folders and photos gone !

Welcome BRose-1149,

I understand how frustrating it can be after a Windows update on your HP laptop, folders and photos that were stored between 2011 and 2022 appear to be missing. 

Before proceeding, could you please clarify: 

• Did the files disappear immediately after a Windows update, or after signing in with a different user account? 
• Are the missing folders from your Documents/Pictures folders, or were they stored in a custom location? 

In the meantime, you can try these steps below to troubleshoot the issue:  

Option 1: Check whether the files were moved to another user profile  

• Open File Explorer 
• Browse to C:\Users 
• Check if there is another user folder containing your Pictures or Documents 

Option 2: Search for the files  

• Open File Explorer 
• In the search box, enter the name of a missing folder or search for *.jpg 

Option 3: Check OneDrive  

• Open OneDrive in File Explorer 
• Look in the Recycle Bin on OneDrive if you use Microsoft account sync 

Option 4: Check for a Windows.old folder  

• Open This PC > Local Disk (C:) 
• Look for a folder named Windows.old 
• If present, browse to Users and check for your previous files 

Option 5: Verify available storage  

• Open Settings > System > Storage 
• Compare the used space with what you would normally expect 

Option 6: Run File Recovery checks  

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator 
• Run: chkdsk C: /scan 

I hope the steps above help you deal with your issue.  

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