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5 Easy Steps to Recover a Lost/Unsaved Word Document – Word Recovery

Last Updated on December 8, 2020 by Ian McEwan

Are you still depressed for losing your word document or other computer files? Are you still frustrated that you cannot find your missing word docs, even though you have already searched all the possible locations that you can think of? Well, don’t panic, all of your need for finding a way to recover your lost word document or other data on your Windows or Mac can be satisfied by following the solution specified below.

 

Brand-new Guide of Recovering Lost Word Documents, Please Receive.

Here is our general order of this whole recovery procedure, let’s look at these steps one by one until you get the lost word doc back.

infographic 5 Easy Steps to Recover a Lost/Unsaved Word Document


Step 1. Find Lost Word Document by Checking the Recycle Bin

Normally, your first reaction is to check the Recycle Bin to see if your lost word document is still there.

  • Open the Recycle Bin, which contains files and folders that you have deleted.
  • If you haven’t empty the Recycle Bin before, then you can find the file you are looking for and click the “Recover”.

 

Unlike accidental or intentional deletion, which you can fix by following the step 1,  there are some force majeure factors can cause file loss, like a sudden power outage, computer freeze, or system crash. In that case, you need to move to the methods below.

 

Step 2. Find AutoRecover Docs in Microsoft Office

  • Open the Word on that you were using, select Word Options.
  • Look for a file path > Manage Document > Dropdown Menu.
  • Click “Recover Unsaved Documents”.
  • Once you find your disappeared docs, double-click it and then save it at once.

If this method fails you, that means you or other users of your PC have ever deactivated the AutoSave function before. If that is so, you may need to skip to Step 5 to get back the lost word doc.

 

Step 3. Editing the Same Doc Name

  • Creating a new/blank document with the same name as your lost one.
  • Then right-click that doc and choose the Properties and Select the Previous Versions.

Perhaps you can happen to find your lost data by this fortuitous way, if you cannot, don’t worry, let’s see if you backed it up once.

If you have backed up before, then you can focus on Step 4. If not, let’s turn to Step 5.

 

Step 4. Finding the Back-up Files

  • Start Word 2013(or 2010/2007/2001)
  • Click File > Open > Computer > Browse
  • Find that folder where you last saved the missing file
  • In that files of type list, click All Files.

The name of that backup file usually like: “Backup of” + the name of the missing file

  • Click the Backup file > Open

There may be a little different about that procedure but basically similar among those different versions of Word.

 

Step 5. Recovering Lost Word Document with Data Recovery

Try all the system built-in methods(Step 1,3) and Office built-in methods(Step 2, 4) above and get nothing? Then you should use a professional Data Recovery tool to recover your lost word document.

Like all the best Data Recovery software, Aiseesoft Data Recovery can handle the problems of data loss easily: Accidentally Delete, Formatted Drive, Hard Disk Damage, System Crashed, Virus Attack, System Interrupts, Unexpected Power off and other improper operation. You name it.

It also supports recovering from all storage device with NTFS, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, EXT file system.

  • PC/laptop (Recyle Bin included):Lenovo, Dell, IBM, HP, Toshiba, Sony…
  • Hard Drive
  • USB Drive
  • Removable Drives
  • External Disk
  • SSD
  • Memory Cards: Micro Card, CF/SD Card
  • .etc

Just follow the steps below to get back what you need: 

  • Download  Aiseesoft Data Recovery and run it to Start
    • Win Download Mac Download Win Download Mac Download
  • As long as you entered the main interface, Choose the data type(s) you want to recover first > the disk drive(s) you may find the lost files.Data Recovery Choose Documents and Others to Scan
  • Click “Scan” to start a quick scan of your lost data on that chosen disk drive, Or you can click “Deep Scan” to start a more thorough scan about your lost files.Data Recovery - Quick ScanData Recovery - Deep Scan
  • Select “Filter” and you can easily and quickly locate the doc you are looking for.
  • Click “Recover” and you can get all your selected data back to your computer.

To recap, this Word Recovery tool can help you finish the recovery work in any situation, even if it is accidental deletion, a failing saving or no backup (as described in the previous steps).

Aside from word document recovery, Aiseesoft Data Recovery can also help you recover any  Microsoft file(Excel, PowerPoint…), image,  email, audio, video and more, no matter it was lost/deleted/corrupted/formatted.

One last thing, remember to save (or press Ctrl+S) your file often and make a backup file of your work regularly. Just in case.