Windows 10 update disaster: it's reportedly DELETING files

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You can now add one more fail to the Windows 10 update Hall of Shame. 

The Windows 10 KB4532693 update was already problematic, as it was causing the operating system to boot with the default Start menu and desktop. All shortcuts and customization options disappeared.

But now there’s an even bigger problem. The Windows 10 KB4532693 update is also said to be deleting files saved on the desktop. 

A bug in the update is apparently hiding user profiles and their respective data for some Windows 10 systems.

According to Windows Latest, "while many users are able to restore their files from the temporary folder, some users who have lost all desktop files are unable to get around that profile folder.

In some cases, users have completely failed to find any sign of the vanished personal data after installing Windows 10 KB4532693."

The complaints are piling up pretty much everywhere, according to ZDNet, ranging from Twitter and Reddit to Microsoft’s forums.

Not being able to view or accessor your original Windows 10 profile is beyond annoying, so it’s understandable why users are frustrated. 

Bleeping Computer says that the original user profile folders are still available on disk but renamed with a .000 or .bak extension. And while there is a way to recover the profiles, you could permanently lose your data.

The better answer is to simply uninstall the KB4532693, which you’ll be able to do under the Windows Update menu. From there you click View update history, then Uninstall updates. Lastly, you right-click on the KB4532693 update to uninstall it.

Amazingly, this is already the third high-profile Windows 10 fail for 2020 and February isn't over. Earlier this month the Windows 10 update KB4532695 caused slow Wi-Fi speeds and sound issues. And in January a critical security update for Windows 10 failed to install

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.