OFFICIAL Microsoft Windows 10 October 2018 Build will delete your personal files

[Kenrou]

From the link in OP

"The problem seems to manifest if the drive gets filled up in the process of updating. The warnings to tell you there isn't enough space to perform the update. Instead of doing so, it simply bulldozers over your personal files instead... The prime concern should be to people with tablets and other lower end devices with only 32GB or even 64GB of memory. These are the ones likely to fill up and given that you need at least 10GB of space to do a new Windows installation anyway, the ones that probably ought to be investing in flash drive futures."

 

[trents]

Got the monthly cumulative update for 1803 last night without a problem.

 

[EarthDog]

From the link in OP

"The problem seems to manifest if the drive gets filled up in the process of updating. The warnings to tell you there isn't enough space to perform the update. Instead of doing so, it simply bulldozers over your personal files instead... The prime concern should be to people with tablets and other lower end devices with only 32GB or even 64GB of memory. These are the ones likely to fill up and given that you need at least 10GB of space to do a new Windows installation anyway, the ones that probably ought to be investing in flash drive futures."

Oh good... as was mentioned, the sky ISN'T falling on everyone. Just those with jam packed storage, typically tablets and such.

 

[c627627]

That is correct.
If there is (plenty of) space, Windows 10 does not delete your personal files in order to install its latest update.

What is the magic number of available GB of free space that triggers personal file deletion?
The entire big picture of this topic is the notion that you actually have to ask yourself that.

 

[EarthDog]

10GB I believe is what I have read.

The entire big picture of this topic is the notion that you actually have to ask yourself that.

No doubt... which is why I thought they stopped this from coming out (though seeing trents post...).



EDIT: They fired it up again, problem should be solved.
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ober-2018-update-says-flaws-are-fixed.248396/

Microsoft has begun shipping an updated version of the dreaded October 2018 Update, that deleted some users' files. In a first phase, the new version of Windows 10 1809, using build number 17763.17 is now available to Windows Insiders. For users who already have October Update installed, a patch is available in the form of KB4464

Microsoft's John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery said: "We have fully investigated all reports of data loss, identified and fixed all known issues in the update, and conducted internal validation."

The company also shed some light on what really happened when users lost their files:


"This occurred if Known Folder Redirection (KFR) had been previously enabled, but files remain in the original "old" folder location vs being moved to the new, redirected location. KFR is the process of redirecting the known folders of Windows including Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Screenshots, Videos, Camera Roll, etc. from the default folder location, c:\users\username\<folder name>, to a new folder location.
In previous feedback from the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, users with KFR reported an extra, empty copy of Known Folders on their device. Based on feedback from users, we introduced code in the October 2018 Update to remove these empty, duplicate known folders. That change, combined with another change to the update construction sequence, resulted in the deletion of the original "old" folder locations and their content, leaving only the new "active" folder intact."

According to Microsoft, today's update contains the following:
Addresses an issue where an incorrect timing calculation may prematurely delete user profiles on devices subject to the "Delete user profiles older than a specified number of day" group policy.
Security updates to Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Linux, Windows Wireless Networking, Windows MSXML, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows Peripherals, Microsoft Edge, Windows Media Player, and Internet Explorer.

You may want to add that into the first post so people are able to see this issue has been resolved.


Please leave the torches and pitchforks at the door.

 

[c627627]

They fired it up again.

Please leave the torches and pitchforks at the door.

Current status is that they appear to have sent it to Beta Beta testers for Beta Beta testing.
After Beta Beta testing is done, they will send it to regular Beta testers a.k.a. all Windows 10 users. hahaha

 

[trents]

ED, my post was in relation to the monthly cumulative update for 1803, not 1809.

From the linked articles in this thread it seemed like MS was trying to confirm under what system circumstances were triggering this effect, whether it be low disk space and/or other things.

Just did a manual check for updates and nothing turned up so indeed it's re-release seems to be limited to the beta testing team at this point.

 

[Alaric]

Please leave the torches and pitchforks at the door.

Because they "fixed" it? It never should have happened, ever. An OS update deletes the user's Documents folder??? What kind of arrogant *** writes that code in the first place?

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Because they "fixed" it? It never should have happened, ever. An OS update deletes the user's Documents folder??? What kind of arrogant *** writes that code in the first place?

Because there's a difference between awareness and torches/pitchforks. It's perfectly fine to discuss, help fix, etc, but leave the burn the world attitude at the door.

As for the "arrogant ***" statement, it was likely an oversight, but I haven't read into it. I'd be shocked if it was an intentional writing in of the functionality.

 

[EarthDog]

Because they "fixed" it? It never should have happened, ever. An OS update deletes the user's Documents folder??? What kind of arrogant *** writes that code in the first place?

Have you read what happened in the links that were provided?

