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Folders & Files Disappeared on Windows 10 [Solved]

Learn to get your files & folders back on your hard drive

7 min. read

Updated onMay 14, 2024

updated onMay 14, 2024

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Key notes

Windows 10 issues aren’t common, but some issues are rather unusual. According to users,filesand folders are disappearing onWindows 10.

If your files disappeared on Windows 10, this is a big problem and interferes with your work, therefore, it’s crucial to fix it.

Why did my files suddenly disappear?

How do I recover files that disappeared on Windows 10?

1. Show hidden files and folders

If your files andfolders disappeared, maybe you should check for hidden files and folders.

Sometimes,filesand folders might appear missing, but they are actually hidden. To show hidden files and folders, follow the above steps.

After you’ve changed this option, try searching for the missing files and folders on your computer. In most cases, thefilesshould be in the same folder where you left them.

Need more info on hidden files and folders? Read ourcomprehensive guideto learn more about opening them.

2. Switch to your old user account

In some cases, files and folders might disappear when you upgrade to Windows 10 becauseWindows 10creates a new account for you by default.

Your old account is still present, but it’s not set as the default account, so you have to switch to it.

3. Search different hard drive partitions for your files

After you upgrade toWindows 10, your hard drive letters might get changed for some reason. For example, if you used to storefileson your C drive, they might be moved toD:UsersYour_usernamefolder on any other hard drive partition.

In order to locate your missing files and folder, make sure to check all hard drive partitions thoroughly.

Many users encountered that thesecond hard drive is not detected. Here’s a quick guide to solve this annoying issue and fix the files disappeared on Windows 10 issue.

4. Check the Users folder

AfterWindows 10upgrade, certainfilesmight be missing from your computer, however, in most cases they are just moved to a different folder. Users report that most of their missing files and folders can be found atThis PC > LocalDisk(C) > Users > User Name > DocumentsorThis PC > LocalDisk(C) > Users > Public.

In case the missing files and folders are not located in the path mentioned above, you will have a hard time searching them.

In this case, we recommend you usefile-finder software thatwill run multiple searches on all active storage elements of your system. We strongly recommend you Copernic Desktop search.

This tool will search not only all components of your system but also your mails, USBs, and external HDDs.

The software can also help you index files from your cloud storage platform so you can easily find anything on your drive.

On top of that, it can find scanned documents as it integrates OCR (optical character recognition) technologies. It is an overall advanced search tool that can help you find virtually anything on your PC.

⇒Get Copernic Desktop Search

5. Turn off Fast Startup

Users reported that Fast Startup can sometimes be responsible for disappearing files and folders on Windows 10. In order to fix this issue, some users suggest disabling Fast Startup by following the above steps.

6. Change Indexing options

If random files and folders are disappearing on Windows 10, you might want to change Indexing Options.

7. Backup your data before making changes

In case you haven’t yet upgraded to Windows 10 or done some important changes to your system, we strongly recommend you to make a backup copy of your system.

For that, you will have to use abackup softwareto make a copy of yourfilesand store it in a safe place at your choice: USB or external HDD.

Dedicated software solutions are also great for regular use. You can set them up to create backups on a schedule, so you have all your data securely stored without having to do it yourself.

Many backup software includes cloud storage space, which is a good alternative to physical removable media because they are easier to access, you need your credentials.

8. Set the folder temporarily to hidden and read-only

When files and folders disappear from a certain folder, sometimes setting that folder to hidden and read-only can fix the issue.

Before you set your folder to hidden, you need to make sure you can view hidden files and folders. In order to see hidden files and folders, check the second solution for detailed instructions.

9. Check the AppDataTemp folder

Sometimes,filesthat disappear might get moved toAppDataTempfolder. In order to recover the missing files and folders, go to theC:UsersAppDataLocalTempfolder.

Users reported that missingfileswere located injbtempx-7895.ixxfolder, but they will probably be located in a different folder on your computer, so you might have to do some manual searching.

We have to mention that you’ll have to reveal hidden files and folders in order to access AppData folder. For detailed instructions, also check the second solution.

10. Check your hard drive

Files and folders can sometimes disappear if the drive index gets corrupted. In order to fix this, it’s advised that you check your hard drive.

Disappearing files and folders can cause a lot of problems, and if you have experienced similar issues, feel free to try some of our solutions.

Let us know whether you managed to get back the files that disappeared on your Windows 10 PC in the comments section below.

Folders & Files Disappeared on Windows 10 [Solved]#

Why did my files suddenly disappear?#

How do I recover files that disappeared on Windows 10?#

1. Show hidden files and folders#

2. Switch to your old user account#

3. Search different hard drive partitions for your files#

4. Check the Users folder#

5. Turn off Fast Startup#

6. Change Indexing options#

7. Backup your data before making changes#

8. Set the folder temporarily to hidden and read-only#

9. Check the AppDataTemp folder#

10. Check your hard drive#