Consequently, Microsoft plans to add a new feature to the Windows Insider Feedback Hub that will let users grade the "impact and severity" of a software flaw, Cable explained. Data loss is considered to be a serious consequence, but the problem wasn't flagged highly for Microsoft because of the small number of affected users, Cable suggested.
In response, Microsoft paused the OS rollout two days after the release of Windows 10 version 1809, Cable indicated. It happened to "one one-hundredth of one percent of version 1809 installs," he indicated. Cable suggested that only a small number of these users were affected by the lost files issue. The users who got hit with the file loss typically had selected "Check for Updates" within the Settings area of Windows 10, which immediately initiated a delivery of new updates to their systems, including an installation of version 1809. However, when Windows 10 version 1809 was installed on those users' systems, it deleted the known folders containing the actual unmoved files, resulting in data loss for those users.
Users who lost files typically had Known Folder Redirection set up, but the files hadn't been moved, Cable explained. Some users really did lose files, which happened when they upgraded to Windows 10 version 1809, also known as the "October 2018 Update." The reason why they lost them had to do with a Windows 10 feature called "Known Folder Redirection" that is supposed to redirect files stored in default Windows 10 folders, such as "Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Screenshots, Videos, Camera Roll, etc." to those same "known folders" on a different drive or on the OneDrive storage service, explained John Cable, director of program management for Windows servicing and delivery, in a Tuesday announcement. Microsoft on Tuesday offered an explanation, an apology and a future resolution for its flawed Windows 10 version 1809 release last week, which caused files to go missing for some users.