Yet Another Microsoft Copy Disaster

 I'm still cleaning up old computer files, and I've been moving non-photo and non-video stuff into a miscellaneous folder on a USB backup drive. Eventually that drive got full, so I decided to move everything to my studio external hard drive, which still had space.

 A few nights ago, I plugged in the USB drive and started copying a large directory with multiple subdirectories over to the external drive. I didn't use TeraCopy (hadn't installed it yet) and just did a standard cut and paste operation. I didn't really check how long it would take, but based on the speed, I figured it would run for hours.

 I’ve got an eye infection that needs my attention, so I left the copy process for a couple of days. When I finally checked back on it, something had clearly gone wrong. There was a fresh login screen The computer had obviously rebooted. Only a handful of files had actually made it to the external drive, nothing like the multitudes I was expecting.

 What happened? My computer had upgraded itself without my permission. I'd specifically asked to delay updates for five weeks, but Windows did it anyway and apparently killed the entire copy operation without giving me any error messages or warnings that something went wrong.

This is exactly the kind of frustration that's been building with Windows 11 over the past six months. Yes, I could have done better by installing TeraCopy first and actually monitoring the process. But the real issue is that Microsoft's system silently failed without telling me anything was wrong.

I've totally lost faith, I cannot honestly rely on Microsoft anymore.

Teracopy is available on the Microsoft Store, but to find it you must spell it exactly without the double r and it should be the first item on the list and have an page that looks like the one on the righr. It is free. It’s simple to use and works fine

Frustration Central

I lost some of my working computer files earlier in the year and confidence in Microsoft.. My office computer died right after a Windows update, and it caught me between backup cycles. About a month of photos was only partially saved. Not great!

Firstly I stepped back and looked at what I need to do to make sure it doesn't happen again. This lead to going back through all my backups and archives. It wasn't a happy task many of the archive sets were missing a significant number of files and several were of zero length. It took a while to track what was happening.

The problem turned out to be a short-coming of the copy function in Microsoft windows when copy multiple nested directories in an unsupervised way. The copy function can hit a file it can't copy and it then moves onto the next directory leaving the rest of the directory or directories not copied. Occasionally it sems it just created an empty file header and moved onto the next file. These missing files only showed up with detailed review. The number of files in the affect directories would become less in subsequent copies or the amount of disk pace required would become slightly lass. Empty files where easy enough to find once I knew What I was looking for. My adoption of creating at list of the MD5 checksums a few years ago really helped zero in on problems in recent year. 

For a short time I was side-tracked by the unnoticed update in windows 11 that copied my working directories of photo into a subdirectory under OneDrive and then started uploading them to the cloud, and worst still starting to remove older files from my computer (all unknow to me).

Turning off the link to OneDrive, was the simple solution. But microsoft seems to be able to turn on the "private" OneDrive after it updates (now manditory in window 11 home. Arrggghh!

This is unacceptable behaviour microsoft

I searched through every backup or archive I had and saw the pattern where files disappeared during times where I bulk copied many directories. Looking in forum and targeted web searches I found I was not the only one who noticed this and found most highlighted the bulk copies of directories although there was a variety of reasons suggested as to why.  Not checking the copy I had left myself open to both such problems,  The other likely cause was "data rot", from earlier backup sets that used DVD and CDs as the backup media. I also have been using old hard disk from computers that died from update in my air-gapped backups/archives, and t was possible that these might suffer from  a process known as magnetic decay or "bit rot", but I could not find any evidence of this even in disks tat had not been fred up in 3 years. Solving both these issues lead me to Teracopy because it does have the  option to verify files after copy to ensure they are identical.. It is nice and simple and works,

It was complex figuring out how best to compare a range of "incomplete" backup set I already had and just find one good copy of each photo. The crux of the problem is; I had no simple way to know what was missing and/or what might be corrupted. I realized that my "air gapped" copies on old harddrives would be a nice starting point. It was

So in the end I returned to the 3-2-1 with 1-0 extension as the best method of backup and keeping an archive of my photos. I've modified the process a little, I don't keep my off-site backup in the cloud and I use Teracopy, XNview MP to look at photos as images and the MD5 checksums to ensure that my photo collection is free of errors.

