Microsoft has just released a buggy security update for Windows 10 last week. As expected, some Windows users report that all the files on their computer have been deleted. I will show you how to fix errors and get your files back (this seems to have become a Microsoft tradition already, hihi).

Microsoft also released an update that caused the same error.

Thankfully, those files weren’t actually deleted. They just move to another account’s folder. Luckily, it doesn’t delete it like it did in the October 2018 update.

But according to the news I just received, some people have report the update removed their files completely.

Why does this error delete files?

Some people reported that their files were deleted when they updated Windows. The taskbars and menus are also set back to default.

However, your files are not actually deleted and they are still on your computer. You can get them back.

These files are deleted because Windows is trying to log in to several different user profiles when they install the update. As Bleeping Computer’s Lawrence Abrams said, it looks like Windows 10 is uploading a temporary profile to use during the update process and it can’t restore the user profile when the update is complete.

Microsoft told Bleep Computer that they became aware of the issue on February 12. Woody Leonhard reported the matter to Computerworld on February 13th. February 17th, Windows Latest wrote multiple Microsoft support staff saying that engineers are trying to fix the bug. As of now, the cause of the problem has not been determined on PC. Microsoft is still taking the testimonies of the recipients.

Blame the update KB4532693

The error update is KB4532693, Microsoft released this update for Windows 10 on February 11, 2020. Windows Update will automatically install it on your PC. If you use Windows 10, you might already be stuck.

If your PC has already installed the update and encounters the error, you don’t need to uninstall it or do anything else. This error seems to occur during the update process.

If you have to take your PC to the street, make sure it wears a mask. I still don’t know if this bug is contagious or not, hihi.

How to remove the update and get your files back

How to solve this problem? Simple, remove this update. Some Windows users reported that the problem was resolved when they used this approach.

To remove an update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History > Uninstall Updates.

You can also enter Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates. Both ways take you to a window.

Copy “KB4532693” (without quotes) and paste it in the search box, then press Enter.

You should see this text appear “Update for Microsoft Windows (KB4532693)”. Click on it and then hit “Uninstall”.

Restart the machine after uninstalling the update. Sign in and your PC should be up and running.

If it doesn’t work for some reason, you can go to C:\Users\. You will see that your user folder has been renamed. Example: If your User folder is normally C:\Users\Chris, it will be changed to Chris.bak or Chris.000. You can go into that folder and find your file again.

The Microsoft support staff says that users can fix the error for some by creating a new local account and moving files from the old User folder to the new User folder.

However, I recommend simply uninstalling the buggy update. It’s also a lot easier and will also fix the problem. Microsoft will probably re-release an update in the future once the issue is resolved.

A recent update also failed

This is just one of the February 2020 updates. Microsoft has removed the version KB4524244 from the servers last week when the update caused various problems on some PCs, including the “Reset This PC” faulty.

In a recent bug update, Microsoft also successfully fixed it black wallpaper error on the last update of Windows 7