How-to Guide: Recover Files Disappeared in Windows 10

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Reddit when I stumbled across a post. The user, frustrated and confused, shared how desktop files or folders disappeared after Windows 10 update mysteriously. And the thing is, I'd experienced the same problem before. Here's the post:

Sound familiar? If you're nodding your head in agreement or eagerly wondering how to recover files disappeared on Windows 10 or fix it, calm yourself down and this problem happens to very many users, much more than you'd think. It's incredibly frustrating, but those files aren't necessarily gone forever and can be recovered with a little know-how. 

How to Recover Files Disappeared in Windows 10 Using Software

You’ll want to be the first to find disappeared files in Windows 10 whether it happens after an update or restarting Windows. The easiest and most effective method is to use professional Windows data recovery software to retrieve deleted or lost files.

MyRecover, released by AOMEI, a leader in the data recovery industry for 10 years, and integrated with advanced scanning algorithms, can handle different data loss scenarios, such as accidental deletion, virus infection, lost partition, system crashes, etc. So you can easily recover missing files in Windows 10, 11, or other systems.

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• Easy to use, no technical knowledge or skills required.
• Recover deleted or lost files from hard drive, SSD, external disk, USB drive, SD card, etc.
• Support 1000+ data types, from documents to images, audios, videos, compressed files, and more.
• Fast & deep scanning to find all the disappeared files. 
• Selective data recovery, recover deleted files in specific folder, for example.
• Preview and recover files while scanning.
• Cost-free 500MB data recovery.
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Steps to recover missing files in Windows 10:

Step 1. Select the partition containing disappeared files

Download and install Windows data recovery software - MyRecover on your Windows 10 PC. Then, open it and select the partition containing missing or disappeared files. Click Scan to find all my disappeared files in Windows 10.

Step 2. Find disappeared files in Windows 10

MyRecover save all found files in the Deleted Files, Recycle Bin, and Other Missing Files. As the name suggests, they store deleted files, files in the Recycle Bin, and files not in the first two directories, respectively.

To find disappeared files quickly, click the “Filter”feature to specify the data type (e.g. png), date modified, or size, or type file name or extension in the “Search for files or folders”box. Once found, it will display files in the following window. If you can’t find them, just wait patiently for now.

Step 3. Preview & recover disappeared files

Double-click any found data to preview and confirm that they are the disappeared files in Windows 10. Select them and click “Recover x files”to get them back quickly. Please select a new location to save the recovered files to avoid data overwritten or file corruption.

Why Did My Files Disappear in Windows 10?

The files or folders disappeared on Windows 10 happens due to various reasons and we have collected some of the main causes below:

Go Straight to Solutions for Files Disappeared on Windows 10 

Below is a table for the desired solutions to “files disappeared Windows 10” issues, you can click the anchor text to jump straight. 

10 Fixes for Files Disappeared from Hard Drive in Windows 10

Now, we will show you 10 quick and easy fixes for files disappeared from hard drive in Windows 10, all of which target a specific cause of this problem.

Fix 1: Check for Hidden Files

Sometimes, the files aren't gone - they're just hidden. You can unhide files in File Explorer:

Step 1. Open File Explorer.

Step 2. Click "View" at the top. Then, check the "Hidden items" box.

Fix 2: Run the CHKDSK Command

Try the chkdsk command to find missing files in Windows 10 if your drive is corrupt or has file system errors.

Step 1. Open CMD as administrator.

Step 2. Type chkdsk X: /f /r and press Enter to scan your disk for errors and fix it. Replace X with your drive letter.

Fix 3: Check User Folder

If you drag and drop files to a different location but forget or don’t realize, you may think your files missing from Windows 10. Try to check the user folder in the following path or other possible folders:

• This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Users > Public.
• This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Users > User Name > Documents.

Fix 4: Check for Temporary Profiles

If you log into a temporary profile due to certain reasons, your files are missing. Please check your original profile.

Step 1. Restart your computer.

Step 2. Sign back into your primary user account and check if your files are there.

Fix 5: Switch to an Old User Account

Sometimes, your system will create a new user account after Windows update and set it as default one. You may not notice this, but find “all my files disappeared Windows 10 ”, “files suddenly disappeared Windows 10”, “desktop files missing after restarting Windows 10”, etc. You can check your user account for confirmation.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Accounts and check all available user accounts.

Step 2. Click on the old user account to switch to it.

Alternatively, just sign out of the current user account and log in with another one from the login screen.

Fix 6: Find Your Files within File History

File History is a file backup software from Microsoft to back up all user files as well as specific folder you added. If you have a copy of files within File History, you can recover files disappeared in Windows 10 from it.

Step 1. Open Control Panel. Click File History and select Restore personal files.

Step 2. Check for available backups. You can click the Left arrow to check for previous version or go back using the Right arrow.

Step 3. Locate files in one of the folders. Select this copy of backup and click the green Restore button.

Fix 7: Check OneDrive for Synced Files

If you sync files with OneDrive, you can check if they are available online. The sync process may run into issues if the timestamp does not match or the connection is down. Also, these files may be online only.

Step 1. Go to OneDrive.com and log in.

Step 2. Search for files in the Seach everything box. Once found, select them (holding the Ctrl key)and click the Download button.

Fix 8: Disable Indexing Options

If you can’t find disappeared files in Windows 10, the files might not be indexed. You can choose to disable the indexing.

Step 1. Type services.msc in the search box and select it.

Step 2. Find and double-click the Windows Search entry to access it. Then, change the Startup type to Disabled.

Step 3. Scroll down to Service status, click the Stop button > OK to stop the current instance.

Fix 9: Delete and Rebuild Index

The indexing option is available for checking random files or folders.

Step 1. Search Indexing options and select the top result.

Step 2. In the Indexing Options window, click Advanced. Then, go to Troubleshooting and click Rebuild.

Fix 10: Perform a System Restore

If a recent change (e.g. program or Windows update) caused the file disappeared issue, rolling back your system might be helpful.

Step 1. Type create a restore point in the search box and select it. Then, click the System Restore button.

Step 2. In the System Restore window, click Next.

Step 3. Then, select a restore point and click Next > Finish to restore your computer to a previous good status.

Best Practices to Prevent Files from Disappearing in Windows 10

Here are a few tips to keep your files safe and sound, so you don't have to deal with file disappeared issues again.

Conclusion

Files or folders disappeared on Windows 10? At this time, any operation may cause further data loss. So it’s suggested to recover lost or missing files in Windows 10 using software like MyRecover. It will get all of your files back soon as usual. Then, you can try to fix this issue with 10 helpful methods without any worry.

FAQs about Files Disappeared Windows 10