 

[Alaric]

Cool on the pitchforks. But I fail to see how that level of incompetence in writing OS code is better than arrogance. It may not have been maliciously intentional, maybe they just didn't care, or they're so bad at their job they don't know what a Documents folder is in Windows. User documents, programs, etc., should NEVER be deleted by an OS at the consumer level. Windows 10 has deleted programs in the past, and now the My Documents folder from some people's computers. That's not pushing boundaries, that's way over the line.

edit:Have you read what happened in the links that were provided?

So they deleted folders full of data thinking they were empty? That's not really making them look any better.

From one of the links provided

People were complaining about this issue before they pushed the update out officially. Why didn't they listen until after consumers lost their data.

The problem is, it neither checked to see if those directories were empty first, nor copied any files to the new, redirected location. It just wiped out the old directory, along with anything stored within it.

 

[don256us]

It occurs to me that *we* are looking at this the wrong way. For those who have a MS Surface with just a small amount of storage, MS has done us a service by clearing out all that "data". And note the use of " for data. I mean they are clearing space for us as users to store more great stuff and they did not charge not a single cent to do it. Thank you MS.

 

[Alaric]

It occurs to me that *we* are looking at this the wrong way. For those who have a MS Surface with just a small amount of storage, MS has done us a service by clearing out all that "data". And note the use of " for data. I mean they are clearing space for us as users to store more great stuff and they did not charge not a single cent to do it. Thank you MS.

 

[EarthDog]

Cool on the pitchforks. But I fail to see how that level of incompetence in writing OS code is better than arrogance. It may not have been maliciously intentional, maybe they just didn't care, or they're so bad at their job they don't know what a Documents folder is in Windows. User documents, programs, etc., should NEVER be deleted by an OS at the consumer level. Windows 10 has deleted programs in the past, and now the My Documents folder from some people's computers. That's not pushing boundaries, that's way over the line.

edit:Have you read what happened in the links that were provided?

So they deleted folders full of data thinking they were empty? That's not really making them look any better.

From one of the links provided

hehe, nobody ever said it isnt bad... I in fact like Don's take.

Being serious, it's another MS snafu. It's been caught (again, lol) and being fixed. By the beta beta testers... before it goes to us the beta testers again.

 

[Alaric]

hehe, nobody ever said it isnt bad... I in fact like Don's take.

Being serious, it's another MS snafu. It's been caught (again, lol) and being fixed. By the beta beta testers... before it goes to us the beta testers again.

I'm keeping the pitchfork by the door. Just in case.
On second thought, I have a pitchfork thread. I can save it for there.

 

[c627627]

Someone had to program in the destruction of personal files.
At the very least one extra employee had to okay that.
Beta Beta testers *did* discovered this, and they did report it.
Yet a third Microsoft employee read the report, but it did not get addressed.

To their credit, Microsoft has acknowledged all of this and is now color-coding reports, so that next time [and there will be a next time] something like this gets programmed in, it will be marked (presumably) red because Insiders will discover it, just as they discovered this bug. Microsoft actually has a very good Beta testing operation, it's the management of it that failed.

Microsoft will get Windows 10 right by 2023 and I have always thanked you all for testing it for us. I look forward to using Windows 10 when Windows 8 expires in 2023. Things like this bug will only make future Windows 10 better.

 

[Alaric]

Microsoft will get Windows 10 right by 2023

Definitely a glass half full kind of guy. LOL

 

[trents]

I think sometimes we don't appreciate the huge challenge it must be to create and maintain an OS as complex as Windows is and to make it all work perfectly in a vast array of different customer scenarios. It's easy to be negative and criticize and I'm as guilty as anyone of doing that sometimes.

 

[Alaric]

I think sometimes we don't appreciate the huge challenge it must be to create and maintain an OS as complex as Windows is and to make it all work perfectly in a vast array of different customer scenarios.

That is, however, the exact scenario they have worked towards, bullied for, and strongarmed consumers towards with Windows 10. So they should probably get it right since this is exactly what they forced on us.

 

[don256us]

Someone had to program in the destruction of personal files.
At the very least one extra employee had to okay that.
Beta Beta testers *did* discovered this, and they did report it.
Yet a third Microsoft employee read the report, but it did not get addressed.

To their credit, Microsoft has acknowledged all of this and is now color-coding reports, so that next time [and there will be a next time] something like this gets programmed in, it will be marked (presumably) red because Insiders will discover it, just as they discovered this bug. Microsoft actually has a very good Beta testing operation, it's the management of it that failed.

Microsoft will get Windows 10 right by 2023 and I have always thanked you all for testing it for us. I look forward to using Windows 10 when Windows 8 expires in 2023. Things like this bug will only make future Windows 10 better.

All of this and what I got out of it is that you're still using Windows 8. Presumably 8.1. Ouch! I'll take 10 over 8/8.1 any day thank you.