Seeing strange filenames in Windows? Microsoft says June update is to blame

Key takeaways:

Microsoft has confirmed a bug in the June 2026 Windows security update that shows an internal Recycle Bin filename when permanently deleting a file.
Microsoft says the issue does not rename files, damage data, or cause data loss. It only affects the confirmation dialog.
A workaround exists but is only available through Microsoft Support for Business. Microsoft plans to release a fix in a future Windows update.

Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.

Microsoft has confirmed a bug introduced in its June 2026 Windows update that causes the confirmation dialog to display an internal Recycle Bin filename instead of the original one when a user tries to delete a file.

Microsoft said that the issue occurs after installing the Windows security update released on June 9th, 2026.

Windows creates internal filenames for files placed into the Recycle Bin. But due to the bug, the deletion confirmation dialog shows the internal identifier instead of the user-facing name.

“When permanently deleting a single item from the Recycle Bin, the confirmation dialog displays the internal Recycle Bin filename (for example, $Rxxxxx.ext) instead of the original filename. The Recycle Bin itself correctly displays the original filename, and restoring the item also restores it using the original filename,” the company said in a Thursday update.

This does not affect the file itself. Unlike the BitLocker recovery issues, the glitch is purely visual, according to Microsoft. No data is lost or renamed, and the file displays the correct name if restored.

The issue affects the following Windows versions:

Client: Windows 11, version 26H1; Windows 11, version 25H2; Windows 11, version 24H2; Windows 11, version 23H2; Windows 10, version 22H2; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016
Server: Windows Server 2025; Windows Server 2022; Windows Server 2019; Windows Server 2016; Windows Server 2012 R2; Windows Server 2012

Microsoft said a workaround is available but has not publicly disclosed it. Organizations will have to contact Microsoft’s Support for Business for details.

The company is working on a fix in a future Windows update.

Microsoft has reported several issues since the start of the month. Earlier this week, it confirmed an issue preventing third-party applications from launching Microsoft Office applications or opening documents, affecting Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and other Microsoft Office applications.

There are currently two known issues related to the June update. In May, Microsoft acknowledged a separate issue where some devices could experience a failed security update with error code 0x800f0922.