Microsoft halts Windows 10 October 2018 Update to investigate data loss reports Watch Now

Microsoft has paused the rollout of Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809), the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system, which Microsoft released this week, on Tuesday, October 2.

In a support document updated today, October 6, the Redmond-based OS maker said it took this decision after users complained that v1809 had deleted files after the update.

We have paused the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) for all users as we investigate isolated reports of users missing some files after updating.

Microsoft employs a gradual rollout scheme, and not all Windows 10 users have received its latest bi-annual OS update.

The October 2018 Update is no longer available for download, and Microsoft urges users who manually downloaded a Windows 10 installation package to wait until new installation media is available.

"We will provide an update when we resume rolling out the Windows 10 October 2018 Update to customers," Microsoft said.

There have been several issues reported with this latest Windows 10 update, such as incompatibilities with Intel Display Audio device drivers, and the Task Manager app not showing correct CPU usage.

However, the biggest problem has been with the deletion of user files located in the C:/Users/[username]/Documents/ folder.

"I have just updated my windows using the October update (10, version 1809). It deleted all my files of 23 years in amount of 220GB. This is unbelievable," said Robert Ziko, a Windows 10 user complaining about the issue on the Microsoft support forums.

Since the problem became apparent, users have been investigating ways to recover some of their deleted files, but without success. Some users reported that the Recuva software was able to recover some files, but only in some cases.

Microsoft has had similar issues with the release of the previous April 2018 Update, which it delayed from the start of April to the very last day of the month to give engineers more time to fix bugs.

Previous and related coverage

Microsoft begins rolling out Windows 10 October 2018 Update

Microsoft is starting to roll out the Windows 10 October 2018 Update today, starting with Insiders and those ready to proactively grab the new bits.

Windows 10 1809: Microsoft reveals features it's dropping in October 2018 Update

Microsoft sets out its list of features that are being removed or deprecated in the next Windows 10 release.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update: The new features that matter most

Windows 10 version 1809, officially the October 2018 Update,started rolling out October 2. Here are some of the new capabilities you can expect in this surprisingly feature-packed release.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update: How to get it, how to avoid it

Microsoft will soon begin delivering the official release of Windows 10 version 1809, the October 2018 Update. If you do nothing, it will arrive via Windows Update some time in the next few months. Here's how to take more control over the process.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update: 5 new features business users will love TechRepublic

Windows 10 is getting a big update in its next release. Here are some of the enterprise-centered features to expect in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Studio 2 and Surface Headphones: Everything Microsoft just announced CNET