My HP Laptop Updated and Deleted Everything: Recover Files Now
Discover urgent solutions for the dreaded "my hp laptop updated and deleted everything" scenario. If your HP laptop deleted everything after a recent Windows 11 update, this guide provides a step-by-step data recovery and system restoration plan to get you back on track.
Last Updated August 26, 2025
My HP Laptop Updated and Deleted Everything!
My HP laptop did a automatic update and it deleted all of my personal files
Hello ,my HP laptop did a automatic update and it deleted all of my personal files. i need help to recover my PC. When i opened it up its back to the original backround screen and everything that was saved is gone.
- Question from learn.microsoft.com
If you are suffering from the same situation “HP update delete everything", what should you do to restore files back to normal? Don’t worry, you will find proven solutions to get files back.
In the vast majority of cases, your files are not actually deleted; they are simply misplaced or hidden due to a corrupted user profile. This comprehensive guide is your lifeline. We’ll walk you through exactly why this happens and provide a clear, step-by-step process using a powerful tool called MyRecover to get your precious data back from the brink.
Why Did My HP Computer Delete Everything?
In most situations, the update would not delete your files. However, if you encounter this problem, it might be the following problems:
⭕ A Botched Rollback. Itoccurs when Windows attempts to return to its prior state after an update encounters an issue. Your personal information may appear to have disappeared from the system if this reversal is disrupted by a power outage or a forced shutdown.
⭕ Storage Space Sabotage: The update procedure may have frantically erased files it believed were superfluous or failed catastrophically, rendering your laptop inaccessible, if it was operating on digital fumes (critically low disk space) prior to the upgrade starting.
Immediate Steps to Take After Data Loss
The moments after you discover the problem are critical. Your actions now can mean the difference between a full recovery and permanent data loss. Don't just start clicking around in a panic!
- Stop Using Your HP Laptop Immediately
This is the most important rule. If your files are merely inaccessible but still physically present on the drive, any new activity—downloading software, saving new documents, even just browsing the web—writes new data to the disk. Your personal files will be unrecoverable.
- Checking for Backups and Restore Points
Before we dive into more complex solutions, always check for an easy win. Windows is often configured to create automatic restore points before a major update. Check if you have a backup or system restore point.
How to Recover Files for HP Laptop After Windows 11 Update
There are many ways for you to troubleshoot the HP Windows 11 update issues. Now, check them one by one and recover files with ease.
Way 1. Restart Your HP Laptop
Before you do anything or move any files around, restart (not shut down) your PC 4 times, each time let your PC get to the Desktop before the next restart, this will fix this issue a lot of the time.
Then check your personal files still there or not. If it’s not working, try the next solution.
Way 2. Restore Data from A System Restore Point
If you have a recent system restore point before the update, you can recover files from that backup:
1. Input"Create a restore point" in the Windows search bar to open the system properties window.
2. Click "System Restore".
3. Then follow the guide to restore HP laptop back to normal. This can wind your system files and settings back to a point before the update, often miraculously restoring your user profile with it.
You can also check the recent backups on any external hard drives or cloud services (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox) .
Way 3. Create A New User Profile
Most likely, you are logged into a temporary account after the update. Check all your user folders and try to create a mew user profile, then move these personal files to the newly created user folder.
1. Please open Windows File Explorer.
2. Navigate to C:\Users. Check if your user files stored here.
3. Check all of your user folders, and check files in Pictures, Documents, Desktop, and more. If your files are there.
4. Now, you have to create a new user profile with Admin permissions.
5. Reboot and log in to the new user profile.
6. Move all these folders (Pictures, Documents, Music, etc) from the old user profiles to the new one.
7. Delete the old user if required.
Important: Avoid copying your data into the temporary user profile you are in at the moment. Your files will be erased along with the temporary profile and cannot be recovered until the problem is resolved!
Way 4. Find Your Files in Windows.old Folder
The Windows.old folder is a vital snapshot of your previous Windows installation, created automatically during a major upgrade or custom installation. It is not a backup of every single file, but rather a collection of critical system and user data from before the update. Its primary purpose is to give you a rollback option and a way to retrieve your files if something goes wrong.
