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

Microsoft has taken down the Version 1809 Update:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4464619/windows-10-update-history

As I wrote here in the first post and reiterated yesterday, there is possibly more involved here than the new OneDrive Folder Protection feature being set  to sync Documents, Pictures and/or Desktop to OneDrive by default.  That's on the AutoSave tab in OneDrive settings.

On the next tab over under Settings, there is also a choice to save space on smaller hard drives by having the "Files on Demand" stored only in the cloud and no longer on the hard drive.  If this is selected they are removed from the hard drive to the cloud and all that is left is sym-links to download them. 

Having moved my User folders into OneDrive for years, I know that during Version Upgrades the moved folder locations can be reset to default.  It's possible they are then sync'd as deleted and moved from Onedrive to the Recycle Bin.  I started noticing after 1803 that these were being set as default in some cases.

There is another issue with syncing the Desktop folder to a location off the hard drive that causes a fatal loop at startup that we're beginning to see more often now. 

Back up your files to external metal/flash now via a manual and not automated method (MS Backup utilities lose files too!), add a secondary cloud backup like the more reliable Google Drive Backup which let's you choose any folders to sync up to 15gb free to the cloud.

In previous catastrophic cases I've triaged (including Digital Activation collapse after RTM release) we had CSS in the main tracking thread pulling cases.  I don't see them here, nor do I see any cause yet rising to the top as most likely suspect.

Yup, my user documents folder is also empty

Thankfully, I had my Ms Onedrive setup to backup the files, so I managed to restore it all.

This is no good at all.

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

I'll let you know what you should do. Backup your stuff! If you've been using Microsoft for 23 years and you've only amassed 220 gb then you really have no excuse for not having that fully backed up somewhere. You can get onedrive or even just pay 3 bucks a month to Google and they could back that up for you. You could have even just put all that on a flash drive and put it in a safe. I think this is good for you Robert, you've clearly been needing to learn this  lesson for a long time

Might want to look about a bit. With the 1803 Update I noticed a new Document Folder show up all nice and shiny and empty but I found my old one on my hard drive too. Under C/Users/Shado

(my private user folder as opposed to the public one).

So I merged them 😜