Sometimes, Microsoft Word will save a backup version of a file without your prompting. Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider Check for Word backup files Search in your computer's file list for your missing document. If your document appears in the File list, you can open it by double-clicking it. On a Mac, click the spotlight icon in the upper right corner of your desktop. On a PC, Open the Search bar by pressing the Windows key and type the name of your document. While you may not be able to recover your most recent additions, you might still be able to access the original version of your document. Search for the original document in your computer's file list We recommend testing one method, then moving on to the next method in the list if the first one doesn't work.

How to recover an unsaved Word documentĪs computers and software are complex, there are various ways to recover an unsaved Word document, though not all methods will work in all situations. Here's how to recover an unsaved Word document, as well as enable Word's AutoSave feature to ensure it doesn't happen again. The process isn't guaranteed, and you'll likely have to try multiple methods before you find success, but it's better than just giving up. Nowadays, if you lose an unsaved Word document, there might still be a way to recover it. If you've ever lost all of your work because you didn't save your Microsoft Word document, you understand how palpable the pain can be.įortunately, Word has come a long way since the dark ages of backing up files on floppy disks.

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