How to Recover an Unsaved Excel File

How to recover an unsaved Excel file depends on whether the workbook was ever saved. For a brand-new workbook that was never saved, open Excel, go to File → Open and select Recover Unsaved Workbooks. For a saved file you closed without saving your latest changes, open it and check File → Info → Manage Workbook. After a crash, use the Document Recovery pane that appears when Excel restarts.

All three methods rely on AutoRecover, a background feature that stores temporary copies of your work every few minutes. This guide covers each recovery route in order, explains why some files cannot be brought back, and shows the settings that stop it happening again.

How to Recover an Unsaved Excel File: Which Method First?

Start with the method that matches what happened to the file, because each one looks in a different place.

If none of these finds your work, the file may never have reached an AutoRecover save point. That usually happens when the workbook was open for only a minute or two, or when AutoRecover was switched off.

How Do I Recover an Excel File After a Crash?

Reopen Excel and use the Document Recovery pane, which appears automatically after Excel closes unexpectedly with unsaved changes. Microsoft's guide to recovering your Microsoft 365 files describes how the pane lists files from your last manual save, last AutoSave or last AutoRecover point.

1. Open Excel again. Do not open the original file from File Explorer first.
2. Look for the Document Recovery pane on the left. Drag its right edge if the file names are cut off.
3. If the same workbook appears more than once, pick the entry with the latest time.
4. Select the down arrow next to the file and choose Open to review it.
5. Use File → Save As to save the recovered copy under a new name, so you can compare it with the original.

If you close the pane without dealing with every file, Excel offers them again the next time it starts. Recovered content only includes work up to the last AutoRecover save, so the final few minutes before the crash may be missing.

How Do I Find an Unsaved Excel File That Was Never Saved?

Use Recover Unsaved Workbooks, which lists temporary copies of new workbooks you closed without naming or saving. This is the answer to the most common version of the problem: you clicked Don't Save by mistake.

1. Open Excel and start a blank workbook.
2. Go to File → Open.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the recent files list and select Recover Unsaved Workbooks. In some versions the same option sits under File → Info → Manage Workbook → Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
4. A folder opens showing unsaved workbooks with their date and time. Select the right one and choose Open.
5. Select Save As in the yellow bar at the top and save it to a normal location straight away.

These temporary copies are stored in a hidden folder inside your Windows user profile, usually a folder named UnsavedFiles under AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office. Excel cleans them out automatically after a while, so recover the file as soon as you notice it is missing rather than waiting days.

How Do I Recover Changes to a Saved Workbook?

Open the saved file and check Manage Workbook for an AutoRecover version marked "when I closed without saving". This covers the case where the file exists but your last session's edits are gone.

1. Open the workbook you were working on.
2. Go to File → Info.
3. Under Manage Workbook, look for an entry labelled (when I closed without saving).
4. Open it, check the content, then select Restore in the bar at the top of the window.

Restoring overwrites the version you saved previously. If you are unsure which copy is better, use Save As on the recovered version first and compare the two side by side. Features such as freezing the top rows in Excel make it easier to scroll through two large sheets and spot what changed.

Can Version History Recover an Excel File?

Yes, if the workbook is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, Version History can roll it back to an earlier state even after you saved bad changes. This works differently from AutoRecover: it keeps a timeline of the saved file rather than a crash-recovery copy.

1. Open the workbook from OneDrive or SharePoint.
2. Select the file name in the title bar, then choose Version History.
3. Pick a version from the list on the right and select Open version.
4. Select Restore to make that version current, or copy the data you need into the latest file.

Version History is closely tied to AutoSave, which Microsoft explains in What is AutoSave?. AutoSave is a Microsoft 365 subscriber feature that saves every few seconds when a file lives in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Files saved to a local folder such as Documents on your C: drive do not get AutoSave, so they depend entirely on AutoRecover and your own saving habits.

How Do I Turn On AutoRecover in Excel?

