How to Recover a Previous Version of an Excel File in Windows 10

February 2, 2024 (updated May 7, 2024)

Those who have worked in an organisation know how important Excel sheets are. Excel is used by organisations of all sizes to track data and manage finances. Given its widespread use, users regularly encounter technological issues. Many users struggle to recover previous version of excel file. This article will help. To provide you with complete information, we will discuss techniques to recover saved and unsaved data and address frequently asked issues.

Part 1: Is it Possible to Restore a Previous Version of an Excel File?

Absolutely! You can easily retrieve a prior Excel file under specific situations. Most people use Microsoft Office’s ‘Previous Versions’ tool. This feature is only available with File History enabled. To restore a prior Excel file, the appropriate parameters must be activated.

Part 2: How to Restore a Previous Version of an Excel File without Saving

Solution 1: Restoring Excel to a Previous Version from AutoRecover

AutoRecover is a great tool for restoring an Excel file without saving it. AutoRecover stores and recovers documents when activated. Enable it using these steps:

Step 1: Open the document and go to File > Options. On the left-hand side, select the ‘Save’ tab.
Step 2: Click on the ‘Minutes’ field and set the desired frequency for saving AutoRecover information.
Step 3: Click ‘OK’ to save the changes.

Solution 2: Restoring Excel to a Previous Version from a .TMP File

.TMP files are temporary files that can be used to recover a previous version of an Excel file. If you are using Windows 10, access the temporary files folder by following this path:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles\

For Windows 7 users, the path is:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel(Word)\

Solution 3: Restoring Excel to a Previous Version from Version History under Info

In addition to the above solutions, you can use the Workbook feature in Excel to restore a previous version. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open Excel and go to File > Info.
Step 2: In the Info tab, click on the ‘Manage Workbook’ option. From the menu, select ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’.
Step 3: In the subsequent window, choose the desired file and open it. You can now recover the unsaved Excel file by saving it on your computer.

Part 3: How to Restore a Previous Version of an Excel File after Saving

Solution 1: Restoring Excel to a Previous Version from Previous Versions under Properties

To restore a previous version of an Excel file after saving, you don’t need to perform any complex actions. Simply access the file’s properties to utilize the Previous Versions tool. However, this can only be done if you have enabled File History. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the Excel file and select ‘Properties’ from the menu.
Step 2: In the ‘Properties’ window, navigate to the ‘Previous Versions’ tab. Choose the version you wish to restore and click ‘Restore’.

Solution 2: Restoring Excel to a Previous Version via Manage Workbook

Another effective method to restore a previous version of an Excel file in Windows 10 is by utilizing the Workbook feature. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open the latest version of the file and go to File > Info. In the ‘Info’ tab, click on the ‘Manage Workbook’ option.
Step 2: In the ‘Manage Workbook’ window, locate the desired version of the file and click ‘Restore’.

Bonus Tip: Recover Previous Version of an Excel File with Data Recovery Tool

In unfortunate situations such as mistaken deletion or mysterious disappearance of Excel files, a reliable data recovery tool can save lives. WinfrGUI is a graphical version of Windows File Recovery, which was developed by Microsoft Corporation, which makes the recovery process easier without complicated commands. Here are the features of Winfr GUI:

Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other easily erased or missing files.
Recover files from Windows, USB flash drives, SD cards, external hard drives, etc.
Repairs unintentional deletion, formatting errors, RAW file system issues, and damage.
Supports 1000+ data types for photo, video, audio, and document recovery.
Fast scans and strong security to protect data during recovery.

Download WinfrGUI Free

To recover lost Excel files using WinfrGUI, follow these steps:

Choose Location: Select the drive with the missing or deleted Excel file in WinfrGUI. Choose the file type to scan in the following window.
Scan for deleted Excel files: Sit back while WinfrGUI scans the drive for recoverable files.
See Sample and Recover Deleted Excel Files: Please choose the Excel file you wish to recover from the retrieved files after the scan. Click ‘Recover’ to recover the deleted excel file.

With WinfrGUI, you can say goodbye to the problem of missing Excel files and enjoy the smooth recovery convenience at your fingertips. It could also recover deleted word document in the same way.

Excel Frequently Asked Questions About Previous Version of an Excel File

Can I recover the Excel file I saved?

Yes, there are some ways to recover saved Excel files:

Recover Excel to an earlier version from the previous version under Properties
Recover Excel to a previous version using Manage Workbook

How can I recover my saved files?

You can recover saved files using an earlier version of the tool or the workbook management features in all of the Office apps.

Why is there no previous version of my Excel file?

If you could not find an earlier version of your Excel file, it may be because you did not enable the file history property.

How do I get back to the latest Excel file?

There are several ways to restore your Excel file to the latest version:

Restore Excel to a previous version from the previous version under Properties
Restoring Excel to an earlier version through Workbook Manager
Recovering Excel to previous version from file.TMP

How to recover previous versions of Excel files on Mac

For Mac users, open the file and go to File > Back to > Find all versions. Select the desired version and click OK.