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How to Recover an Unsaved Document in Office

Applies toMicrosoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint — desktop)
6 min fix Updated 8 Aug 2026

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

Quick Answer

Reopen the app (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint). If a Document Recovery pane appears, click the file to recover it. If not, go to File → Open → Recent → Recover Unsaved Documents (bottom of the list) and look for your file.

Checked against Microsoft 365 Roadmap, Office release notes - Current Channel and between 5 Aug 2026 and 12 Sep 2026. Nothing published in that period has been linked to this guide.

Summary ​

If an Office application closes unexpectedly or you forget to save, you may be able to recover your work using AutoRecover or temporary files. This article explains multiple recovery methods for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Before You Start ​

  • Microsoft 365 desktop apps (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint).
  • AutoRecover must not have been manually disabled (it is enabled by default).

Instructions ​

1. Recover from the Document Recovery Pane ​

Office automatically offers recovered files after a crash.

  1. Re-open the Office application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint).
  2. If a recovered file is available, a Document Recovery pane appears on the left side.
  3. Review the listed versions. Each entry shows a timestamp.
  4. Click the version you want to restore, then click Save As to save it to a permanent location.
  5. After saving, close the Document Recovery pane.

2. Recover an Unsaved File Manually ​

Find files you worked on but never saved.

Word:

  1. Open Word and click File > Open > Recent.
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click Recover Unsaved Documents.
  3. A file browser opens to the temporary drafts folder. Select your file and click Open.
  4. Click Save As immediately to save to a permanent location.

Excel:

  1. Open Excel and click File > Open > Recent.
  2. Click Recover Unsaved Workbooks at the bottom.
  3. Select the file and click Open, then Save As.

PowerPoint:

  1. Open PowerPoint and click File > Open > Recent.
  2. Click Recover Unsaved Presentations.
  3. Select and save the file.

3. Browse Temporary Files Directly ​

If the recovery options above do not show your file, check the temp folder manually.

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles
  2. Look for files with recent timestamps. Unsaved files typically have a .asd (Word), .xlsx (Excel), or .pptx (PowerPoint) extension.
  3. Open the file in the appropriate application and Save As to a permanent location.

4. Enable AutoSave for Future Protection ​

Prevent data loss by enabling AutoSave for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.

  1. Save your document to OneDrive or SharePoint (click File > Save As > OneDrive).
  2. Once saved to the cloud, the AutoSave toggle appears in the top-left corner of the title bar.
  3. Toggle AutoSave to On. Changes are saved automatically every few seconds.

Tip: AutoSave and AutoRecover are two different features with similar names, and which one is protecting a file depends on where it is stored — Understanding AutoSave and AutoRecover in Office explains the split and what each one survives.

5. Adjust AutoRecover Settings ​

Change how frequently AutoRecover saves backup copies.

  1. Open the Office application and go to File > Options > Save.
  2. Verify Save AutoRecover information every [X] minutes is checked.
  3. Set the interval (default is 10 minutes; lower values save more frequently but may briefly slow performance).
  4. Click OK.

Troubleshooting ​

DANGER

Recovery is not guaranteed. AutoRecover files are temporary and may be deleted when you close the application normally. Always save your work frequently, and use AutoSave with OneDrive for the best protection.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
No Document Recovery pane on relaunchAutoRecover was disabledGo to File > Options > Save and enable Save AutoRecover information.
Recover Unsaved Documents button missingNo unsaved drafts availableThe temp folder may be empty. Check C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles manually.
Recovered file is incompleteAutoRecover interval too longReduce the AutoRecover interval in File > Options > Save (e.g., from 10 to 5 minutes).

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Frequently asked questions

Does AutoRecover work if I completely turn off my computer without saving?
Sometimes. AutoRecover saves a temporary copy every 10 minutes (by default). If you worked for 9 minutes and the computer crashed, those 9 minutes of work are lost.
Where does Office keep AutoRecover files if the Document Recovery pane never appears?
In C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles. Open that folder in File Explorer and sort by date modified. Word drafts end in .asd; Excel and PowerPoint drafts keep their normal .xlsx and .pptx extensions. Open the one you want in its app, then use Save As to put it somewhere permanent before you close it.