you people at microsoft have lost 1000+ dead family videos. I am sovereign owner of this laptop and your software removed my things without my permission.

West Kanye 0 Reputation points
2026-08-19T02:12:13.1033333+00:00

i went to click a video of my deceased mother and it gave me a error playing prompt then the entire folder was wiped clean 1000+ videos and photos gone. i have tried to copy my old file version and i get stupid read only prompts. This is MINE it is owned by me, not bill gates, not any of you administrators. My family , My work, My stuff. i have spent 5 days using shadowexplorer, microsoft file recovery you name it. and AI tells me you losers have my property frozen somewhere when it belongs ONLY on my harddrive. Nothing of mine belongs to you people or your company. never has. never will.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-08-19T02:12:33.39+00:00

    If the files were on the local drive, the supported recovery paths in the available guidance are:

    1. Stop using the PC as much as possible. Any continued use can overwrite deleted file data and reduce recovery chances.
    2. Check whether the files are only hidden or not being found.
      • Right-click Start > File Explorer
      • Select This PC
      • In Search This PC, search for a known file name
      • Also try wildcard searches such as *.mp4 or *.jpg
    3. Make sure hidden files are visible.
      • Open Settings
      • Go to System > Advanced
      • Expand File Explorer
      • Set Show hidden and system files to On
    4. Check whether Windows signed in with a temporary profile.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings
      • If Windows shows You are logged on with a temporary profile or We can't sign into your account, restart and sign in again
      • A restart may need to be done more than once
      • Important: back up anything created while in the temporary account before signing out, or it can be deleted
    5. Check whether the files are in a disabled Administrator account after an upgrade.
      • In the search box, type computer management and open Computer Management
      • Go to Local Users and Groups > Users
      • If Administrator shows a down arrow, open it and clear Account is disabled
      • Select Apply, then sign out and sign back in with the Administrator account
    6. If search still does not find the files, run the Search troubleshooter.
      • Right-click Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Search
      • Under Related settings, select Advanced indexing options
      • Select Advanced
      • Under Index Settings, select Troubleshoot search and indexing
      • Follow the wizard
    7. If the files were deleted from local storage and are not in backup or Recycle Bin, Windows File Recovery is the Microsoft-supported recovery tool for local drives, external drives, and USB devices. It does not support cloud storage or network file shares.

    For the read-only or access-denied behavior on folders, the available guidance in the context only supports checking ownership and permissions on the affected folder or drive through Properties > Security > Advanced, then changing the owner and applying permissions to child items. This can affect access across many files, so review changes carefully before applying them.

    If the missing items were stored in OneDrive rather than only on the local hard drive, use the OneDrive missing-files guidance referenced from the Windows article. If more help is needed, Microsoft support is available through Contact Microsoft Support, and community support is also available.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.