windows 10 (October 2018 update) (version 1809) deleted all my files

Similar thing happened to me:  lost my Outlook.pst file.  1 gig file located in C:\users\shawn\Documents folder.  Folder is intact.  Contacts gone.  Search of *.pst and *.bak yielded no relative findings.  Fortunately I do backup every month so I was able to pull the 9/1 backup of the .pst file and replace the missing files from Outlook.com.   (I hadn't done October backup yet!).  Thought I was losing my mind.

I have just updated my windows using the October update (10, version 1809) it deleted all my files of 23 years in amount of 220gb. This is unbelievable, I have been using Microsoft products since 1995 and nothing like that ever happened to me.

Files were located at C:/Users/rober/Documents/

This location is still present, with no files. All of files deleted.

I am extremely upset. Not sure what to do….please let me know.

Robert

Maybe in C:\Windows.old\Users\Freddie\Documents

In addition, I doubt MS would boink their software, just to get folks to buy more Cloud, although the thought did enter my mind.

I think it's really a poorly quality checked software that was rolled out, before a thorough going over. Not that Microsoft has ever done that before, huh? It's just that it's never been this bad, as best I recall, that it physically wiped out My Documents files. That's just inexcusable.

I get a bit annoyed to have to reinstall, roll-back, or whatever, but I'd take that any day over having my files physically deleted. That's the heartbeat of why we even use computers, and that is an areas that should not be tampered with, EVER.

Thanks for the suggestion of trying to use recovery software; I think I'm too far into trying to recover from my backups and other computers, at this point. This should never have happened, and is probably the lowest I've seen Microsoft go, in the years I've been with them. I've been using Windows since before there were mice; since Basic, COBAL, Fortran, etc. I beta -tested for them way back, along with Norton and Quicken, back when they were feisty little upstarts. It just still boggles my mind that they would allow this sacred piece of the pie go away.

Maybe... but it ain't gonna happen. I'm not storing files in the cloud that could impact security, or provide a back-door into my rig.

In fact, I'm giving Apple a strong consideration. Already at the bottom, with all my files washed, so maybe it's time to rethink this game.... nothing from nothing leaves nothing....

Somewhat similar, but in this update it deleted ALL of the files in My Documents on my local hard drive. No warning, no nothing. Just GONE.

I've been working for about 12-hrs, now, trying to see what I can recover from other sources and backups, but this is really a pain.....probably going to be a LONG WEEKEND..... 

I definitely would not recommend anyone else update, unless MS figures out what is causing this, so it can be avoided. 

As I stated in earlier posts, the update worked fine on two computers (I "think") but totally trashed all my documents on another -COMPLETELY EMPTY. On top of that, it trashed my restore data, so now I'm fighting with my backup. 

Before you keep using the hard drive, you can try some recovery software to scan the drive and recover what it can. If you have an SSD where TRIM ran already, then you're out of luck.

I bet this is Microsoft trying to give people a good kick in the rear to purchasing more OneDrive space so they can make more money and access all your files.  ;)