#BugAlert: Don't update! Windows 10 hides your personal files
Microsoft is just not getting a grip on Windows 10 and its issues. A few weeks back, an update from the company triggered the blue screen of death (BSOD), and now, in another scary case, a fresh release of the OS appears to be hiding the personal data of users. Here is all you need to know about it.
Windows 10 KB4532693 hiding profiles
As first reported by ZDNet, Windows 10's KB4532693 update, released as part of February Patch Tuesday, is affecting user-profiles and the data associated with it. Basically, whenever a user installs the update, they lose access to their original Windows 10 profile and are not able to view it in any way. All they are left with is a completely new, default profile.
Blank profile has no data at all
The default profile that the OS loads instead of the original one carries no data at all - no desktop files, no apps, not even downloads. It works as if the computer has been reset to default or has just been purchased. Naturally, this is creating problems for people who had been using their machines for work or other important stuff.
Here's a report from AskWoody about the issue
A number of users have reported the problem
So far, several Windows users have reported the hidden profile glitch on Microsoft forums, Twitter, Reddit, and tech-support sites. The issue looks serious, but according to Bleeping Computer, the original profile is not completely gone; it has only been hidden due to a glitch in the KB4532693 installation procedure. It creates a temporary profile to handle installation but fails to remove it later on.
So, how to deal with it?
As per user reports, the original profile gets renamed with a .000 or .bak extension and can be restored by following certain steps. However, if you want a simpler technique and avoid the risk of losing data, we'd simply recommend uninstalling the faulty update in question. Many users were able to fix the glitch and get their old profile back through this workaround.
