How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document 2007

By Kenrick Callwood

Updated September 15, 2017

Word 2007 automatically creates backup copies of unsaved files.
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The Microsoft Office 2007 suite of programs features an auto-recovery system that helps avoid losing work in unsaved documents. Word 2007, and the other programs, allows the user to configure the auto-recover feature to save a backup of the file at different intervals. If the computer loses power or Word is accidentally closed without saving the file, then a version of the file will be available the next time Word is launched. The temporary backup copies are saved in special locations and may also be available for manual retrieval.

Automatic Recovery

Open Microsoft Word 2007.

Look for the file on the list of available files in the "Document Recovery" pane.

Double-click on the file you wish to recover.

Review the file to see if anything is missing. Word automatically makes a copy every "x" minutes. "X" is defined by the user in the "Save" section of the "Word Options" panel found under the "Office" symbol. If "x" equals 10 minutes, then the recovered file will not include the changes made during the last 9 minutes before the file unexpectedly closed.

Save the Word document, and continue working.

Manual Recovery

Open Microsoft Word 2007, and click on the "Office" symbol.

Click "Word Options," and select the "Save" link.

Verify that the check box beside "Save AutoRecover information every" is checked, and enter a different number if you are unsatisfied with the current setting.

Take note of the "AutoRecover file location." By default, it will be "C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\," with your user name substituted for .

Open the AutoRecover folder described above, and look for recent files with the file extension .wbk.

Double-click on the desired file, and choose Word 2007 if prompted to choose which program to open the file with.

Tips

Sometimes files may be recovered manually from the following folders: "C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp" or "C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Word," substituting <username> with your user name.

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