Files disappeared without a trace

[kmur1]

I was uploading photos to pic-time from a folder inside my pictures folder and all the sudden pictime gave me an error that it couldn't find the images.  When I looked in the folder all but a couple had disappeared. Not in the trash. I tried a search....nothing. I didn't recently update. I am super confused. This has happened to me one time before about 8 months ago. No clues. I am low on space if that would affect anything. I have bitdefender. Nothing weird is showing in any scans, just POOF images gone just as I was uploading them to backup. Please help!!!! 

[WAWood]

@kmur1 

There have been problems reported in the past with Windows Updates that corrupt user profiles -- but when that happens, you lose everything saved under your profile -- the users folder -- not just items in one folder.

Since Windows does not actually wipe files that get deleted, there is some hope that you can get them back to an external media using data recovery applications.

Your best bet for recovering data now is to do the following:
1) Download and install this utility  http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/recover_data_in_3_steps_with_minitool_power_data_recovery_free_...
2) Connect something to that PC to hold the recovered files
3) Run the data recovery utility to see what can be retrieved from the old drive.

If that tool does not find what you need, an alternative is Recuva http://www.piriform.com/recuva

And, if that does not work well, the best tool out there is this one, but only the demo version is free https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm