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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Widows 26H2 update

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palcal

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Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2058
Posted: 10:29pm 12 Nov 2026
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I recently installed this update ( 26H2 ) on a Laptop I share with my daughter and all her files have disappeared. My Desktop and files are OK but her Desktop is gone, replaced with a black screen and some of the icons from my desktop.
I have searched everywhere, I found some of her Pictures but documents and everything else is gone.
I went to One Drive and it took over 12 hours to sync, I think all the files were gone and it reloaded them from the computer.
A complete stuff up.
Edited 2026-11-13 08:29 by palcal
"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 10116
Posted: 10:58pm 12 Nov 2026
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These daze when it comes to Windoze updates, I would never let one proceed without first having done a full backup to the cloud or an external drive - or both.

The number of things that Windoze Update seems to screw up, seems to be getting worse all the time.  This is one of the more horrific stories I have heard though - update should NEVER screw with the user's files, it's only supposed to be updating the SYSTEM.

I wonder if anyone else has had that problem - might ask Mr. Google, cos I would be surprised if you were the only one.

EDIT: After a quick search around the net, it appears that 26H2 deleting personal files is a VERY common problem, and has happened to A-LOT of people.  It seems that MOSTLY, the update moves the files to the recycle bin, so you can recover them from there, but not always.

Why a Windoze update should EVER need to delete personal user files, is beyond me.  Perhaps part of the update, does some kind of virus or malware scan, and the user's personal files are tagged as false-positives so they get deleted or something like that, but whatever the reason, this is VERY odd behaviour for an UPDATE.

Move this laptop to Linux Mint or other Linux distro you like, and be done with Windoze and MS.  If your daughter is reluctant to move off of Windoze, use this very event as leverage, cos you won't see this kind of BS under Linux, and you can do updates as and when YOU feel like it, not just when the OS feels like it.
Edited 2026-11-13 09:10 by Grogster
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
palcal

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Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2058
Posted: 11:55pm 12 Nov 2026
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Yes LINUX, I use in in my workshop and I asked my daughter some time ago but she wanted to stay with Windows. Maybe now is the time.
"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 10116
Posted: 12:24am 13 Nov 2026
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You're her father - you hold rank over her!      

Joking aside, this event can work well in your favour to help convince her to break away from Windoze.  Once she sees that Mint or Zorin etc - any of the popular alternatives to Windoze these daze - is pretty similar in how it operates and how to access documents etc, she'll probably move over without much issue.

Accessing the web is basically EXACTLY the same, with most of the browsers also having Linux versions, as you will probably know.

It only becomes a bit more of an issue, if she has some kind of Windoze-only software that won't run in Linux, or has no Linux alternative.

Also, think about the fact that YOU......won't have to try to clean up the mess that the next Windoze update does, so there is less stress on you, so could be win-win!  
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
palcal

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Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2058
Posted: 03:32am 13 Nov 2026
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  Quote  You're her father - you hold rank over her!


The emojis were well placed
"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"
 
ville56
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Joined: 08/06/2022
Location: Austria
Posts: 666
Posted: 07:34am 13 Nov 2026
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I think your 26H2 accident just reminds us about the importance of having a valid backup available at any point in time. Being a bit sloppy myself I just started it once again ... and this insight is IMHO independent of the operating system  
                                                                 
73 de OE1HGA, Gerald
 
Martin H.

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Joined: 04/06/2022
Location: Germany
Posts: 1582
Posted: 07:45am 13 Nov 2026
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Youtube
'no comment
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4398
Posted: 08:51am 13 Nov 2026
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In case it's news: there are Linux images (boot from USB/DVD) for rescuing files and also apps for doing it (which can search even for deleted ones but you probably lose the filename).

John
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 9333
Posted: 09:04am 13 Nov 2026
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My goto has been Puppy Linux, booted from a USB stick. It can delve into the parts of a Windows FS that Microsoft try to "protect" from you with impunity. Consequently it can copy files from areas the Windows has hidden them in onto backup media or a different partition of the disk.
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4398
Posted: 10:54am 13 Nov 2026
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In case Windows thinks they're deleted, an app like photorec can recover many (not just images - you can select the kinds of files it should find).

Such apps are better run ASAP as things don't get better if the hdd is in use.  Preferably remove the hdd and install as an extra (not in use) drive e.g. in SATA caddy or via SATA-to-USB device.

You need another destination (hdd/usb/...) for what the app finds.

John
Edited 2026-11-13 20:54 by JohnS
 
palcal

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Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2058
Posted: 10:37pm 13 Nov 2026
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Thanks for the suggestions.
"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"
 
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