How to restore accidentally saved over a Word document or how to recover overwritten Excel file? Try these two effective solutions to work out.
- I Accidentally Clicked Don't Save On Microsoft Word Mac Reddit
- What Happens If You Accidentally Clicked Don't Save
- How Do I Recover A Word Document After Clicking Don't Save
I am using Microsoft Word 2010. I accidentally saved over a document by clicking save and not save as. Apparently MS Word didn't have the backup feature enabled, and I've already closed MS Word since read more. Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ('Posts') comes from individual users, not JustAnswer. Next, open Word then click File. Select Manage Document. Select Recovery Unsaved Documents. Select the file that you accidentally did not save from the list displayed. On the bar at the top of the file, click Save As then type a name for the file and save the file. Ask Your Own Microsoft Question. Click the File menu. On the File menu, click Info. On the Info page, click “Manage Document” and then, from the drop-down menu, choose “Recover Unsaved Documents.” Note also that you have an option for deleting all unsaved documents should you want to do that. Step by step tutorial on how to recover in case you have accidentlly clicked ' Don't save' in a Microsoft word 2016/2013/2010/2007 document.
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Method 1. Recover overwritten Excel or Word files from temp files | When you are editing a Word or Excel, Microsoft Office will automatically create some temporary files as a backup. Open Excel > Click File > Info...Full steps |
| Method 2. Restore saved over Excel or Word file from previous versions | You can restore the previous version of Excel file or Word document: create a new Excel/Word file > Select Properties > Go to Previous Versions...Full steps |
How to Recover an Accidentally Saved Over Word Document
Case 1. 'I accidentally overwrote an Excel file and saved it, is there any way I can restore the overwritten Excel file?'
Case 2. 'Does anyone know how to restore a Word document that was saved over in Windows 10, 8, or 7? I replaced a Word document on the Desktop and saved the file. I need to recover overwritten Word document!'
Overwriting or replacing an Excel or Word file is not a new problem for most Windows PC users. However, the issue is familiar, yet the solution still eludes most. So what can you do when your Excel or Word file gets overwritten or replaced? Here, we provide two reliable methods to recover overwritten Excel files or Word documents.
And, in the end, two smart Word/Excel recovery and backup solutions are introduced to help you recover deleted Word Excel or back up Excel files to prevent data loss. You can use one of the best data recovery software to recover permanently deleted Word documents with ease.
Method 1. Recover Overwritten Excel Files/Word Document from Temporary Files
Usually, while you are editing a Word or Excel file, Microsoft Office Excel or Word will automatically create some temporary files as a backup on your Windows PC if you have enabled the AutoRecover feature. And the temp files won't overwrite the previous ones. Therefore, if you saved over an Excel or Word document, you can try to restore the previous version of Excel file or Word document from the temporary files.
You cannavigate to the temp file folder location on your PC and find the Excel/Word temp files. Then, open and save the files as you need.
- On Windows 10/8/7/Vista: C:UsersUserNameAppDataLocalMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles
- On Windows XP: C:Documents and SettingsLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles
Or you can use the Recover unsaved file feature of Microsoft Office to recover Excel or Word from temporary files.
Step 1. Open Excel, and click 'File' > 'Info' > 'Manage Workbook'. Click 'Recover Unsaved Workbooks' from the drop-down menu.
Step 2. Select the unsaved file and click the 'Open' button. Then, on the pop-up window, choose 'Save As' to recover it.
After this, you should have successfully restored the overwritten Excel or Word document on your PC and can continue using it as usual. If this doesn't work, move on to the next method.
Also read:
Method 2. Restore Previous Version of Excel File or Word Document
Another feasible way to recover overwritten Excel files or Word documents is restoring files from backup. The previous versions come from File History or from restore points. As long as you have activated the Windows backup option, you can restore the previous version of the Word document or Excel file with the steps below.
Step 1. Create a new Excel/Word file with the same name as your lost Excel/Word file or find your present, saved-over Excel/Word file.
Step 2. Right-click on the Excel or Word file and select 'Properties'.
Step 3. Go to 'Previous Versions', find and select the latest version or the version you want back, click 'Restore'.
This is all there is to it, your replaced or overwritten Excel or Word file will be restored with the same file name.
Bonus Tips: How to Recover Deleted or Lost Word/Excel Files
Note: We don't advise you to try any data recovery software on the market for this task. Generally, all the third-party software only helps recover the original file after it is deleted from your storage device. In this case, the file has been saved over, and these tools will not help locate a previous version.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is no exception for retrieving an overwritten Word document. It is not designed to restore overwritten or unsaved files. However, it has a high reputation for recovering deleted files. It's powerful in restoring lost data in complex circumstances.
