Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files

Subject: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: Nick
Date: 25 Feb 19 - 07:30 PM

Probably my own silly fault not to know this but still a little bit annoying.

I updated to the latest version of Windows 10 (build 1809) a while back - I have been on Windows 10 for some years.

I have been aware of there being a Windows.old folder and also aware that it contained a load of files in the User/NamesAndPublic/folders which had been there for a long time. That long that I presumed they were not at risk.

On this upgrade though it has been different. Several thousand files have been deleted and unfortunately a lot of them are music and video that I have accumulated from playing music with people and bands I have played in and things. Some of it I have copies of but some I don't and some are Reaper files which will be hard to put back together. Oh well. I have since read that for years Windows.old folder contents have been deleted after 10 or 30 days. it just has never happened before.

So I mention it as windows 10 is still rolling out and if you have stuff still in the users/subfolders - I might not be the only one - then it could possibly go. if you upgrade it might be worth a look in Windows.old folders and moving anything you need in the time after the upgrade.

I did recover over 1000 files (of about 34,000 files; many of which were small text files and other temporary stuff) - 40gb of music files and video using the freebie Recuva program but don't know yet what I lost. And if I'd noticed earlier I would have recovered more as less would have been overwritten with files I have downloaded or saved since.

Feeling silly...

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: BobL
Date: 26 Feb 19 - 03:55 AM

Oh dear - not backed up?

Can't find any such file on either of my W10 systems. There are, though, several files on my W7 system with an .old extension, either on its own or appended to another.

BTW I follow my old boss's practice - on getting a new computer I just add it to the network, keeping the existing ones to run legacy stuff.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: DaveRo
Date: 26 Feb 19 - 04:14 AM

MS pulled the rollout of 1809 back in October due to 'limited' file loss - see here. They claimed it was fixed and resumed, but v e r y slowly - my test machine only got updated last week - and I had to request it.

Many users have since claimed that it was not 'limited', was not only related to Known Folder Redirection, and was not fixed. But maybe many users went looking, couldn't find stuff, and blamed this.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 26 Feb 19 - 11:54 AM

We must be grateful to Microsoft for reminding us from time to time that they cannot be trusted in any respect. This knowledge, dearly paid for, should be acted upon.

Nowadays an OS developed by a private company is as dangerous as a private army. To be sure: a non-private army is only any less dangerous if controlled rigorously by a large civil society.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Feb 19 - 12:01 PM

My current computer has had several Windows OS upgrades over the years - I can't remember of Win7 Pro was in use at the time I bought it in 2000. I didn't install Win8 or the Improved Win 8, I waited for 10, but 10 has had a few issues. It uses Win 7's backup routine, and there is a problem in getting a full backup. Hunt as I might, I can't find a workaround that actually works when I look up the error code. My firewall hasn't worked for ages and there is something blocking part of my Malwarebytes, and again, no answer offered in the blogosphere is working for me. The computer works, but is getting old enough that the time has come to replace it and let this be the secondary machine. And hope the new Win10 Pro is up to the job.

Subject: RE: Tech: Windows.old folder+Windows10 lost files
From: Nick
Date: 26 Feb 19 - 01:03 PM

I don't have particular issues with Microsoft and have always thought that operating systems are amazing beasts. I have mostly used Windows but apply the same feeling to Linux and Apple.

It was posted more as a warning that it might come as a surprise to others as it did to me. A gap in my knowledge that might also exist in others.