Occasionally, we accidentally close Excel without saving our work, or our computer crashes, which causes us to lose unsaved Excel files. This can be disheartening, especially if we spend a lot of time and effort on working them.
Importance of recovering unsaved work
Recovery of unsaved Excel files is essential since it prevents us from having to do things over again, but important information that we might have lost owing to improper document saving can be recovered with its help Exploring methods to recovering unsaved Excel files. In this post, we will discuss some methods for recovering unsaved Excel files, especially after a crash or forgetting to save. We will look at built-in Excel features, manual methods, and third-party tools to help us get back our lost work.
Built-in Excel Recovery Features
A. Auto Recover feature
One feature of Excel is Auto Recover, which automatically creates a backup copy of your work at regular intervals. You can use the Auto recovery feature to locate and access the most recent stored version of your data if Excel shuts unexpectedly. This will help you recover the majority of your unsaved work.
B. Document Recovery pane
When you restart Excel after following a crash, a window known as the Document Recovery pane appears. This page shows a list of files that were open when Excel crashed. This will help you to recover any work that has been lost, you can tap on these files to open and save them.
C. Temporary files
Excel occasionally saves temporary files while you are working. These files will let you recover any work that was not saved if the program suddenly closes. To recover your information, look for these temporary files on your computer and open them in Excel.
Using Recent Documents
A. Accessing recent documents in Excel
Excel maintains a summary of the files you have recently accessed. To view this summary, select “File” from the menu and then “Open.” A section labeled “Recent” will appear, that shows all the files you have worked on recently. This facilitates quickly finding and opening your recent files.
B. Recovering unsaved files from the Recent Documents list
Occasionally, if you close Excel without saving, the file may still appear in the recent documents list with a special label like “Unsaved.” To recover these files, select “Open” from the “File” menu and then look for “Recent.” ” Recover Unsaved Workbooks ” is a section that may be found at the bottom of the list. You may view and open your unsaved documents by clicking on them, allowing you to properly save them.
Manual Excel File Recovery Methods
A. Searching for Auto Recover Files Manually
You can search for Auto Recover files on your PC in the unlikely event that Auto Recover doesn’t open as a result. These files often have extensions like .ar or .asd. To find them, open Excel, go to the “File” menu, click on “Open,” and then select “Browse.” In the file type dropdown menu, Select “All Files.” After that, you can search your computer for files ending with .ar or .asd extensions. Open these files in Excel to see if they contain your unsaved work.
B. Checking the Recycle Bin
Unsaved or accidentally deleted Excel files occasionally find their way into the Recycle Bin. Locate your Excel file on your PC by opening the Recycle Bin. When you locate the document, you may use the right-click menu to choose “Restore” to return it to its original location. You can then open it in Excel to begin working at that point.
C. Looking in the temporary files folder
While doing work on your PC, your PC creates temporary files that may include unsaved Excel documents. To Navigate the temporary files folder on your computer. Normally, you may find this folder located at C:\Users[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Temp. Look for files with names that start with “Excel” or files that have extensions like “.tmp.” If these files have your unsaved work, then open them in Excel to confirm.
Preventative Measures While Working on Excel Documents
A. Enabling AutoSave and Auto Recover
Enabling AutoSave and Auto Recover in Excel helps to reduce the risk of losing your work. As a result, AutoSave automatically saves your file, and Auto Recover periodically saves a duplicate of your work. To activate these highlights, go to the “File” menu, click on “Options,” then select “Save.” Check the boxes for “Save Auto Recover data every x minutes” and “Keep the last Auto Recovered version If I close without saving”. Set the time interval that suits your needs, e.g., every 5 or 10 minutes.
B. Regularly saving your work
Make it a habit to save your work frequently. To quickly save your documents, use the shortcut keys Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac). Regularly saving your work reduces the chance of losing important data and ensures you have the most recent version of your document stored.
C. Creating backup copies of important files
Make backup copies of important files to ensure that you have a backup copy in case something goes wrong. You can physically store copies of your documents on a variety of media, such as an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or a distributed storage system like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. To further enable Excel’s “Save backup copy” feature, go to “File” > “Save As,” click on “Tools” (next to the “Save” button), select “General Options,” and check the “Always create backup” box. Therefore, every time you save, Excel will automatically create a backup copy of your document.
Third-Party Excel Recovery Tools
A. Overview of third-party tools
There are different third-party tools available to assist in recovering unsaved or corrupted Excel files. These tools are designed to scan your computer for lost files and repair damaged ones. Several well-known external third-party tools are EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Stellar Phoenix Excel Repair, and Disk Drill. These tools usually feature high-level features and user-friendly interfaces to simplify file recovery.
B. Steps to use third-party tools for recovery
- Download and Install the Tool: Choose a legitimate third-party recovery tool and download it from the official site. Install the software on your computer following the on-screen instructions.
- Launch the Tool: Open the recovery tool and select the files that you want to recover. Some tools might allow you to specifically select Excel or .xlsx files.
- Scan Your Computer: Use the tool to scan your PC for lost or unsaved documents. You can usually specify a location to scan, such as a specific folder, drive, or the entire system.
- Review Scan Results: After the scan is finished, the tool will show a rundown of a list of found files. Browse through the results to find your lost Excel file. You can see the files that you want.
- Recover the File: Select the files you need to recover and choose a location to save them. Try to save the recovered files to a different location in comparison to where they were initially lost to avoid overwriting.
- Check Recovered Files: Open the recovered Excel files in Excel to ensure that files have been restored accurately and all data is intact.
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