Another Microsoft favourite bites the dust

I thought I had put off any Microsoft updates for 5 weeks, but the updates happened last night. Maybe it was 5 weeks

It proudly announced that it updated itself and had five things to show me I don't think any of them were particularly new and/or exciting. They just wanted me to let them access my settings which I decided wasn't a good idea. The one thing I did immediately notice was that my phone link had a big message at the top and it wanted me to read the QR code on the screen. I had gotten used to using Phone Link and liked it.

Not unexpected, I had also updated my Android phone (I had trouble recharging my 7-year-old phone battery) and perhaps thought it was to do with a setting on the new Android phone. I did use Android Switch which worked quite well, and transferred most things. There were a few inputs required, I had to re-establish some connections with passwords etc. However the transfer was very smooth.

I aimed my camera at the QR code and clicked on the link, which took me to the site aka.ms (which is where you download the phone link segment for your phone), BUT, and it's a big but, it was a blank screen, so I tried again, investigated what response I could get, waited a while, then tried again and again. I could see from the display on my laptop it was still pointing to my old phone so I went and found it and made sure it was turned off. I went back to my phone and just typed in the address aka.ms to get to that URL. The phone seemed to think for a little while and then came up with a big red warning that my phone was not suitable because it wasn't connected to a VPN, which it isn't. The message also conveniently suggested that I could use Microsoft Azure as my VPN, and again no thank you. I don't really want Microsoft snooping on my phone as well.

If you're listening, Microsoft my trust in you is diminishing everyday

More Nonsense

After spending hours last month untangling the mess Microsoft made by quietly inserting OneDrive into an active role on my Windows 11 machines, I thought I had finally sorted things out. OneDrive had been redirecting my Documents, Pictures and Videos folders into its own subdirectories and syncing them to the cloud, all under the guise of "backing up" my files. In reality, it was removing them from my control.

After some research, I restored everything to its proper location, removed OneDrive and the equally annoying Copilot, and delayed Windows updates as long as possible (note: Windows 11 Home users can only delay updates, not stop them entirely).

Then last week, updates from both Microsoft and Google undid much of my work. Copilot reappeared, desktop icons went missing, my machine started launching straight into Edge on startup, and OneDrive was back, once again redirecting my Documents, Photos and Videos folders to its own directories. Fortunately it was not uploading to the cloud this time, but the intrusion was unwelcome regardless. 

I am clearly not alone in finding Windows updates frustrating and error-prone. A NotebookLM "podcast"on the topic covers the issue well. I’m very conscious that AI generated content is frequently incorrect, just AI slop, however this is worth a watch.

 

Whilst on YouTube I found a video that explains specifically how OneDrive sneaks back through a backdoor Microsoft leaves open during updates, its longish and detailed with steps to keep it Microsoft at bay at least for now.

If you are running Windows on a computer or laptop, good luck! Make sure you keep a current backup of all your files at all times.

Fed Up with Microsoft? You're Not Alone

Well, it happened again. My Windows 10 office desktop has bitten the dust. This time a mysterious "disc error" that I'm not entirely convinced is a coincidence. Why suspicious? Because right around the same time, I noticed OneDrive (personal) had quietly crept onto the machine and started doing its thing: silently squirrelling files away into its own little kingdom, and generally slowing everything to a crawl.

I'd already watched this happen on my two other Windows 11 computers, after updates, but at least I caught it eventually. After it had renamed/moved My Documents, Pictures, and Download folders and was filling its secret directory and also making a copy on the cloud. Once I untangled the mess, which involved copying files back to where they belonged (not moving, because some weren't being picked up properly). It was a tedious, several frustrating afternoons I'll never get back. Not cool, Microsoft.

This is the fifth time a computer of mine has died shortly after an update. Fifth!!!!!  At some point, that stops being bad luck.