- Recover deleted files, restore formatted or inaccessible data in different data loss situations
- Recover photos, audio, music, and emails from any storage effectively, safely, and completely
- Recover data from emptied recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorder
Download this data recovery software to help you get back any deleted or lost Word and Excel files.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS file recovery software on your computer. Choose the exact location where you lost the files and click the Scan button.
Step 2. The software will immediately start scanning the drive and very soon the deleted files will show up. When the process is over, you can filter the document files.
Step 3. Select files (e.g. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and click the Recover button. You can browse for a different location to save the recovered files.
How to Back up Word/Excel to Avoid Data Loss
The best way to avoid document loss is by backing up your document regularly. Although Microsoft Office offers you the AutoRecover feature to automatically back up the unsaved files, it won't help protect the saved document. If you have a smart backup for the saved Excel or Word file, you can recover the backup even if it has been overwritten. In such a case, EaseUS file backup software can be set to back up your files every half hour. It is useful:
- To back up database files that are frequently changed
- To back up shared files that are frequently updated
- To create multiple backup points for recovery or rollback
If you often edit important Word and Excel documents, you should back them up with this smart tool.
Step 1: Open EaseUS Todo Backup and select 'File' as the backup mode.
You might have a large amount of important data to be protected as time goes on, such as documents, pictures, music, videos, etc. It is always a good idea to have a backup on a regular basis. File Backup is one of the best ways for you to get over unexpected data loss.
Step 2: Select the files that you want to back up.
Tick the option named User Defined at the top-left corner. Then, you can browse to back up one or certain specific file types on your computer or external storage device.
Step 3: Select a destination to save your backup file.
You better create the backup file on another storage media or another drive. If you don’t, there may be a risk of the backup file getting corrupted or destroyed.
Step 4: Click 'Proceed' to execute your operation.
FAQs About Accidentally Saved Over a Word Document
Here are the top frequently asked questions related to how to recover the previous version of Excel file or Word document. If you also have any of these problems, you can find the methods here.
How do I retrieve a Word document that I saved over?
You can recover a saved over Word document from an earlier version:
- Open the Word document.
- Go to File > Info.
- Under Manage Workbook, select Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
- In the pop-up window, select the previous file to restore overwritten Word document.
Can you recover a file you saved over?
If you accidentally saved over a Word document or renamed a file/folder, you can restore a previous version of that file or folder, but you need to know the location where the file or folder was saved. To restore an overwritten file a perform Excel restore previous version, follow these steps:
- Find the folder that used to contain the file or folder on your computer, right-click it, and then click Restore previous versions.
- Double-click a previous version of the folder that contains the file or folder you want to restore.
- Drag the file or folder that you want to restore to another location, such as your desktop or another folder.
Can you undo a save in Word?
If you open an existing file in Word to modify to create a new file, but you forget to save it with a new name before editing, you can use the Undo command to restore the original file contents. This method only works if the file is still open.
- First, select the current contents of the file and copy them to a new file. Save this file with a new file name.
- In the original file, use Ctrl+Z to undo up to 20 of your most recent changes. If this restores all of your original content, use Save As to save the file with the original file name.
- If this doesn't work, try to undo a save in Excel or Word with the backup.
How do I undo a replaced file?
How to recover an overwritten file:
- Right-click the overwritten or replaced file and click Properties.
- Select Previous Versions.
- If you want to view the old version, click View. To copy the old version to another location, click Copy... To replace the current version with the older version, click Restore.
Microsoft Word is an amazing office program widely used in study and work. To be more specific, it is indispensable to contents writing. Writing itself takes time and effort, and when accidents happen, such as you accidentally closed Word without saving it, you may get into panic. In the event that all your writing just vanish without trace, then you'll have to start over again, which is a nightmare of course.
Fortunately, there is something we can do to save the situation. In this article, we'll show how you can recover accidentally closed Word document without going through the stress of re-writing. Do take your time to read through.
1. Use Recover Unsaved Documents Option
2. Use AutoRecover Feature
1. Recover Deleted Word Document From the Recycle Bin
2. Recover Permanently Deleted Word Document With AnyRecover (Windows 11 Supported)
1. Adjust the AutoRecover Settings
2. Turn On Real-Time AutoSave
Part 1. How to Recover Files After Accidentally Closed Word Without Saving on Windows 11
Losing Word document as a result of accidental close up of the software can be frustrating. Should you not have a way around it, you will have to start all over again and you'd end up writing the same content twice. The wasted effort and time aren't easy to chew. Therefore, to save your strength, follow the necessary steps below.