Go to File → Options → Save and tick both AutoRecover boxes. These two settings decide whether any of the recovery methods above can work at all.

1. Open Excel and go to File → Options.
2. Select Save in the left-hand list.
3. Tick Save AutoRecover information every and set a short interval, such as 5 or 10 minutes.
4. Tick Keep the last autorecovered version if I close without saving.
5. Note the AutoRecover file location shown on the same page, then select OK.

The cause and effect here is simple. A shorter interval means Excel writes recovery data more often, so less work is lost after a crash, but very large workbooks can pause briefly while it saves. The second checkbox is what feeds Recover Unsaved Workbooks: if it is off, closing a new file without saving leaves nothing behind. Microsoft's article on how to help protect your files in case of a crash is clear that AutoRecover is an extra safeguard, not a substitute for pressing Ctrl + S.

Does Recovery Work the Same in Every Version of Excel?

The AutoRecover and Recover Unsaved Workbooks options work in Excel 2016 and later, but AutoSave and full Version History need a Microsoft 365 subscription and cloud storage. That is the main practical difference between a one-time purchase and a subscription when it comes to recovering lost work.

With a perpetual licence such as Office 2024 Professional Plus, you still get AutoRecover and can save to OneDrive manually, but continuous AutoSave is reserved for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Our comparison of Microsoft Office vs Microsoft 365 covers the other differences. If you are still running Office 2016 or 2019, both reached end of support on 14 October 2025, and our list of Office end of support dates shows where every version stands.

A Common Mistake We See

The mistake that loses the most work is opening the original file from File Explorer immediately after a crash, making a few edits and saving. That writes a new version over the top, and once you have saved, it becomes much harder to tell which copy holds the work you actually lost.

After any crash, open Excel itself first and deal with the Document Recovery pane before touching the original file. Save recovered copies under a new name until you have confirmed which one is correct. It also helps to save new workbooks with a proper name in the first minute of work, because a named file in OneDrive gets AutoSave protection straight away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are unsaved Excel files stored?

Unsaved new workbooks are kept in a hidden folder in your Windows user profile, usually named UnsavedFiles under AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office. The easiest way to reach it is File → Open → Recover Unsaved Workbooks, which opens that folder for you. The AutoRecover file location for saved workbooks is shown under File → Options → Save.

Can I recover an Excel file not saved after a restart?

Often, yes. AutoRecover copies are stored on disk, so they survive a normal restart. Open Excel and check the Document Recovery pane first, then Recover Unsaved Workbooks. If AutoRecover was switched off, or the workbook was open for less than one AutoRecover interval, there may be no copy to recover.

How do I recover an Excel file I accidentally saved over?

If the file is in OneDrive or SharePoint, open it, select the file name in the title bar and choose Version History to restore an earlier version. For files on a local drive, check Windows File History or your backup software, because AutoRecover does not keep older saved versions of local files.

Why is Recover Unsaved Workbooks empty?

The list is empty when the option "Keep the last autorecovered version if I close without saving" was turned off, when the workbook never reached an AutoRecover save point, or when Excel has already cleaned out old temporary files. Turn both AutoRecover options on now so future files are protected.

Does Excel for Mac have Recover Unsaved Workbooks?

Yes. Microsoft lists Recover Unsaved Workbooks for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac. On a Mac, go to File → Open and look for the recovery option, then open the workbook and save it with a new name before doing anything else.

Is AutoSave the same as AutoRecover?

No. AutoSave saves the real file every few seconds and only works for Microsoft 365 subscribers with files in OneDrive or SharePoint. AutoRecover saves separate recovery copies at a set interval and works in Excel 2016 and later for files saved anywhere. Using both gives the best protection.

Conclusion

Knowing how to recover an unsaved Excel file comes down to three places: the Document Recovery pane after a crash, Recover Unsaved Workbooks for files never saved, and Version History for cloud files. Turn on both AutoRecover options today so the next lost workbook can be brought back. If you need a current, supported copy of Excel, browse our Microsoft Office collection.

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