Access folder

Chuck Thomas 70 Reputation points
2026-03-20T13:55:38.0666667+00:00

I am running Windows 10 64 bit. I use to have a folder labeled ACCESS that had a list of pictures that appeared on my computer logon screen. It has disappeared. Any ideas about what happened?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Screen saver
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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-20T13:55:55.02+00:00

    The ACCESS folder that contained the pictures for the sign‑in/lock screen was likely either moved, deleted, or is now in a different profile or backup location (for example, after an update or profile change). To investigate where it went and possibly recover the images, use these steps:

    1. Search the whole PC for the folder or images
      1. Right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
      2. In the left pane, select This PC.
      3. In the Search This PC box (top right), type the folder name ACCESS or a known picture name and press Enter.
      4. If nothing appears, try searching by file type, for example *.jpg or *.png.
    2. Check if the files are hidden
      1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
      2. Select System > Advanced.
      3. Under File Explorer, make sure Show hidden and system files is set to On.
      4. Go back to File Explorer and look again for the ACCESS folder or the images.
    3. Look for the images in a previous Windows installation (after an upgrade) If the folder disappeared after a Windows upgrade, the files may be in the Windows.old folder:
      1. Sign in with an account that has administrator privileges.
      2. Right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
      3. Under This PC, open the C: drive.
      4. Open the Windows.old folder (if it exists).
      5. Open Users > the old user name.
      6. Check folders such as Pictures, Desktop, or any custom folder that might have contained the ACCESS folder.
      7. Copy any needed files to a new folder (right-click > Copy, then Paste in a safe location).
    4. If the images were on the Desktop and synced with OneDrive If the ACCESS folder was on the Desktop and Desktop was backed up to OneDrive, it may have been moved or redirected:
      1. Open File Explorer and expand OneDrive.
      2. Right-click the Desktop folder under OneDrive and select Properties.
      3. Select the Location tab.
      4. Use Move to point Desktop back to the folder that contains the icons or images that are still present, then Apply.
      5. Repeat for other folders (like Pictures) if needed.

    If the folder does not appear via search, is not in Windows.old, and was not synced to OneDrive, it has likely been deleted and would require file recovery tools outside of built‑in Windows features.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. DaveM121 932.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-20T14:31:39.3833333+00:00

    Windows should never delete a folder automatically, are you sure it was not accidentally moved into another folder, where on your drive was that Access folder located?

    If you use OneDrive to sync your files online, log into OneDrive in a web browser (https://onedrive.live.com/) and check if that folder is available there to download.

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  3. Chuck Thomas 70 Reputation points
    2026-03-23T12:50:18.42+00:00

    Thank you for your help. I tried the answers and no success. I have to assume I will not be able to access the this folder anymore.

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  4. Chuck Thomas 70 Reputation points
    2026-03-23T12:53:41+00:00

    We can close this question.

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