File Recovery

How to Restore Autosaved Excel Files

Md Sojib Mia

— 3 min read
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A laptop displaying an open Excel spreadsheet on the screen.

If you've accidentally closed an Excel document without saving, you can often recover your work thanks to Excel's autosave feature. This article explains how to access and restore autosaved files, as well as what to do if autosave isn’t enabled. Additionally, I’ll provide tips to help you ensure your work is saved in the future.

Prerequisites

  • A computer with Excel installed (preferably Office 365 or a recent version).
  • Basic familiarity with navigating your operating system (Windows or Mac).
  • Access to the Internet, if using cloud features.

Where are my autosaved Excel files stored?

Autosaved files in Excel are generally stored in a temporary folder on your computer. The exact location can depend on your version of Excel and your operating system.

For most Windows users, the autosaved files can typically be found in:

C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles

You can access this folder directly by navigating through File Explorer or typing the path into the address bar. For Mac users, the autosaved files may be found in:

/Users/YourUsername/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery

This location is also accessible through Finder. If you have not set up the autosave feature correctly, you might not find any files here.

How to access and restore autosaved files

To restore an autosaved file, follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel on your computer.
  2. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner.
  3. Select 'Open' from the menu.
  4. Click on 'Recent' on the left sidebar.
  5. Look for an option that says 'Recover Unsaved Workbooks' at the bottom of the Recent Workbooks list.
  6. A dialog box will open, showing all unsaved files. Select the file you want to recover.
  7. Click 'Open' to restore the file.
  8. Don’t forget to save the file immediately to avoid losing it again.
A person selecting an autosaved Excel file from the recent files menu in Excel.

What if autosave isn’t enabled?

If you find that autosave isn’t working, you can check and enable it with these steps:

  1. Open Excel and click on 'File'.
  2. Go to 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.
  3. In the Excel Options window, click on 'Save' in the left sidebar.
  4. Ensure the 'Save AutoRecover information every x minutes' checkbox is checked.
  5. You can adjust the time interval to a shorter duration for more frequent saves.
  6. Click 'OK' to save your changes.

If autosave was never enabled, you may not be able to recover unsaved files. Regularly saving your work is a good practice to avoid this situation.

Best practices for saving your work in Excel

To help ensure your work is always saved, consider these best practices:

  • Save your work frequently, ideally every few minutes.
  • Use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + S (Windows) or Command + S (Mac) for quick saves.
  • Enable the autosave feature if you’re using Office 365 to automatically save your work to the cloud.
  • Create backup copies of important files using 'Save As' to maintain different versions.
  • Save files in formats that support recovery, such as .xlsb or .xlsm, especially for critical documents.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can restore your autosaved Excel files and establish effective saving practices to protect your work in the future. Remember to check your autosave settings and save frequently to prevent potential data loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How frequently does Excel autosave my work?

Excel autosaves your work based on the interval you set in the options, which can range from every 1 minute to every 120 minutes.

Can I change the autosave location?

No, the autosave location is set by Excel and cannot be changed. However, you can manually choose where to save your files when you do a 'Save As'.

Is autosave available in all versions of Excel?

Autosave is primarily available in Excel for Office 365 and newer versions. Older versions may rely on AutoRecover instead.

What if I don’t see my autosaved file?

If you don't see your autosaved file, it could mean that autosave wasn't enabled or the file may have been deleted or moved. Check the Unsaved Files folder again.

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