How to Recover Unsaved Excel File: Complete Guide [2026]

Scenario A: A new file that was never saved to disk at all
Scenario B: An existing file with unsaved changes—closed without saving, lost in a crash, or accidentally overwritten

2. Method 1: Check the Document Recovery Pane (After a Crash)

When Excel closes unexpectedly, it launches a Document Recovery pane when it restarts. This is the fastest way to recover unsaved Excel files after a crash.

Restart Excel.
Create a new blank workbook or open an existing one.
If Excel recovers any unsaved files or versions, the Document Recovery pane will appear automatically on the left side of the window.
Check the timestamps of the versions and click the one you want to open it.
Go to File -> Save As to save the file to a permanent location immediately.

Note: If a version shows a timestamp of 01/01/1601, do not skip it. This is a Windows metadata glitch that sometimes appears after abrupt crashes; the file is often the most recent version of your work.

3. Method 2: Recover Unsaved Excel File via File -> Open

Use this method when the Document Recovery pane did not appear and you need to find unsaved Excel files manually through the File menu.

Open Excel and click File -> Open -> Recent.
Go to the bottom of the list and click Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
In the Open window, locate and select your file, then click Open.
Save the recovered file immediately using File -> Save As.

4. Method 3: Recover Unsaved Excel File via File -> Info

This is a more advanced method, which can recover both the unsaved workbooks and the unsaved versions of the current open workbook, including the unsaved version of the previous session:

Start Excel.
Create a new blank workbook or open an existing one.
Go to File -> Info.
Click Manage Workbook -> Recover Unsaved Workbooks. to recover unsaved workbooks, which is same as method 2.
Other than this, beside the Manage Workbook button, you can see a list of timestamped autosave versions of the currently open file, or any version labeled when I closed without saving in the previous session:
After you open the wanted version, save it immediately with File -> Save As.

5. Method 4: Check the AutoRecover Folder Manually

If Methods 1–3 return no results, go directly to the AutoRecover folder on your hard drive. Excel stores all AutoRecover snapshots here:

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog. Type %AppData%\Microsoft\Excel\ and press Enter.
In File Explorer, click the Date Modified column header to bring the newest files to the top.
Check all .xlsb and .xlsx files.
Check all subfolders that may also contain .xlsb and .xlsx files.
Open candidate files to identify your lost workbook.
If a file cannot open, change its extension to .xlsb or .xlsx tentatively and confirm the prompt when Windows warns about the extension change.
If any file can open successfully, save the recovered file immediately with File -> Save As.

6. Method 5: Check the Auto Backup File

If you previously enabled the Auto Backup option for your workbook, Excel creates a .xlk backup file each time you save. This backup holds the version before your most recent save—useful when you have overwritten data you need to recover.

Open File Explorer and navigate to the same folder as your original Excel file.
Look for a file named Backup of [your filename].xlk.
Double-click to open it and click Yes to dismiss the format warning:
Use File -> Save As to save a permanent copy to a safe location.

7. Method 6: Check the TemporaryBackupFile Folder

Some users have successfully recovered Excel files from a dedicated TemporaryBackupFile folder, particularly after unexpected shutdowns or Windows Updates:

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Excel\TemporaryBackupFile.
Look for a file with today’s date prepended to your original file name.
If a file cannot open, change its extension to .xlsb or .xlsx tentatively and confirm the prompt when Windows warns about the extension change.
Open it and use File -> Save As to save a permanent copy to a safe location.

8. Method 7: Search the UnsavedFiles Cache Folder

Office maintains a dedicated UnsavedFiles cache folder that may contain recoverable copies of recent workbooks.

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.
Click the Date Modified column header to sort files by newest.
If a file cannot open, change its extension to .xlsb or .xlsx tentatively and confirm the prompt when Windows warns about the extension change.
Open any relevant file and save it immediately with File -> Save As.

9. Method 8: Search the Temp Folder

When Excel’s internal recovery systems fail, fragments of your work may still exist in the operating system’s temporary files folder:

Windows:

Press Windows Key + R, type %temp%, and press Enter.
In the File Explorer search box, type *.tmp or ~$* and sort results by Date Modified.
Look for a candidate file larger than 0 KB that was created during your work session.
Make a copy of the file, then change the copy’s extension to .xlsb or .xlsx tentatively and confirm the prompt when Windows warns about the extension change.
Open the copy in Excel.
If the file opens successfully, save it immediately with File -> Save As.

