How to Recover a Word Document That Is Not Saved

Recover your files in Microsoft Word.

In the unfortunate scenario that Microsoft Word shuts down before you can save your work, there is a way to recover your file. When you reopen Word, the Document Recovery task pane will appear, allowing you to choose from one to three versions of your document. Word also has an AutoRecover feature, which will let the program automatically save your file at regular intervals. When AutoRecover is enabled, you'll be able to recover at least the work that was saved last.

Instructions

1. Restart Microsoft Word. Depending on whether you had a power outage, system failure or Word closed unexpectedly, you may need to restart your computer as well.

2. Look to the left side of the screen for the Document Recovery task pane. Keep in mind it will only appear if Word recognizes that it closed unexpectedly. If you simply forget to save your document before closing Word, the Document Recovery pane will not appear.

3. Select one of the files listed under "Available Files." If there is more than one, choose the one that recovered the most work.

4. Click the down arrow.

5. Select an option from the shortcut menu. Click "Open" to show the recovered document. Click "Save As" to create a new version of the recovered document. Click "Delete" to delete this version of the document.

6. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 for each available file listed.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid losing your work by enabling an automatic save function in Word. Click the "Microsoft Office" Button and select "Word Options." Click the "Save" tab. Click the check box for "Save AutoRecover Information Every x Minutes." Enter the number of minutes you want Word to automatically save your files. If you want, specify the folder where your recovered files will be saved.

References

• Microsoft: Use the Document Recovery Task Pane to Recover Your Files
• Microsoft: Automatically Save and Recover Office Files