Folder and files missing after updates

Question

Dear Sir/Madam,

An important folder and files have gone missing from my laptop after updates. Do you know how I can get them back?

Answer 1

Hi! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this. Could you please let me know whether these folders were stored in OneDrive or locally on your device? If they were stored in OneDrive, have you tried signing in to OneDrive.com to check whether the files are still available there or in the Recycle Bin?

Answer 2

Try the following steps in order on the Windows 11 laptop.

1. Search the whole device for the missing items
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
   2. In the left panel, select This PC.
   3. In the Search This PC box (top right), type either:
      • The folder name or a known file name, or
      • A file type pattern such as *.doc (Word files) or *.mp3 (music files).
   4. When results appear, right-click any found file and select Open file location to see where it is stored. If needed, copy or move it back to the preferred folder.
2. Make sure hidden files and folders are visible
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
   2. In Settings, select System > Advanced.
   3. Under File Explorer, ensure Show hidden and system files is set to On.
   4. Go back to File Explorer and repeat the search from step 1.
3. Fix Windows Search if it is not finding files
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
   2. Select Privacy & security > Search (or use the Searching Windows button if shown: Searching Windows).
   3. Under Related settings, select Advanced indexing options.
   4. In Indexing Options, select Advanced.
   5. On the Index Settings tab, select Troubleshoot search and indexing.
   6. Follow the steps in the Search and Indexing troubleshooter and then try searching again.
4. Check for files moved during the upgrade/update
   • When search finds files, right-click each file and choose Open file location.
   • If the folder has been moved, copy or move the files back to the desired location.
5. Restore from backup (if available) If a backup was created before the update using Backup and restore (Windows 7):
   1. Connect the external drive that holds the backup.
   2. Right-click the Start menu and select Search.
   3. Type Control Panel and open it.
   4. In the Control Panel search box (top right), type backup.
   5. Select Backup and restore (Windows 7).
   6. Select Select another backup to restore files from.
   7. In Restore Files (Advanced), choose the external drive with the backup.
   8. Follow the wizard to restore the missing folder and files.
6. Check OneDrive if files were synced
   • If the folder was stored in OneDrive, sign in to OneDrive in a browser and look for the files there.
   • Also check the OneDrive Recycle Bin as described in Find lost or missing files in OneDrive.

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References:

• Find lost files after upgrading Windows