windows sets it up. In here you should find all of your old data. Next Back everything up to an external hard drive. Hope this helps