Claude Code assistant deleted more than 48 thousand files by incorrectly handling Windows ports

Claude Code artificial intelligence assistant deleted more than 48 thousand files on a software developer's computer in seconds, causing a massive data loss. The incident occurred while the developer was using artificial intelligence to test the project.

This situation once again revealed how big risks artificial intelligence tools can pose during autonomous operations. The developer community attributes this data loss to neglect of basic software practices.

Windows ports caused error

The developer instructed his Claude Code assistant to make some repairs to his software that analyzed historical stock market data. The assistant was planned to preserve the original files and work only on copies.

11 different tasks were carried out during the repair operations and 10 of them were completed without any problems. However, the last task aimed to create a mirror copy to recreate the test environment.

The test environment contained 614 folders, known as ports in Windows. These folders are actually pointers to another location on the computer.

While the AI ​​was trying to clear these ports, it didn't just perceive them as pointers. Instead, by following these points, he accessed the directory where the actual working files were located and deleted the data.

While more than 55 thousand files were deleted in total, more than 48 thousand of them belonged to the user's live work environment. This entire process happened in less than 100 seconds.

The assistant tells the developer about his mistake, Craig, stop and read this. He notified me with the message "I broke something." This situation showed how big risks artificial intelligence can pose during autonomous operations.

Git database and community response

Apart from the deleted files, the Git repository on the computer was also severely damaged. Although the file names could be listed, it was not possible to recover the contents.

After the incident was shared on Reddit, the developer community opened the issue to discussion. A majority of users criticized the lack of use of tools such as GitHub, a remote version control system.

The community described this as neglect of basic developer practices. It was emphasized that the lack of a remote backup is a major deficiency in a professional work environment.

A similar situation happened to Meta AI researcher Summer Yue in February 2026. When Yue gave an AI agent access to Gmail, the agent began deleting hundreds of emails.

The autonomous movement of artificial intelligence in software development processes brings new challenges in terms of data security. Experts say remote backups, which always act as a save button for critical projects, are vital.

If you experienced this type of data loss, which recovery method would you try first?