HP backup program restored files that I can't find / aren't there

[RickNCN]

The bottom line: Files backed up, then restored from HP's built-in backup/restore recovery partition program, can't be searched or seen or found after a restore.
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I used HP backup utility built in to the recovery partition on an 8 month old HP Pavilion 590-p0050 to backup everything on a user's PC before I reloaded it using the recovery partition. (I believe WIndows 10 update f-ed it up and after booting only displayed a blank black screen).
-I watched it back up files from User\Pictures\*dates*\*photo names*.jpg... etc.
-I watched it restore said files as the restore program wrote files back to the drive - it displayed file names and paths as it went
-after restore, going to C:\Users\*username*\... It was blank. No subfolders.
-I searched in Explorer using "*.jpg*" and it showed a ton of jpgs from system folders it backed up like "Program Files (x86)"... etc, but it showed no results from the User folder.
-The backup was 9+GB of *.swm files (apparently HP's backup archive files)
-The restore was 4+GB of files
-Thinking the user maybe stopped the restore part way, I deleted the \restore\ folder to start a new restore - as I watched Explorer delete files, I see his pictures go flying by as they are deleted!
-I paused the delete and started searching for the file names that were coming up- since they were in a consecutive format, if "file_0050.jpg" was just deleted, I searched for "file_*.jpg" or "file_0051.jpg" ... etc and NOTHING. I did this several times and couldn't ever find any files in the format that was just being deleted before my eyes!
-So, now I'm restoring once again, into a different folder and I am seeing his User\Pictures\*.jpg files getting restored.

And yes, I enabled viewing hidden files.

TIA

[Echo_Lake]

@RickNCN
Thank you for posting on the HP Support Community.

I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

Have a look at the following documents, and let me know if they help:

• Click here: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03460836 for Restoring Files that were Backed Up Using HP Recovery Manager (Windows 😎
• Click here: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c01673043 to know How to Restore Backup Files Created During the F11 Backup Procedure.

Hope this helps! 
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