Bleeping Computer experts noted that after installing the KB4532693 update, some Windows 10 users report that their files are completely deleted. Their desktop and Start menu were reset to the default settings, and the files stored in the profile fully disappeared.
Journalists were able to understand that during the installation, user updates are switched to a temporary profile, and a backup copy of the original profile is saved with the extension .000 or .bak.However, due to the bug, the recovery of the ordinary user after the upgrade does not occur”, – told reporters Bleeping Computer.
As a result, users concluded that it is possible to solve this problem and return their profile by restarting Windows several times or by removing the problematic update.
However, it turned out that the problems extend beyond simple profile recovery. According to WindowsLatest, as well as judging by user complaints on official Microsoft forums and social networks, sometimes user profiles and files from the Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos directories completely disappear from the system, so users have to recover deleted information from the backup, if any has been done.
Journalists from BleepingComputer could not reproduce this bug, although they installed update KB4532693 on several different computers, that is, the problem does not appear too often.
Microsoft spokespersons modestly commented on the situation:
The company knows about a bug with backup profiles, and an investigation is already underway on this issue”.
However, Microsoft did not comment about data deletion.
Currently, victims are advised to use following ways to protect and restore information:
- If after installing KB4532693 the profile disappeared, it is worth looking in the C:\ users folder with the extension .bak or .000. If such folder exist, perhaps the original profile lies there;
- If the data is still available, it is urgent to back up to an external drive or to the cloud so as not to lose it;
- Next, it is recommended to restart Windows 10 several times and see if this helps. If not, you will have to uninstall update KB4532693;
- If there are no backups in the C:\ Users folder, then the profile has been deleted along with all the data. In such a situation, users are prompted to contact Microsoft and ask if the company has a way to recover these files;
- Users may also try to restore data from backup (if any has been done) or shadow copies, also think about using special software to restore files.
Microsoft’s February update set was definitely unsuccessful. For example, earlier Windows 10 users complained about problems with shutting down computers, and the KB4524244 update causes problems with downloading and installation, so Microsoft itself advises to get rid of it. However, almost every update of this OS causes panic among some users, for example, one of them causes a failure in the notification system.
