KB4505064 desktop deleted

[mw184]

Hi all, I have just updated Windows 10 to the above KB for windows (KB4505064) and upon logging back on I have lost my desktop. The desktop icons for programs are still there but all of the files on the desktop etc are gone. I have looked in c:\users\%username% and the desktop folder/area is gone. I have tried 2 different pieces of data recovery software and had no luck in finding the files. I am currently running an SFC /SCANNOW and am currently looking to try a system restore.

 

If anyone has any ideas on how to find the documents again it would be much appreciated!

[mikes]

Have you tried looking in c:\programData as there is sometimes a shared desktop there - if not, c:\users\default can have desktop files.

In my experience on Win7, on different staff laptops; sometimes the desktop files are stored in their userprofile - other times it is stored in the desktop located in c:\programdata. Why it is different for certain staff - not sure.

 

I told staff not to save to the desktop, but I didn't actually disallow it. So of course a lot of staff stored all of their important documents on the desktop - then, after a two week half term; the automatic profile cleanup wipes their profile and all of the data is gone. If they are using a local profile and not a roaming one, the data is irritrievable.

I have had 3 staff members lose data this way and I was unable to recover it. Data recovery software recovered about 5 badly corrupted documents.

 

Are you on a domain with a network profile? the files could be on your roaming profile on your fileserver.

 

Now I am thinking of using Folder Redirection to redirect the desktop to their network drive, but I don't know if this is recommended or not.

[witch]

We redirect all staff desktops and it works well

[mw184]

Turns out it was just a setting that had been changed on the server in GPO and i didn't know. Reverting it back should hopefully bring it all back. Will find out when i get there this afternoon. Redirecting desktops does sound like it could be our solution in the future though. Thanks for the tips!