How to recover files from word

Losing a Word document can be deeply frustrating especially if you’ve spent hours, days, or even weeks working on it. Whether the file was accidentally deleted, closed without saving, corrupted, or lost during a system crash, there’s still hope. Microsoft Word offers several built-in features that can help you recover unsaved, deleted, or lost documents.

Unsaved Work: Closing Word without saving or experiencing a power outage can result in unsaved changes or entire documents being lost.

Accidental Deletion: Files might be deleted intentionally or by mistake from the Recycle Bin.

Corruption: Sometimes, documents become inaccessible due to corruption from viruses, software conflicts, or hardware failure.

Overwriting: Saving a new version of a file under the same name can overwrite older versions.

Unexpected Crashes: A crash during editing can prevent changes from being saved.

Each situation has a different approach for recovery, and Microsoft Word includes features specifically designed to handle these kinds of issues.

Method 1: Recover Unsaved Word Documents

Microsoft Word includes an AutoRecover feature that automatically saves a temporary copy of your document as you work.

Step-by-Step:

Open Word.

Go to File > Info.

Click on Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents.

Browse the list of unsaved files.

Select the document you want and click Open.

Save the recovered document immediately.

If this option isn’t visible, try checking the AutoRecover folder manually:

Open File Explorer.

Navigate to:

C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles

Look for .asd files.

Open them with Word and save them with a new name.

Method 2: Check the Recycle Bin

If your Word file was deleted recently, it might still be in the Recycle Bin.

Steps:

Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.

Search for your file using its name or filter by file type (.doc or .docx).

Right-click the file and choose Restore.

The file will be restored to its original location.

This method is simple and effective if the file hasn’t been permanently deleted.

Method 3: Recover from AutoSave or AutoRecover

Microsoft Word’s AutoSave and AutoRecover features are lifesavers during unexpected crashes.

For AutoSave:

If you’re using Microsoft 365 or Office 2019 and saving documents to OneDrive or SharePoint, AutoSave is usually enabled by default.

AutoSave keeps a continuous, cloud-based backup of your document.

For AutoRecover:

AutoRecover saves versions at regular intervals.

To locate them:

Open Word.

Go to File > Options > Save.

Note the location listed under AutoRecover file location.

Use File Explorer to open that path.

Look for .asd files and open them in Word.

AutoRecover files are temporary and may be deleted after Word is closed properly, so time is of the essence.

Method 4: Use Temporary Files

Word creates temporary backup files while you’re editing.

How to find them:

Open File Explorer.

Search for:

*.tmp

~*.doc

Sort results by date.

Locate the most recent file and try to open it in Word.

These files can often be found in:

C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Temp

C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word

Temporary files may not have meaningful filenames, but they can still contain valuable data.

Method 5: Recover Previous Versions

If you’ve saved over a document or want to restore an earlier version, Windows’ File History can help.

Steps:

Right-click the document.

Select Properties.

Go to the Previous Versions tab.

If versions are available, select the one you want and click Restore.

To use this feature, File History must have been enabled beforehand. If it hasn’t, consider enabling it for future protection.

Method 6: Use Document Recovery Pane After a Crash

When Word crashes unexpectedly, it often opens the Document Recovery pane the next time you launch the program.

What to do:

Open Microsoft Word.

The Document Recovery pane will appear on the left.

Choose the version you want to recover.

Click Save As to rename and preserve it.

This method is useful immediately after a crash, but the pane won’t appear if you’ve already closed Word again.

Method 7: Recover from OneDrive or SharePoint

If you’re saving files to Microsoft OneDrive or SharePoint, version history can be a lifesaver.

On OneDrive:

Log in to OneDrive in your browser.

Find your document.

Right-click and choose Version history.

Restore the version you need.

This method only works if the file was saved or synced to OneDrive. It’s a great option for users who work from multiple devices.

Method 8: Use Backup Copies

If Word’s “Always create backup copy” option was enabled, you may be able to recover from the .wbk file.

How to check:

Open Word and go to File > Options > Advanced.

Scroll to Save section.

See if “Always create backup copy” is enabled.

If it is:

Navigate to the folder where the file was last saved.

Look for a file named “Backup of [Filename].wbk”.

Open it in Word and save it as a new file.

Backup files are usually saved in the same location as the original document.

Method 9: Recover Deleted Word Files Using Recovery Software

Panda Assistant

Panda Assistant is designed with simplicity and power in mind. Once installed, it allows you to choose the specific location where your Word file was stored be it your desktop, documents folder, USB drive, or external hard drive. After selecting the target location, you can run a deep scan to uncover lost or hidden .doc and .docx files.

The software automatically detects and lists recoverable Word documents, even those that have been emptied from the Recycle Bin or affected by a system crash. You can preview each file to make sure it’s the one you’re looking for, then recover it with just a few clicks. Panda Assistant also recovers earlier versions of overwritten documents and supports recovery from formatted drives, making it a reliable solution for even complex cases of data loss.

One of Panda Assistant’s key strengths is its ability to retrieve Word files that were never saved, using its intelligent scan mode to detect temporary or AutoRecover versions created by Microsoft Word. It supports all major Word file formats and works across various storage devices.

Method 10: Open and Repair Corrupted Word Documents

Sometimes, the file isn’t lost but won’t open due to corruption.

To repair:

Open Word.

Go to File > Open.

Select the corrupted file.

Click the drop-down arrow next to Open and select Open and Repair.

If this fails, try opening the file in another word processor like Google Docs or WordPad. You might be able to extract text even if formatting is lost.

Method 11: Use Notepad to Extract Text

If you’re unable to open the file in Word, Notepad may help extract raw text content.

Steps:

Right-click the file > Open with > Notepad.

Scan the file for readable text.

Copy and paste into a new Word document.

This is a last-ditch effort and only useful for retrieving some text from corrupted files.

Tips to Prevent Losing Word Files in the Future

Once you’ve recovered your document, it’s important to take steps to avoid losing it again.

Enable AutoSave: Use OneDrive or SharePoint to save in real-time.

Turn on AutoRecover:

Word > Options > Save > Enable AutoRecover every 5 minutes.

Use File History: Set up backup through Windows or Mac.

Create Manual Backups: Save important versions as separate files.

Use Cloud Services: Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud can save files automatically.

Install a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): Protect against data loss from power outages.

Avoid working on documents from external drives: Save locally and back up externally afterward.

When to Seek Professional Help

If your file is extremely important and all recovery efforts fail, you might consider professional data recovery services. They can often recover files from damaged hard drives or corrupted sectors that software can’t reach.

Professional services are especially useful when:

The hard drive itself is physically damaged.

You accidentally formatted the drive.

The file system is corrupted beyond software repair.

Be aware that these services can be costly and may take time, but they offer the best chance in severe cases.

Losing a Word document doesn’t always mean losing your work. Microsoft Word provides robust tools to help recover unsaved, deleted, or corrupted files. From AutoRecover and backup copies to third-party recovery software and cloud version history, there are multiple paths to get your work back.

The key to recovery is acting quickly and methodically. Start with the simplest solutions like checking the Recycle Bin or unsaved files, and escalate to deeper scans or external help if necessary.

About us and this blog

Panda Assistant is built on the latest data recovery algorithms, ensuring that no file is too damaged, too lost, or too corrupted to be recovered.

Request a free quote

We believe that data recovery shouldn’t be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve designed Panda Assistant to be as easy to use as it is powerful. With a few clicks, you can initiate a scan, preview recoverable files, and restore your data all within a matter of minutes.

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