Warning: Windows 10 October Update removed some users’ files
An error in Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) caused some users’ files to be deleted during the installation of a new operating system version. Although it is not known how common this problem is, there have been several online discussions [1] [2] [3] that have caused users to lose files in Windows 10 libraries and public folders.
From the user report, when upgrading from Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to October Update, there will be a chance to encounter a failure through the Windows Update.
Documents such as documents, pictures, music, and videos stored in the Windows 10 library are deleted without any warning. At this time, if the backup is not created before the upgrade, it seems that it cannot be recovered.
Multiple users in the post have already confirmed the problem on their computer, and in most cases, Windows does not seem to create a backup of deleted files automatically. Although there is a Windows.old folder that allows users to return to previous versions of Windows, it does not include backups of data stored in the library.
There is currently no news from Microsoft about this error, and there is no workaround. For this reason, it is recommended that Windows 10 users create a backup of their files before starting to install Windows 10 October Update.