How to Recover A Lost Word Document

If for some reason your Word document does not save or disappears due to unforeseen circumstances, you need not be concerned. Numerous methods are available for restoring files that have not been saved. Examine five different approaches and technologies that may be used to restore lost Word documents.

5 ways to recover a lost word document

Solution 1. How to recover Word documents with Document Recovery

Restarting Microsoft Word is the easiest way to recover your work. Word displays the document recovery area on the left when it finds a deleted file. The recovery time will be shown. Click “Save as” from the address menu underneath the restored file name

Note: This method may be different for Microsoft 365 subscribers. In such a case, restart Word. It usually opens the recovered file automatically with a text offering options to save the file. Edit the most recently restored file will be opened while the other files will be placed in the document recovery section.

Solution 2. How to recover unsaved Word documents using the Recover Unsaved Documents tool

Even if the first method is unsuccessful, Word has a capability that can restore documents that have not been saved. To use, please:

• Step 1: Select data from the file menu in a blank Word document.
• Step 2: Choose “Manage Document” from the menu.
• Step 3: Select “Recover unsaved documents” from the menu to go to step 3.
• Step 4: Word opens an unsaving document window. Select/click to open.

In the event that the document is opened, Word will provide the term “recovered file.” Let’s go on to the fifth phase. Simply clicking the “save as” option will automatically save your work in the conventional format.

Solution 3: Recover lost Word documents manually

If the previous method failed, you can try recovering unsaved Word documents manually using Microsoft’s AutoRecover feature.

• Step 1: Search for.asd files by selecting the Windows Start button. Save their location.
• Another way in Word is to go to File > More > Options. Select the Save tab and copy the AutoRecover file to the File Explorer window.
• Step 2: If you find any.asd files go to Word, select File > Open > Call. Be sure to select “All Files” in the Remove list. Open.asd file to recover document.

Solution 4: Find Word documents that are not saved in temporary files.

There is still the possibility of searching for the.tmp file, which is a temporary file, in the event that the.asd extension does not function.

• First, check your document folder or file scanner for the.tmp file. The path C:\Users\enterusernameDocuments
• Click File -> Open -> Folder in Word. Enter the folder with the.tmp file. Select “All Files” from the file types list. Open.tmp to find your document.

Solution 5: Enable backup and scripts file search

Word saves backup files with the.wbk extension to recover your document using this method. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Enable backup options. Go to File > More > Options > Advanced > Save. Select “Always Make Backup” option.
• Step 2: In File Explorer, search for.wbk files. If you find them, they will be named “Backup of” followed by the name you specified with your missing files. Double-click on the file to open in Word.

Note: Microsoft 365 subscribers may need to use a different location to find their backup file. Copy and place the following route into the file explorer: C:\Users[your username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word or C: \User[user name]\ AppData \Local \Microsoft \Office\UnsavedFiles. (replace [yourusername] with your actual username).

Solution 6. Restore permanently deleted Word documents with data recovery software

It is highly recommended that you make use of data recovery software such as WinfrGUI in the event that your Word documents are lost that cannot be recovered. This software has the capability to recover lost data in a permanent manner, including Word documents, in a variety of formats.

Here’s how to use WinfrGUI:

• Step 1: Choose where your Word file is missing and click “Find Lost Information”.
• Step 2: The program searches the disc for missing data. Click “Documents” on the left side to discover your Word file after scanning. View the file before recovery.
• Step 3: Click “Recover” on the specified Word file. Remember to store the retrieved document somewhere. OneDrive or Dropbox are fantastic online storage options.

Bonus Tip: Use of security measures.

In order to avoid loss of documents in the future, it is wise to fix the automatic saving tool for Word. Here’s how:

• Step 1: In Word, select File > Add > Options > Save. Configure automatic recording frequency and other options as desired.
• Step 2: Enable backup options as mentioned earlier. Go to File > More > Options > Advanced > Save. Select “Always Make Backup” option.

By following these steps and taking future measures, you can increase your chances of recovering lost Word documents and preventing future errors. Please remember that in case of desire, there is a way to recover your valuable files.

>>Also Read: How to Get Back Deleted Files: 4 Methods