Skip to main content

Windows Insiders get fix for October 2018 Update’s data delete bug

windows 10 october update

Microsoft has rolled out to Windows Insiders an update that it claims isolates and fixes the data deletion bug that first appeared for some Windows 10 users in the October 2018 Update. In its announcement, Microsoft reiterated that the number of users affected by this flaw was small, but that due to its severity, the company would be offering free support in its retail stores and through the Microsoft Support channel for anyone who needed assistance in updating to the patched version of Windows.

The Windows 10 October 2018 update began rolling out to Windows users all over the world on October 2 alongside the debut of a number of new Microsoft Surface devices at a show in New York. However, just a few days later, Microsoft clawed it back, stating that rare bug seemed to be causing some users to lose data on their systems after the update. The flaw that caused that bug has now been discovered and patched out, Microsoft claims, announcing that the rollout of the OS update will now continue with the patch in place.

“We have fully investigated all reports of data loss, identified and fixed all known issues in the update, and conducted internal validation,” Microsoft said in a blog post, highlighting that very few people were affected by the bug in the first place. It claimed that one one-hundredth of one percent of those who had installed the Windows 10 October 2018 update had been affected.

While this is positive news, Microsoft isn’t jumping back into the update rollout with both feet just yet. To start with, it’s releasing this new patch to Windows Insiders to make sure that it doesn’t have any problematic effects of its own before it releases it to the wider Windows user base.

The reason for the original file deletion appears to involve a problem with Windows 10’s Known Folder Redirection. During the last major Windows 10 update back in April, Microsoft discovered that some users often had duplicates of their data after updating, so in the October update, Microsoft endeavored to delete those copies should they reappear. Unfortunately, it appears that the deletion was overzealous for some and deleted the original data instead. As ZDNet reports, the issue also appeared for some when using OneDrive’s Auto Save feature.

That should no longer be the case moving forward, although considering the seriousness of the bug, it may be worth waiting a few days to see how the wider user base responds to the patch before updating if you’re at all concerned.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Lagging in games? This Windows 11 update might fix the problem
Woman shouting with joy while playing games on a PC.

Microsoft has apparently resolved the gaming issues in the Windows 11 22H2 update, making it safe for anyone that hasn't updated yet to do so now.

The gaming problems were confirmed by Microsoft two weeks into November, following ongoing complaints from Windows gamers that had noticed popular games lagging. A safeguard hold was placed, stopping automatic update alerts but not preventing manual updates.

Read more
Update Windows now — Microsoft just fixed several dangerous exploits
Person sitting and using an HP computer with Windows 11.

Microsoft has just released a new patch, and this time around, the update comes with fixes for several dangerous and actively abused vulnerabilities and exploits in Windows.

A total of 68 vulnerabilities were addressed in the patch, many of them critical. Here's what was fixed and how to make sure your Windows device is up to date.

Read more
Microsoft just teased its next big Windows 11 update
Windows 11 22H2 Tablet Taskbar YouTube screenshot

Microsoft has given us a glimpse of a feature that "Moment 2" may bring as early as January 2023.

Since Windows 11 version 22H2, the Redmond, WA company has dedicated to releasing smaller feature updates, known internally as "Moment." The first one gave us the much-requested tabs in File Explorer (along with its Context IQ tech). The next Windows 11 version 22H2 "Moment" is currently slated for early 2023, according to sources, after it undergoes testing throughout 2022.

Read more