Find lost files after the upgrade to Windows 10 or 11

To search for missing files across the entire device using Search:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select File Explorer.

2. In the left-hand navigation panel of the window that opens, select This PC.

3. In the Search This PC text box found in the top right-hand corner of the window, enter in the file name of a missing file.

If the files still can't be located via search and a temporary profile isn't being used, use the troubleshooter to fix problems with Search. To start the Search troubleshooter:

1. Right-click the Start menu and then select Settings. Once the settings window opens, select Privacy & security on the left-hand side. Alternatively, select the following Searching Windows button:​​​​​​​
   
   Searching Windows ​​​​​​​

2. Under Related settings, select Advanced indexing options.

3. In the Indexing Options window that opens, select the Advanced button.

4. Under the Index Settings tab, select Troubleshoot search and indexing in the Troubleshooting section.

5. Follow the steps in the Search and Indexing troubleshooting wizard.

Additional tips to try when searching:

• Some files might be hidden from view. To show hidden files:

  1. Right-click the Start menu and then select Settings. Once the settings window opens, select System > For developers. Alternatively, select the following For developers button:​​​​​​​
     
     For developers ​​​​​​​

  2. In the System > For developers window, select File Explorer to expand the section.

  3. Under File Explorer, make sure Show hidden and system files is set to On.

• When searching, look for all files of a certain type using the asterisk (*). For example:

  • To search for all Word documents, search for *.doc.

  • To search for all MP3 music files, search for *.mp3.

• Some files might move during the Windows 11 upgrade. To check the location of files that are found during searching:

  1. Right-click the file and select Open file location.

  2. If desired, either copy or move the files to an alternate location.

• If before upgrading to Windows 11 a backup was created on an external storage device using the Backup and restore (Windows 7) control panel, the backup can be used to restore files.

  1. Connect the external storage device that contains the backup created using the Backup and restore (Windows 7) control panel.

  2. Right-click on the Start menu and select Search.

  3. In the search box, enter Control Panel.

  4. Select Control Panel from the list of results.

  5. In the Control Panel Items window that opens, enter backup in the Search Control Panel text box in the top right corner of the window.

  6. In the list of results, select Backup and restore (Windows 7).

  7. In the Back up or restore your files window, select Select another backup to restore files from.

  8. In the Restore Files (Advanced) window that opens, select the external storage device that contains the backup.

  9. Follow the wizard to restore files from the backup.

• The files can be recovered from OneDrive if the files were previously saved on OneDrive.

If you created a new Microsoft account when you upgraded from a previous version of Windows, your files might be located in a disabled administrator account. You'll need to enable this account and sign in again to see your files.

1. In the search box, type computer management and then select the Computer Management (Desktop app).

2. In the left pane, select Local Users and Groups, and then select Users. If the user named Administrator has a down arrow on its icon , it's disabled.
   
   

3. To enable this account, double-click the Administrator icon to open the Properties dialog box. Next, clear the Account is disabled check box, and then select Apply to enable the account.
   
   

4. Sign out and then sign in again using the Administrator account.

Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings. If you see a message at the top that states You are logged on with a temporary profile. Roaming options are currently unavailable, restart your device and sign in again. Restarting the device should remove the temporary account and your files should be available again.

Restarting your device and signing in again also works if you see a message that states We can't sign into your account. This problem can often be fixed by signing out of your account and then signing back in.

To search for missing files across the entire device using Search:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select File Explorer.

2. In the left-hand navigation panel of the window that opens, select This PC.

3. In the Search This PC text box found in the top right-hand corner of the window, enter in the file name of a missing file.

If the files still can't be located via search and a temporary profile isn't being used, use the troubleshooter to fix problems with Search. To start the Search troubleshooter:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Search.

2. In the search box, enter Control Panel.

3. Select Control Panel from the list of results.

4. In the Control Panel Items window that opens, enter indexing in the Search Control Panel text box in the top right corner of the window.

5. Select Indexing options.

6. In the Indexing Options window that opens, select the Advanced button.

7. Under the Index Settings tab, select Troubleshoot search and indexing in the Troubleshooting section.

8. Follow the steps in the Search and Indexing troubleshooting wizard.

Additional tips to try when searching:

• Some files might be hidden from view. To show hidden files:

  1. Right-click the Start menu and then select Settings. Once the Windows Settings window opens, select Update & Security > For developers, or select the following For developers button:​​​​​​​
     
     For developers ​​​​​​​

  2. In the For developers window under File Explorer, select Show settings next to Change settings to show hidden and system files.

  3. In the File Explorer Options window that opens, under Advanced settings:, select Show hidden files, folders, or drives.

  4. Select the Apply button.

  5. Under Folder views, select the Apply to Folders button.

  6. Select the OK button to close the File Explorer Options window.

• When searching, look for all files of a certain type using the asterisk (*). For example:

  • To search for all Word documents, search for *.doc.

  • To search for all MP3 music files, search for *.mp3.

• Some files might move during the Windows 10 upgrade. To check the location of files that are found during searching:

  1. Right-click the file and select Open file location.

  2. If desired, either copy or move the files to an alternate location.

• If before upgrading to Windows 10 a backup was created on an external storage device using the Backup and restore (Windows 7) control panel, the backup can be used to restore files.

  1. Connect the external storage device that contains the backup created using the Backup and restore (Windows 7) control panel.

  2. Right-click on the Start menu and select Search.

  3. In the search box, enter Control Panel.

  4. Select Control Panel from the list of results.

  5. In the Control Panel Items window that opens, enter backup in the Search Control Panel text box in the top right corner of the window.

  6. In the list of results, select Backup and restore (Windows 7).

  7. In the Back up or restore your files window, select Select another backup to restore files from.

  8. In the Restore Files (Advanced) window that opens, select the external storage device that contains the backup.

  9. Follow the wizard to restore files from the backup.

• The files can be recovered from OneDrive if the files were previously saved on OneDrive.

If you created a new Microsoft account when you upgraded from Windows 7, your files might be located in a disabled administrator account. You'll need to enable this account and sign in again to see your files.

1. In the search box, type computer management and then select the Computer Management (Desktop app).
   

2. In the left pane, select Local Users and Groups, and then select Users. If the user named Administrator has a down arrow on its icon , it's disabled.

3. To enable this account, double-click the Administrator icon to open the Properties dialog box. Next, clear the Account is disabled check box, and then select Apply to enable the account.
   

4. Sign out and then sign in again using the Administrator account.