Can an update delete something?

I recently had an update on my working laptop. Before, I had a folder with my writing documents that I needed for my education. However, all this is gone and I can't find it again, it is not on the laptop anymore. My colleague said that this update might have deleted my documents. My question: Is that possible? Can an update just delete things like this? Documents? You have to say it is a working laptop, because everyone can go out there from my colleague, not only me

Which update? Windows?

It is extremely unlikely, if not impossible, that your documents will be deleted if you have not created them under a system folder.

Occasionally, intrene settings and desktop icons have been deleted or changed.

Have you ever checked the trash?

Theoretically yes, because an update is an executable program with extended rights.

If there's no connection to the content of the update and the documents, then the update should not delete.

Therefore I start from the second possibility.

There are programs that can get back deleted files. This may not have been worked on the device as possible.

I know now no update which touches the documents folder.
Since an update, it is possible that the download folder is emptied, otherwise I know nothing there.

My guess here is an operator error / accident or as one likes to jokingly say: an error on layer 8.

There are programs that can get back deleted files. This may not have been worked on the device as possible.

For example the program "Recuva".