As a retiree, I'm done throwing good money after bad. So here's where I stand: two Windows 11 machines still running, one ancient Toshiba notebook happily air-gapped and ticking along on Debian Linux (doing backups beautifully, no drama), and five dead Windows machines gathering dust in a cupboard.

The dead ones are hanging around partly because they once held client data from my consulting days. I occasionally pull out a hard drive, wipe it, and repurpose it for storage. So there is no chance that their data is accidentally revealed to the public.

But honestly? This feels like the nudge I needed. I'm seriously considering tinkering with Linux or even a Chromebook setup to get at least one or two machines revitalised. Once I summon the enthusiasm, that is.

Microsoft, that was your last chance.

OneDrive and the Rug Pulled from Underneath Me

 

As someone who has set up many new computers over the years, I've gotten used to the tedious process of loading software from discs and installers. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how streamlined Microsoft has made the setup experience on my latest PC. Getting Windows and Office installed was a breeze compared to the olden days of swapping floppy disks and CD-ROMs. 

However, this simplicity came with a devious dark underbelly that left me incredibly frustrated - the aggressive integration and default setting of OneDrive for storage. At every turn, Microsoft seemed to be steering me towards using its cloud service whether I wanted to or not. Most insidiously, it had automatically set my Documents, Photos and my Desktop Folders to be synced and stored in OneDrive. 

I already have a personal OneDrive account that I seldom use. But when I did a quick test of uploading some photos, not many from my camera, I quickly maxed out the free storage, most of which was being consumed by weird files on my desktop area. Suddenly, I was being pestered to pay for more OneDrive space that I never asked to use in the first place. Where was the option to opt-out of this default OneDrive setting during setup? It felt like the rug was pulled out from underneath me.

Instead of spending a couple days getting a new PC ready like I used to, I've now wasted that same time trying to unravel and opt-out of most of the undesired OneDrive integration that Microsoft shoved in my face. What initially looked like a fresh, streamlined setup experience left a sour taste thanks to this aggressive cloud storage agenda. 

Dear Microsoft, please make OneDrive an explicit choice again, not a default imposition!!!

Tales of Woe, and hopefully meeting a new friend

 After many trials and tribulations, so many, I had given up blogging about them. I’ve had a whole series of older computers from my business die off one by one over a few years. The majority have suffered death by upgrade, so i'm starting to fear those massive windows updates that never really worked. I guess one of the big problems was I had older hardware and it was stuck in Windows 10 land and not upgradeable.

I had replaced an old favourite PC in my studio with a slimed-down Lenovo box. It had a small ssd drive, supported by two hard drives, adequate memory, it was an i5 and it ran Windows 11, I love it. It did have problems running a large-screen TV when using the second screen/monitor or projector. But I do love the fact that I can have a large screen TV on the wall, perfect to paint from. Most of the computer gear sits on a narrow shelf and I have a couple of keyboards, one waterproof on my art table and a second wireless., that can be used anywhere. The table is set up such that I can draw and paint on it or I can also use with one of two easels standing up. I’ve also recovered an old sound bar so I can have good quality music as I’m painting. Its also set up for running Zoom meetings and making You tube videos (if I have the time!)

I still use an older Windows 10 HP Pavilion desktop in my office as the master for my network and main computer. It’s also got a small ssd drive but has 2 internal and 3 USB hard drives hanging off it. It is currently doubling as my master media storage, (eg photos videos and music). Unfortunately, it is misbehaving a bit, Finally I do miss my NAS storage, which no longer works on my upgraded LAN (windows 11 is implicated) , I really wish I knew why.

Quite a while ago the battery died in my beloved little HP Spectre. The little two-in-one that I took travelling, sitting on the couch or in fact all over the place. It was getting quite old and only had a small 11” screen but I still loved it and missed it dearly. The ordeal and potential expense associated with trying to get the battery replaced meant it is lying dormant.

