How to Recover Microsoft Word Document

Almost everyone who has ever used a personal computer has experience working with Microsoft Word files. The DOC and DOCX file extensions are widely used for many documents and programs. The program allows you to save information in these formats. If you are a majority of users, it is possible that at some point you will have to recover deleted Word documents from your Windows system. In this article we will give you several recovery methods that offer a good chance to resolve how to recover microsoft word document.

Recovering an Unsaved Word File

There may be situations where you want to recover an unsaved document, such as when Word fails while you are working with your file or computer broken and need to reboot. In these cases, you can rely on the AutoRecover feature in Word to retrieve your information. However, it needs to be configured to protect your document.

To configure automatic recovery in Word, follow these steps:

• Go to the File tab and select an option.
• Click the Log Tab
• Make sure to check both’recover data automatically every X minutes’ and ‘keep the last version manually saved if I close without a record’.
• Click OK to save settings.

Once AutoRecover is configured, you can use the following steps to recover unsaved Word documents:

• Open Word and go to File Tab
• Click Open and browse to the folder where the file was last found and find the file with the.asd extension.
• If the document you are looking for is not in the list, select File > Information > Manage Document (or Version) > Recover Unsaved Document.

We recommend that you enable AutoRecover and set short recording periods to reduce the risk of job loss.

How to Recover Deleted Microsoft Word Document

Try exploring several ways that can help you recover deleted Word files. These methods can be used on all Windows from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 11.

Windows Recycle Box

The first thing to check for missing or deleted files is the Windows Recycle Box. It temporarily stores the removed items, and if your files are there, they can be easily recovered. Follow these steps to see if you can get your removed Word documents out of the trash:

• Double-click the Recycle Tank icon to open it.
• Find the Word document you want to search for
• Right-click on the list and select Reset.

The file is restored to its previous location and can be accessed by other operating systems and applications.

Local Backup (File History)

Backing up your computer is crucial to protecting your Windows data. Let the file history be a built-in backup and recovery tool, or you can use a third-party security solution. In this example, we will focus on using backups made with file history to recover lost Word documents. Just follow these simple steps:

• In the “File Restore” taskbar search box.
• Select “Restore your files with file history”
• Find the document you want to revive and use arrow keys to navigate through different versions of the file.
• Select “Restore” to restore files to their original location. Alternatively, you can select “Reset to” to save to a new storage location.

Please note that any changes in the document after the last backup will not be recoverable. However, you will be able to load the original file, which is better than losing it all.

Backup in the Cloud (OneDrive)

OneDrive is a cloud storage service provided by Microsoft. It is integrated with Windows 10 enabling you to store files in the cloud and access them from any device. To recover deleted files saved in oneDrive, follow these steps:

• Go to the OneDrive website and log in with your Microsoft account.
• Select Recycle Tank
• Select the file or folder you want to recover.
• Click the Restore button.

Data Recovery Software

Microsoft Word document recovery can save lives, especially when it is deleted or lost in an emergency due to unexpected circumstances. WinfrGUI is an easy-to-use data recovery software that makes the recovery process easier with its ease-of-use graphical interface. Here’s how you can recover your important documents using Winfr GUI:

Data recovery software such as WinfrGUI takes advantage of the way Windows handles data deletion. When a file is deleted, Windows will delete the locked link to it, but will leave space free. As long as the original information has not been duplicated, the recovering software can fix these links and make the document accessible again.

Follow these steps to recover deleted Word documents using WinfrGUI:

• Download and install WinfrGUI: Start by downloading and installing the easy-to-use graphical version of Winfr GUI, Windows File Recovery.

• Select Storage Device: Select the address storage device of the deleted Word document.
• Start scanning: Click on the option to find lost data. WinfrGUI will start searching for recoverable files on the selected storage device.
• Show sample and select file: When the scan is complete, you will see a list of recoverable files. You can view these files first and narrow down the results to show only Word documents.
• Select Recovery Location: Select the Word document you want to search for and specify a secure location to save.
• Start Recovery: Click on Recovery options to restore your missing files.

It is important to note that WinfrGUI is just one of many data recovery solutions available. Other options include MiniTool Power Data Recovery, R-Studio, Recuva and Prosoft Data Rescue, no matter which tool you choose. Do not forget to save any new data on your device until the recovery process is complete.

With its easy-to-use interface and powerful features, WinfrGUI makes it easy to recover lost or deleted Word documents. The best part is that it is completely free so you can recover valuable data without any additional cost.

Recovering an Overwritten Word File

If you have a backup created by a file history or included in a system restore point, you can recover an overwritten Word file from the properties menu of the folder where the file is set with the previous version properties:

• Open File Explorer
• Right-click the folder containing the Word file
• Select previous version
• Select the version you want to recover.
• Click the Restore button.

Consider setting system repair settings to have the option of recovering previous versions of Word documents. Access to older versions can be very helpful in case of rewrite.

Conclusion

In this article we have talked about various ways on how to recover microsoft word document. We have provided useful recovery techniques and tips to increase your chances of getting the information successfully. Whatever method you choose, we recommend starting the recovery process as quickly as possible and avoiding using storage devices until lost files are recovered.

Also Read: Where Are Autosaved Word Files Stored and How to Recover