1. Use Recover Unsaved Documents Option
There are ways to recover Word documents and 'Recovering Unsaved Documents' is one of them. It can help restore your lost documents in no time. All you need do is follow the steps to be listed below.
Step 1: Open your Word and create a new blank document.
Step 2: Then navigate to 'File' menu.
Step 3: Tap 'Info'. In the 'Manage Documents' section, select 'Recover Unsaved Documents'.
Step 4: Click on the document you need to recover and then click 'Open'.
I Accidentally Clicked Don't Save On Microsoft Word Mac Reddit
2. Use AutoRecover Feature
If the unsaved files folder is empty, you can turn to the AutoRecover feature to restore Word document closed without saving. The steps are very simple and can be done within seconds.
Step 1: Launch your Word and create a new blank document.
Step 2: Locate on the 'File' menu and click on 'Options'.
Step 3: Then click 'Save', find 'AutoRecover file location' path under 'Save documents' option. Right click on it and then select 'Copy'.
Step 4: Press Windows key + E on the keyboard to open File Explorer. Paste the path in the address bar then press the Enter key.
Step 5: Find the '.asd' file you want to recover and choose the proper app to open it.
Part 2. How to Recover Deleted Word Document on Windows 11
1. Recover Deleted Word Document From the Recycle Bin
Mistaken deletion of Word files can be annoyingly dispiriting especially when the document is too valuable to lose. Don't give up, though, first check if you can recover the content via Recycle Bin.
Step 1: Double-click the Recycle Bin on your PC.
Step 2: Of all deleted files, find the Word document you deleted before.
Step 3: Next, drag it back to the initial folder or desktop to recover it.
2. Recover Permanently Deleted Word Document With AnyRecover (Windows 11 Supported)
What if you cannot find your deleted Word document in Recycle Bin or you have accidentally empty the Recycle Bin? Is there any way to recover permanently deleted Word document?
Yes, of course. Another unique tool to help recover permanently deleted Word document is AnyRecover. It is a highly-professional data recovery program that is capable of addressing almost any data loss issues in any scenario: emptied trash, partition error, system crash, formatted device, virus attack, etc.
Key features of AnyRecover
What Happens If You Accidentally Clicked Don't Save
- Support over 1000 types of file: videos, audios, pictures, emails, etc.
- Recover data from any storage device: hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, SSDs, cameras, etc.
- Fast scanning and recovering speed; simple operating steps.
- Guarantee a 98% high success rate and 100% security.
- Fully compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac systems.
- Frial trial available: recover 8 files for free without size limitation.
Steps to recover deleted Word document with AnyRecover:
Step 1. Download and install AnyRecover on your PC. Launch the software, select 'Recycle Bin' as the location to recover data and click the 'Start' button.
Step 2. The program will perform an all-round scan on your emptied Recycle Bin. You can pause, resume or stop the process anytime you want.
Step 3. When the process finishes, all your deleted Word documents will be listed. You can then preview and recover the document by clicking on the 'Recover'button.
Part 3. How to Avoid Losing Word Ducuments
1. Adjust the AutoRecover Settings
Microsoft Office already has a default AutoRecover function set to 10-minute interval. This is to ensure that all the changes made will be saved automatically, and the interval can be down-set to like 1 minute to avoid losing too many contents if you mistakenly close the tab.
Launch Word and tap on the 'File' Menu.
Click on 'Options' and then click on 'Save'.
At the 'Save documents' section, modify the 'AutoRecover information' form every 10 minutes to 1 minute.
Then click 'OK' to save the change.
2. Turn On Real-Time AutoSave
AutoSave is enabled by default when a file is stored on OneDrive. It is a different feature from AutoRecover and automatically saves the changes made to the file every few seconds as you work. In this way, you don't have to worry about losing important content when you fail to save it manually during the working process.
Launch Word and tap on the 'File' Menu.
Then switch on the AutoSave icon at the top-left corner. Your document will be automatically saved immediately upon changes.
Hopefully, you'll never find yourself in a position that you accidentally closed Word without saving. If you do, do not panic, the steps listed above will come in handy. Even if you have permanenly deleted your Word document - for example, emptied then Recycle Bin, AnyRecover will get your lost files back without any hassle.
How Do I Recover A Word Document After Clicking Don't Save
By Alva Doris , to Document Recovery
Updated: Jul 20, 2021
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