I had a corneal graft last year and struggled a lot when one of my two monitors on my main computer decided to go dark, very dark, too dark to read easily. Taking the monitor off the computer and plugging it into something else showed it was fine so I assume it’s the graphics card on the computer, or a graphics driver upgrade issue, just another frustration with the Windows world. I’ve really had a lot of trouble getting used to what now appear contrasty monitors and smaller text (OK it’s the same size text just harder to see without an update to my glasses prescription after the corneal graft]. I can only get about one hour at the screen before my eyes feel strained. Usually not enough time when I’m playing with photos,

So I’ve been looking seriously at different screen technologies and decided I like TVs with OLED screens. I used to like the Apple iPhone style IPS format screens on my phone and Spectre, and was with LCD monitors. So I had begun investigating screen type and size, by actually looking at them in stores. When I noticed an advert on TV about the Lenovo Yoga Range, two-in-one style computers, checking the web there was a model based on an Intel EVO i7 processor with a 14inch  OLED screen. I was at Office Works on a different matter and so I checked it out. It was very easy to read at a standard viewing distance. I didn’t take long to decide it was time to get an upgrade.

So welcome Slaty, so named because it’s very thin, layered and a dark grey. I look forward to you becoming a great friend.

Not Building on Rented Land

Putting all your eggs in one basket that is controlled by one of the big social media suppliers may be very cheap but it is a very risky strategy. 

I am getting so frustrated by all the “little” changes in anything social media or “free” internet services (are you listening Facebook & Google, ah didn’t think you were). Failed updates to the operating systems (are you listening Microsoft) don’t help. Things like changes to passwords or enhanced “security” (aka for the service not us), buttons and functions that once worked having disappeared or just hanging.  Trying to build a coherent structure across any of these services is at risk of instant and unannounced disruption and disappearance. It is going to frustrate your loyal viewers trying to find you, as much as you.

It is the uploading and sharing of photos/images that most annoys me (and blogger/google photos is not without blame here). The quality of the actual displays on most services is not good, Compression down to the lower resolution screens at the display time is generally not great (presumably to reduce bandwidth and lag time). Flickr may be an exception here. Also it is not uncommon for images to get “lost” in the flood. Algorithmic selection on these services favours the “celebrity” and more of the same, not the original and quality and especially not the creative. So even your friends may be lucky to see your posts if you haven’t made the algorithms target views or likes in the first short time period.

Is there a solution? Maybe, we can stop using social media and the “free” services, as the place we base our net presence, because we are not in control of what they choose to show and do. However, if we want to use the Internet to reach a wider audience we can still participate but we need to build a few things on the net but on our own “properties”. They should be at least an email account (not a social media controlled undercover agent or their chat features that seem not be always listening in), probably also our own website (there are many companies that offer reasonable cost options) and domain name. These are stable places you can bring people to with confidence. Somr free or inexpensive services like email newsletters, portfolios and blogs can then be interfaced to spaces that you own and control, not total control by them (read the TOS terms of service). Once these are established you can use suitable social media to bring friends and interested folk back to your presence, with suitable links back to your own places.  

So make sure you are not building on borrowed time or rented ground. Stop chasing traffic, the distracted rabble chasing fame or celebrity on social media, they are just glimpsing works anyway as they scroll past.

Watch this space for my attempts to put this common sense logic into practice.

That Didn't Last Long

My Linux/Mint Fileserver has already died three times in the past few weeks, The last time terminally, well I'd already swapped out two hard discs, which both crashed, didn't fancy wasting a third. So the much-altered old HP, aka Obsidan, has been consigned to the hard waste collection. 

Graveyard of Hardware killed by Window10 Updates

Ok back to the Stora, but that's a hard luck story as well. It works but none of my current PCs, and other devices can run the software (incomnpatible drivers stop installation) or even access it via a browser, because Adobe flash is required, which even Adobe no longer support and have removed it from downloads. I had to use my Linux netbook to reconnect (it had old version of the stora software) and "recover" the data from the stora onto already overloaded external USB drives.

