How to Retrieve Lost Documents in Microsoft Word

If you've lost a Microsoft Word document because of a system crash, power outage or program error, you have several options for finding your lost document. Most of the time, Word's Autorecover feature will recover your document. However, if you've started Word and don't see the Autorecover pane pop up on the left-hand side of your screen, you'll need to go hunting on your computer for the lost Word file.

Instructions

1. Close Word and restart. This forces Word to run the Autorecover program. If it works, you'll see your file listed in the Autorecover pane on the left when you restart Word. Click on it to open the file.

2. Search for the file on your computer. Click the "Microsoft" button in Windows 7, or click "Start Search" in Windows XP. Check "All files and folders," type the name of your document into the search field and then click "Search."

3. Perform a broader search for your document. You may have misspelled your document name or saved it as something else. Type "*.doc" (minus quote marks) into the Search feature and then click "Search."

4. Perform a search for Word backup files. Type "*.wbk" (minus quote marks) into the Search field, click "Search" and see if any files match your file name. To open a file if you find one, click on the "Microsoft Office" button in Word, click "Open" and then click "All Files (*.*)." Select the backup file, and then click "Open."

5. Search on your computer for a file named "DocumentName.asd," where "DocumentName" is the name of your document. This is the Autorecover file; you can manually open it by opening the file in Word.

6. Search for temporary files on your computer. Temporary files have the filename *.tmp. Look for files that match the last dates and times for when you edited your document. You can also try looking for "~*.*" in your search utility. If you find either of these file types, force Word to recover the document. Click the "Microsoft Office" button, click "Open" and click "All Files (*.*)." Then select the document. Click on the down arrow in the "Open" button at the bottom right of the "Open" screen, and then click "Open and Repair."

Tips & Warnings

• There are many different versions of Microsoft Word; the exact steps may be different for your computer. Consult your product documentation to complete the steps if necessary.

References

• Microsoft Support: How to recover a lost file in Word 2007 or in Word 2003