If you still have not found your files, look for a Windows.Old folder on your C Drive. Your files should be located in the directory: C:\Windows.old\Users\[YourOldUserName]
If you do find your files, copy them out as soon as possible as Windows will remove the Windows.Old folder after 10 days after the update to free up space for local disk.
Way 5. Modify the Regedit
Please be careful when editing the registry, or it will cause problems.
Prerequisite: Ensure you are logged into an Administrator account on the computer.
Step 1: Secure Your Old Data
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users, look for the folder that matches your original username (the one with all your missing files, rename the folder to [YourUsername]_OLD(avoid data loss).
Step 2: Open the Windows Registry Editor
Press the Windows Key + R to open the "Run" dialog box, type regedit, and press Enter.
Step 3: Locate the Profile List in the Registry
In the Registry Editor window, use the left-hand pane to navigate to the following key by expanding the folders:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Click on the ProfileList folder to see its contents in the right-hand pane.
Step 4: Identify and Repair the Corrupted Registry Key
Look through the alphanumeric folder names (SIDs) under ProfileList. Carefully look for two folders that have very similar names, where one ends in .bak.
First, select and delete the registry folder that does NOT have the .bak extension (this is the corrupted profile key).
Second, rename the folder that has the .bak extension by removing just the .bak part. Right-click the folder, select Rename, and delete the .bak so its name matches the one you just deleted.
Step 5: Close the Registry Editor.
Restart your computer. Upon reboot, Windows will detect the changes and attempt to recreate your user profile correctly, logging you into it.
Step 6: Restore Your Personal Files
After logging into your newly created profile, go to C:\Users\[YourUsername]_OLD.
Copy these subfolders like Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc. And paste them into the new profile folder C:\Users\[YourNewUsername].
Fast Recover Files from HP Laptop with MyRecover
If the built-in tools don't do the trick, it's time to bring in the heavy artillery: dedicated data recovery software. MyRecover is a fantastic choice for this scenario because it's powerful yet user-friendly, designed to scan deep into your storage drive and find files that Windows itself can no longer see.
With MyRecover, you can benefit from the following:
- Fast Recovery. With only a few clicks, you can recover files quickly.
- Recover Unlimited data. You can restore as much as files if required.
- 1000+ file formats. You can recover any file type, like PNG,JPEG, MP3, MP4, MOV, AVI, ASF, TXT, DOC, XLSX, CSV, PDF, PPT, ODP, and many more.
- Preview files before recovery. It’s very useful to recover files and find the right data.
- Deep and fast scan. It provides different scan modes to easily find any file.
Try to recover files from HP computer with MyRecover? It’s easy to operate, let’s get started:
1. Download MyRecover on your HP computer. Connect a large external hard drive to your HP laptop (this is where you'll save the recovered files).
100% Secure2. Run the MyRecover software, Hit Disk Data Recovery, select the disk that include your personal files to scan.
3. Wait for the process to complete, hit OK when finished. MyRecover finds there coverable files and organizes them by original path, file type, and date. You can use the filters and search bar to quickly find what you need.
4. Once you've selected all the files you want back, click "Recover" and choose your external hard drive as the destination.
- Recover Deleted Files Easily with Simple Clicks
- 1000+ File Formats Supported
- Support HDD, SSD, External Hard Drive, USB Drive, SD Card, etc.
- Quickly Find Files Using File Types, Name, Size, etc.
- Preview Files Before Recovering
- Recover Unlimited Data
100% SecureFAQs about HP Laptop Update and Delete Everything
My laptop won't boot after the update. Can I use MyRecover?
A: Yes. A non-booting system is where MyRecover's bootable USB drive is essential. Create it on another computer, boot your laptop from it, and MyRecover will run from the USB, allowing you to scan the internal drive and recover files without needing Windows.
Are MyRecover's recovered files guaranteed to work?
A: While not 100% guaranteed, success rates are very high for recent data loss. The preview function lets you check files like photos and documents before recovery. If they preview correctly, they will likely work. Overwritten data may be corrupt.
The Verdict
If you meet the “My HP laptop updated and delete everything” situation, find the above effective solutions to fix it. If the built in solutions can’t work, you can try the powerful Windows data recover software, MyRecover, to recover files quickly and precisely.