Rather than panic I'm going to limp along with a monthly backup based on two copies of data but an old fashion SON - FATHER - GRANDFATHER set of Archives of keepers (files & photos I believe are worth archiving. This involves serious CULLING.

So why am I bothering?

I am so over this. Another nice day and I opened up in my studio to do some painting. I turned on the compuyer (only recently recovered from a lengthy period of "Death by UpGrade") to listen to some music.  I left the spunnerv run and did a bit of sketching.

Two hours later, it finally "recovered" but will not recognise Wifi. So I shifted the computer to my office, where I can make a direct ethernet onnection to my router. Another hour plus of repair, but I can access the internet.

Another day gone! You guessed it I moved it back to the studio and more waiting and no go.

Just a moment ... ...

 

If you have been wondering why my blog has fallen silent of late. There are two reasons, some health issues (I'm well on the mend now) and arghhh I've had enough of Windows upgrade! I'm and not looking forward to Windows 11!

I have been seriously battling against Windows 10 updates since October last year, even longer if you count my little toshiba netbook (now happily being an occassionally used Linux machine that has stepped up to replace others that have fallen). During this time three (and a half) computers have stubbornly refused to reboot after upgrades and I have wasted too many days trying to reload windows (using both thw offical windows  tools (which end up in deep loops of incomplete installs) and using Ventoy on a bootable standalone USB to install from various ISO files. Trying to install official Microsoft version of windows just lead back to stairng for hours at the Just a moment screen followed eventual with a blank screen and a computer which would boot.

I even tried out the available beta version of Windows 11, it ended quickly on all computer saying the computer was not suitable (no reason given) but I assume thay are in the too old category.

A real savioue was a version of Linux Lite (warning this site was pop up ads which I find annoying), a cut down version of Ubantu that can be run from the USB drive. Using it I discovered that all the computers had been repartiontioned to have a tiny inital partion (too small to load a viable version of windows onto. I then swap the haddrive on my main computer over to a resude harddrive that I had freshly reformated. That the half computer that died above. It look promising for a windows reinstall but soon arrived that the endless Just a moment loops. CHecking drive from the standalone linux lite USB It too was repartioned. Whate the?

Whilst there are hundereds of items showing up under the "failed windows upgrade"serach (you should be totally ashamed microsoft) I could not find any reliable dicussion of this repartioning on any forums. So I got brave and used the Partioning tool in Linuz light to investigate, sure enough I found windows.old and my user data in the second partion. Not so useful as I already had backs on external drives. Then I merged the first two partions and did a windows reset. My laptop had to run through a lot of installing and upgrading including more Just a moment times BUT eventually it was able to reboot itself. Some light at the end of the tunnel at last!

Taking my studio computer off life support

My old but otherwise still useful computer has finally got me to the point of considering Euthanasia. Despite the recent RESET and rebuild with only the minimum software the poor old thing would often start ok but switch into that blue screen with the little spinner and message that it was working on updates, which would eventually lead to the regular desktop, albeit a slowness to do anything.

This was ok  as I only want the big screen (an older TV) to display images for me to sketch or paint and some music. Both don't require anything speedy. My studio is always very messy so no need to look new and flashy.

However about a week ago after shutting down, the very best I  managed to reach is just to say the update has reached 100% (despite letting it run for 56 hours straight). So this afternoon, I disconnected my old friend Obsidian (all my computers are named after rocks), perhaps destined for the storeroom rather than the next hard rubbish collection. Sadly another death by upgrade. Shame on you microsoft.

RIP                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Enough is enough!

 

I have (yet again) wasted painful days watching this repeatedly appearing on three of my 4 active computers (two desktops & two laptop). Once this happens the next update on that machines takes hours. One desktop took 3 days before it was again useable.

Microsoft surely to realize this is a massive #FAIL.

Big Sigh! Those blue screens again

 I am trying to be patient, but  I have to admit updates to windows 10 have been a nightmares since the supposed May update (I might suggest it was a downgrade). There  are 5 computer running windows in my household (not all are used a lot, yet they are all used at some stage), There are 3 desktops and two portables. The May upgrade didn't work on any of them at the first install. There were warnings to wait, nothing crashed but a lot of time was wasted and very slowly most were bough up to date. 

