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All document folder, files and photos suddenly gone

Anonymous
2025-02-20T15:48:03+00:00

This morning I opened File Explorer and found that all my folders and files in the Documents section were completely gone, as was everything in the Pictures section. I've read over the advice given to others who've experienced this, and carried out all those suggestions, to no avail. This is what I've tried so far:

Check Recycle Bin (nothing there, nor should there be; I didn't accidentally delete the entire contents of my Documents and Pictures)

Check for hidden files and folders (none)

Check OneDrive (there were a few older items there, but none related to the hundreds of missing files and folders; note also that I long ago turned off syncing to OneDrive, and it remains off now)

Check for being signed in to a temporary account (nope, I'm signed in to my Microsoft account)

Check for recent Windows updates (no updates had been done recently, except for Windows Defender two days before; I also just ran a virus scan and no threats were found)

Run a recovery program (I ran Recuva and did a deep scan that took almost an hour; it found no documents, but I also got this message: "Failed to scan the following drives: \.\HarddiskVolume2: Unable to determine file system type")

Until today I had no idea one's entire collection of docs and pics could simply vanish without a trace. Any advice beyond what I've already tried would be much appreciated. (Note: I have the latest version of Windows 11 on a 2 year old HP laptop.)

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-02-20T21:08:01+00:00

    Yes, it's C:\Users[admin]\Documents and ....\Pictures. But before I moved all the files back to Documents and Pictures, when they were still in OneDrive, they showed OneDrive in the path. I still have no idea how or why that randomly happened between last night and this morning.

    Also, when I now pull up File Explorer, in the large window with the colored folder icons displayed horizontally across the screen, the folders for Desktop, Downloads, Music, and Videos all show as "Stored Locally," while the Documents and Pictures folders show my admin name. I'm somewhat sure they used to show as "Stored Locally" like the rest, but I could be mistaken.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-02-20T16:49:42+00:00

    Thanks for your reply. Right after I posted, and before you replied, I actually did go to C: → Users → my admin name and looked in OneDrive there, and to my surprise all my missing document file folders were there. When I said in my post I had checked OneDrive, I meant OneDrive online—where, again, there were only a smattering of old irrelevant files (because I'd turned off syncing ages ago). But I hadn't checked the OneDrive storage area on my computer, and that's where everything was hidden. Now I have to find out how to turn off whatever it was that made all my files and folders get moved to OneDrive.

    But no, there is no "temp" folder within Users on my computer. Only one with my admin name, and one labeled "Public."

    So, hopefully this discovery will help not only me, but anyone else who searches for a solution to this.

    I will also note that I did have all this stuff backed up on a thumb drive, but hadn't performed a backup in almost a year, so there was lots missing. I will now be sure to back up my personal files every few days.

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  3. Neil D 32,830 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-20T22:30:32+00:00

    And all of those other folders show a similar path under the location tab that suggests all files are under the admin location.?

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  4. Neil D 32,830 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-20T19:59:10+00:00

    So when you right click Documents or Pictures then select Properties and the Location tab what is shown as the location for your files. Does it have OneDrive in the path or just C:\Users[admin]\Documents or Pictures, depending on which you check?

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  5. Neil D 32,830 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-20T15:59:30+00:00

    I just want to ask about checking for a temporary account.

    Using File Explorer you expanded This PC then expanded C:\ and selected the Users folder. There is not a folder called temp?

    Have you tried a simple search in File Explorer for file ending in doc or docx and jpg. So the search criteria would be *.doc, *.docx or *.jpg.

    Files do not just disappear from personal folders. You haven't tried to delete them from OneDrive online by any chance.

    When you check OneDrive use your browser to access it via a webpage then check the online recycle bin.

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