Data loss during win 7 upgrade to win 10

Win 10 version 1909 OS Build 18363.657

I just upgraded an old computer from win 7 to win 10 following a guide from this site. In preparation I did a backup on a flash drive using Windows recommendations, created a new repair disc, and made a system imagine on a new external HD. Every thing went well except I couldn't find any data(mostly pictures) afterward. I did find the windows.old file which contained several folders and sub folders, but they were empty or contained things I couldn't recognize as data. I also used a suggestion to try to find data files in the system imagine by creating a VHD. I did get a drive but did not find anything I could recognize as data.

So it seems I'm left with two options.
1. Use the upgrade and forget the lost data.
2. Use the system image to go back, do another back up, and then repeat the upgrade. I'm not confident that I and the programs,etc are up to the job without more issues. The pictures are personal not critical. So I'm inclined to just move on, option 1.

Obviously, I'm a neophyte at this. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

when you said, you "did a backup on a flash drive", what do you mean? Didn´t you copy your personal files to it???

Inside your Windows.old folder there should be one that says Users. Inside there shoud be your old user profile with your personal files.

Also, I dont understand if you are saying that you can actually get your old files from the system image (you shoud). If so, just copy them over. If they are not there, there´s no point in going with option 2 then.

You could try to mount the VHD and use RECUVA on it to see if your files were ever there...

Where was your user data such as pictures stored on the previous system?

If you have an image you can mount that as a drive

Thanks to all for the quick reply.

xaccell: I used the windows Backup/Restore section to create a backup (windows recommendation option) on a large capacity flash drive.
I could not find any old data from windows.old/users.
Also, I could not find any old docs, pics,etc. in the system image. I'll try RECUVA. If I still can't find anythings I'll do as you suggest and just move on.

NavyLCDR: It was all under MyDocs/Pics.

Samuria: See above.

Again, thanks to everyone.

If the data files are not in your backup image nor in windows.old, then the upgrade did not erase them. You did something to delete them before or during the backup process. Since you have completed the upgrade process already and they are not in your backup image, there is almost zero chance any data recovery software will get them back.

Based on everyone's very helpful input, I'm going stop and move on. Thanks to all for the help and suggestions.

If they are not in the system image, they weren't present at the time the system image was created.

If they were on the disk at some time prior to the image creation and had been deleted, it might be possible to use data recovery tools. Though that would only work if the files haven't been overwritten.

Up to you if you want to spend time scanning with a data recovery tool. You might be lucky.

The more you have used the disk,the more data will have been written to it - reducing your chances.

The first rule of data recovery is stop using the disk immediately..Then attempt recovery by running the data recovery tool from another operating system/boot media.