However the latest updates seem to have at last been partially loaded and 4 of my 5 computers have soon after crashed with a blue screen. some multiple times One computer, my main desktop, is still very sick. 

Microsoft please get you act together. Linux is looking attractive.

Yet another subscription “offer”

It has taken me a little while to get OneDrive setup on my “rebuilt” Window 10 Desktop, and guess what? Yet another advert for a subscription to office 365!

I had previously found the way OneDrive current works, made it suitable for an online archive of my better photos (well until both the computer I had it installed on  effectively died).

Of course Not now. Microsoft still allow free OneDrive access and as I have used OneDrive for a long time, rememeber windows Live? so I have 15GB of Storage rather than the 5GB you get if you set up an account now. {thinking to myself I wonder how long free cloud access/storage is going to last}

BTW The photos were always safe in the cloud, it was just complex to access them via the web.

Am I the only one to think the cloud, all these interconnected apps and lots of individual subscriptions are making things more complicated to get even simple task complete.

A long time in recovery

This has been 5 month in recovery! Since having to do a reset after the last Windows 10 upgrade, I had been limping along not able to reinstall office of this computer and just using office on my little HP spectre, which recently suffered its second cracked screen (after no obvious cause) and is now unusable. I was thus forced to look at reinstalling office on my main computer (a HP desktop).

I spent a couple of frustrating hours trying to navigate the Microsoft on-line Support, which kept sending me to irrelevant FAQ posts. So eventually I tried the on-line chat, which took a while but quickly isolated that the Key I was trying to use was invalid. The same message I kept getting trying to do the install from disk. The culprit was an unfortunate crease in the product label that made a 6 look like a G (a times 10 magnifying glass was helpful here). So my faith in Microsoft has been somewhat installed. Probably only as far as the next unstoppable windows 10 upgrade.

FYI After the install I was asked to finish the install on-line but that just took me to a webpage advertising Office 365 and its yearly subscription. As I am retired I am avoiding anything that requires and annual subscription!

Missing Files after a Windows 10 Update, with the Benefit of Deja-vu

Microsoft could have avoided the brew-ha-ha over missing files, after the latest Window 10 update, if they had bothered to reply to any of my several reports on the problem (to their support sites), all ingored , back in the last update in June. There were probably several hundred others in a similar difficulties reporting to various forums, and microsoft was silent.

The reported discovery that the missing files was cause by the "Known Folder Redirection (KFR) which is supposed to help remove duplicate files, makes sense to me as it was files or folders I had recently been using that “disappeared” during the june Windows 10 update. So this is not really a new issue.

I had a good backup of my working files (on a mirrored NAS drive and a separate external USB drive). I discovered my own work around, just take the affect USB external drive to a different computer, and the missing files were visiable! However I had to go through about 6 weeks of angst and update distress.  Not to mention a total reset and reinstall all my software (and explain to various venders that I need to reinstall software on the same computer (ie without exceeding my install/sites limit). My trust in Microsoft was severely dented and I for one would be happy if I could say NO to any future windows updates. This latest admission is not helping me change my mind.

The big question is how are these problems getting through Microsoft’s testing and their much hyped Insider feedback system? I know, they probably ignored them as well….

Touchwood :: The Desktop is Back

It has only taken me 51 days, since the windows update rendered my desktop very unreliable, and 24 days since I started seriously resetting, checking and reinstalling things, to get a stable version of my computer back. What an epic fail Microsoft (much of the delays and dead ends are due to your support forums. Also I have not received a single reply to any of my direct queries.

Microsoft please stop forcing me to update

So what fixed things? I had to do a total RESET, three times. Twice keeping my user files and the last resort was a complete deleting then reinstalling everything and finally slowly loading a few programs and testing them, then a couple more, and so on. Slow and steady (to win the race). Still got Microsoft office stuff to load but that can wait.

What was the cause? I still don’t know but I suspect it was related to the unannounced deprecating of homegroups. Either that or finally exorcising the ghost in my LAN.

The Dreaded Day has arrived

Despite request to microsoft support and many posts on their supposed user forums, and tireless searching the net I can not find an acceptable method of restoringing my main desktop computer after its last “upgrade”. I still can not reload some software (eg Photo mechanic, I get a catastrophic error and nothing more to go on), other programs will not write to my C: drive, yet other software just won’t start. I have managed to fix the disappearing folders. they where owned by a very old hotmail address (which I can not every remember using on this new desktop) and it was just a case of creating new top level directories and copying any sudatories in the original folders back into the new folders. Tedious but problem solved so I assume this was an issue caused with Homegroups being dropped from Windows 10.

There are also many warnings (triggered by most software especially On1 photo RAW, Corel Draw and Microsoft Explorer and office programs) that indicated that Windows Defender Security Centre is blocking accesses to certain directories on Drive C:. All the message have the logical name %userprofile% in the reported directory name. So I assume that somehow this had the ownership change or be pointing to the wrong location. I have simply run out of patience to investigate further. This message coming from Defender also suggests it could be related to a virus trying some sort of unauthorized access. However all attempt to scan for viruses and malware come up clean!

My last resort is to do a full RESET to clean up everything and totally rebuild from scratch.

Which of course means, deactivating software (where required) and uninstalling it (if necessary) and a complete backup of all user data. Not to forget disconnected the attached USB extension drive, during the process. By the time I restort my software test it and recreated new recovery media I’m very certain the process (and stress) is going to take way more than one day.

But here goes, wish me luck.

Oh Buggar!

Another set of “apparently” near disastrous, problems after yet another Windows 10 upgrade. Instead of just one issue I was confronted by a number or probably interrelated problem but just on my main desktop computer

1. Much of my software, could read files but could not write files (seemed to be folder/directory specific)
2. I was getting windows defender warning when I used a variety of programs (many where about stopping access to files with %userprofile% in a directory name)
3. Several specific directories (housing my photo collection from several specific years) just would not show up in file explorer (or lightroom). This also happened after last windows 10 update.
4. When I plugged my external USB backup drive into they computer the same folders where missing. BUT NOT when I plugged the same drive onto a separate computer.
5. I could see but not write to the Google Drive or OneDrive folders on my computer. Dropbox however worked fine.
6. I could not write Word Documents or Excel Spreadsheet to my Documents folder, but could save them elsewhere.

The first thing to highlight that things where wrong was an attempt to updated my OneDrive cloud photo archive. This is a bit disappointing as the whole idea of the cloud backup was to formalize the “off site” archive/backup and in theory make my computer immune from file lose etc. It does appear it doesn’t! A check from another computer showed everything was fine. I was probably lucky I had chosen the “manu-matic” approach using PhotoMechanic because I saw the warning and error messages straight away. Using a more automatic script/synch tool may have meant such problems might go undetected.

So what is the cause?

I don’t know, but looking at on-line forums I’m not alone. Further I can not find any believable explanation of the cause(s). I just have three personal theories and a cop-out

1. It is a virus, malware, ransomware that hasn’t work (ie I have received a ransom note and the files are actually still around). Windows Defender Scans report no problem. So for the time being my desktop is quarantined (and disconnected from my home Local area network.
2. The problems are related to the unpublicised turning off of the homegroup feature. My desktop was the owner of my homegroup.
3. My desktop computer boots off drive C: an SSD drive but user accounts and software is located on drive E:, a conventional harddrive (might explain the %userprofile Windows defender messages)
4. The ghost in my local area network has returned (meaning I don’t understand what is going on, and probably never will)

Is it time to panic? No, just sigh! Time to roll back the upgrade and stay off the internet. More importantly do all my important work in the meantime on an older (and reliable computer).

PS: Ok there is a problem staying off the internet and rolling back a windows upgrade, you can’t! (yet another buggar)