Missing files and apps after update and shutdown

Hi Frank Vicari,

After a Windows update and shutdown, it may appear that files or apps are missing. In many cases, this is caused by a temporary profile, changed file visibility, or files being relocated during the update rather than being permanently removed.

In addition to Q&A Assist's answer, here are some possible checking steps that you can try in this situation:

1, Check for a temporary profile

• Press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter
• Run: echo %USERPROFILE%
• If it shows C:\Users\TEMP, your original files are usually still under C:\Users<your original username>

2, Search the entire PC for missing files

• Open File Explorer > This PC
• Use the search box (top‑right) and try:
  • *.docx (documents)
  • *.jpg (photos)

If files are found, right‑click > Open file location, then move them to your preferred folders

3, Show hidden files

• Go to Settings > System > Advanced > File Explorer
• Turn Show hidden and system files On
• Recheck File Explorer and search again

4, Check previous Windows folders

• Open C:\Users and look for your original username folder
• Check C:\Windows.old (if present) for previous files and app data

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Hi Frank,

This typically happens in two scenarios:

1. Your computer got logged in a temporary account.
2. Your PC has another drive which has Windows, and PC booted from it.

Let us try to remove the update:

Please open the Windows Recovery environment using either of the steps below:

On the Lock Screen, Press and hold the Shift key. Then, click the restart button on the lock screen located at the bottom right situated in the Power menu, to open the Windows Recovery options.

If you cannot reach the Lock screen or start your computer, restart your PC two times when the boot screen is shown. If your PC has no restart button, press and hold the Power button until the computer shuts down. Do this twice.

The third time, the Windows Recovery options should open automatically.

Choose the Troubleshoot option.

Select "Uninstall Updates," then choose either "Uninstall Latest Quality Update" or "Uninstall Latest Cumulative Update." CHoose the former option. If it does not work, choose the later.

Allow the process to complete.

I’m eager to hear back and work together to find a solution.

Follow these steps to try to recover missing files and applications after an update and shutdown on Windows 11:

1. Search the entire PC for missing files
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
   2. In the left pane, select This PC.
   3. In the Search This PC box (top-right), type the file name (or part of it) of something that is missing.
   4. To search by type, use wildcards, for example:
      • *.doc for Word documents
      • *.mp3 for MP3 music files
2. Fix Search if it is not finding files
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select Search.
   2. Type Control Panel and open it.
   3. In the Search Control Panel box (top-right), type indexing.
   4. Select Indexing options.
   5. Select Advanced.
   6. On the Index Settings tab, select Troubleshoot search and indexing.
   7. Follow the Search and Indexing troubleshooter wizard.
3. Show hidden and system files Some files may be hidden after an update.
   1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
   2. In Windows 11: go to System > Advanced, then select File Explorer to expand it.
   3. Under File Explorer, turn Show hidden and system files to On.
   4. Re-open File Explorer and search again under This PC.
4. Check where found files are located If search finds files in unexpected locations (for example, moved during the upgrade):
   1. Right-click the file in File Explorer.
   2. Select Open file location.
   3. Copy or move the files back to the preferred folders (such as Documents, Pictures, etc.).
5. Restore files from a backup (if available) If a backup was created before the update using Backup and restore (Windows 7):
   1. Connect the external drive that holds the backup.
   2. Right-click the Start menu and select Search.
   3. Type Control Panel and open it.
   4. In Search Control Panel, type backup.
   5. Select Backup and restore (Windows 7).
   6. Select Select another backup to restore files from.
   7. Choose the backup on the external drive and follow the wizard to restore files. If files were stored in OneDrive, they can be recovered from OneDrive as well (see the inline OneDrive article in the referenced documentation).
6. If applications are missing after an upgrade If, after upgrading to Windows 10/11, previously installed apps are not listed in Start, one possible cause is that system folders such as Program Files, Program Files (x86), or ProgramData were moved off the system drive before the upgrade. In that case, the documented resolution is:
   • Go back to the previous Windows version.
   • Back up data.
   • Reset or reinstall Windows and then reinstall apps, ensuring Program Files, Program Files (x86), and ProgramData are on the system drive.

References:

• Find lost files after upgrading Windows
• No programs or apps after upgrading to Windows 10