Mac:

Open Terminal (use Spotlight to find it).
Type open $TMPDIR and press Enter.
In the Finder window that opens, navigate to the TemporaryItems folder.
Look for your unsaved Excel file and open it to verify its contents.
Save a permanent copy immediately.

10. Method 9: Search the Whole Computer

Instead of checking various folders for the unsaved file, another solution is searching the entire computer for potential candidate Excel files or temporary files created during your work session:

Open File Explorer and click This PC in the left panel to search across all drives.
Click the search box in the top-right corner and type *.xlsx OR *.xlsb OR *.xls OR *.tmp, then press Enter.
Sort the results by Date modified to bring the most recent files to the top.
Do not open Excel while reviewing results—opening Excel may trigger a cleanup of AutoRecover and temporary files.
Copy any promising file to a separate folder before opening it.
For .tmp files, change the file extension to .xlsx or .xlsb tentatively and confirm the prompt when Windows warns about the extension change.
Open the file in Excel. If it opens successfully, save it immediately with File -> Save As.

11. Method 10: Recover from AutoSave

AutoSave is another feature that can help to recover unsaved Excel file. It is completely different from AutoRecover, though people always confuse them.

AutoSave is available only in Excel for Microsoft 365 and only for files stored on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online. When enabled, it saves your file to the cloud continuously and maintains a complete version history you can roll back to at any point.

Open the file in Excel.
Click the file name in the top title bar.
In the popup menu, click Version History:
The version history panel appears on the right. Browse the timestamps to find the version you need.
Click a version to preview it in read-only mode.
Click Restore in the information bar to restore to that version:

12. Method 11: Restore a Previous Version

If the file is stored in a location that supports versioning, you can restore a previous version directly without relying on Excel’s built-in features:

13. Method 12: Recover from Recycle Bin/Trash

If the Excel file was accidentally deleted, it may still be recoverable from the Recycle Bin before it is permanently removed：

14. Method 13: Use Professional File Recovery Software

If all the above methods fail, professional file recovery software can scan your drive for unsaved Excel files:

Download and install DataNumen Data Recovery.
Select the drive to scan.
Click the File Type tab in the left panel.
Select Spreadsheet Files to filter all spreadsheet files. Or more specifically, select MS Excel XLSX files.
Check the potential candidate files in the right search results:
Click the Recover button to save recovered files to a different drive to avoid overwriting data.

15. Repair Corrupt Recovered Excel Files

From time to time, unsaved files recovered from crash states, temp folders, or data recovery scans may be corrupt and will not open in Excel properly. In such a case, DataNumen Excel Repair can repair corrupt XLS and XLSX files and output a fixed file:

Close Microsoft Excel and other applications that may modify your source Excel file.
Select the corrupt Excel file.
Set the fixed file name.
Click the “Start Repair” button
After the repair process, DataNumen Excel Repair will output a new fixed Excel file.

16. How to Prevent Future Loss

To prevent losing unsaved files again, apply the following measures:

Enable AutoRecover and shorten the interval. In Excel, go to File -> Options -> Save. Check Save AutoRecover information every ## minutes and reduce the interval from the default 10 to 1–2 minutes. Also, check Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving:
Enable Auto Backup. In Excel, open the file you want to enable Auto Backup, then go to File -> Save As -> Tools -> General Options and check Always create backup. Excel will create a .xlk backup copy in the same folder each time you save. Note this is a per-file setting and must be enabled for each file individually, or use a VBA script to batch enable multiple files:
Save immediately when creating a new workbook. Although AutoRecover does snapshot new unsaved files, the first snapshot only occurs after the interval elapses. Press Ctrl + S as soon as you open a new workbook to ensure a permanent copy exists from the start.
Email yourself a copy at the end of each session as a lightweight off-site backup for critical files.
Keep a local backup copy of important files. Some users have reported unexplained data loss when storing files on OneDrive. For critical workbooks, always maintain a secondary copy on a local or external drive.

17. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I recover an Excel file that was never saved at all?

A: Yes, it is possible. AutoRecover saves periodic snapshots of your work regardless of whether you have manually saved the file—as long as the AutoRecover interval has elapsed at least once during your session. Check the Document Recovery Pane (Method 1), use the Recover Unsaved Workbooks feature (Methods 2–3), or check AutoRecover folder (Method 4) to recover the unsaved file. If those return no results, also check the temp folder (Method 8).

Q: Where does Excel store AutoRecover files on Windows?

A: Excel stores AutoRecover files in C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\. Each workbook gets its own subfolder named after the file. You can confirm the exact path by going to File -> Options -> Save -> AutoRecover file location.

Q: Where does Excel store unsaved files on Mac?

A: On Mac, check the TemporaryItems folder inside the system temp directory. Open Terminal, type open $TMPDIR, and navigate to the TemporaryItems folder in the Finder window that opens.

Q: How do I recover an Excel file after clicking “Don’t Save”?

A: Use Method 2 or Method 3 to access the Recover Unsaved Workbooks feature. If those return no results, search the AutoRecover folder manually (Method 4). When you close without saving, AutoRecover retains the most recent snapshot as an unsaved version file, as long as the AutoRecover interval had elapsed at least once during the session.

Q: Why does the “Recover Unsaved Workbooks” option show nothing?

A: This occurs when AutoRecover was not enabled, when you saved and closed the file normally (which deletes all AutoRecover snapshots), or when the AutoRecover interval had not elapsed before the file closed. Go to File -> Options -> Save to verify AutoRecover is enabled and to check the file location.

Q: Can I recover an Excel file lost after a Windows Update?

A: Yes, it is possible. Try the TemporaryBackupFile folder (Method 6) and the AutoRecover folder (Method 4) first. If the file was stored on OneDrive, check its Version History (Method 10). If Windows File History was enabled, check Previous Versions (Method 11).

Q: How do I recover a previous version of an Excel file I accidentally overwrote?

A: Go to File -> Info -> Manage Workbook. If AutoRecover snapshots exist, they are listed with timestamps. Select the version you need and click Restore. For files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, use Version History (Method 10 or Method 11) for a more complete set of recovery points.

Q: How long does Excel keep AutoRecover files?

A: Excel deletes all AutoRecover snapshots when you save and close a file normally. If you close without saving, the most recent snapshot is kept as an unsaved version file. There is no fixed retention period—the file persists until Excel cleans it up on the next open-and-save cycle.

Q: Does OneDrive automatically save Excel files?

A: AutoSave saves files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint continuously when enabled. It is on by default for files already stored in the cloud under Microsoft 365. For local files, AutoSave must be manually enabled by toggling it on in Excel’s title bar, which uploads the file to OneDrive.

Q: What is the difference between AutoSave and AutoRecover in Excel?

A: AutoRecover saves periodic local snapshots of your work at a set interval (default: every 10 minutes) and is designed to restore files after a crash. AutoSave continuously saves your file to OneDrive or SharePoint every few seconds and is only available with Microsoft 365. They are independent features: AutoRecover works on local files; AutoSave requires cloud storage.

18. Conclusion

In this guide, we introduce how to recover unsaved Excel file by starting with Excel’s built-in AutoRecover tools (Methods 1–4)—they handle the majority of cases. If those fail, work through the file system methods (Methods 5–9) before turning to cloud version history (Methods 10–11), the Recycle Bin (Method 12), or professional recovery software (Method 13). If a recovered file is corrupt and will not open, use DataNumen Excel Repair to fix it.

To avoid repeating the scenario, enable AutoRecover with a short interval, enable Auto Backup for critical workbooks, and keep a local backup copy alongside any cloud-stored files.

About the Author

Shou Sheng is a Microsoft Office specialist with over 10 years of hands-on experience in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint troubleshooting across enterprise and educational environments. He has helped thousands of users recover lost work, resolve file corruption issues, and optimize their Office workflows.

Through his technical writing, Shou is committed to translating complex Office troubleshooting into clear, actionable steps for users of all skill levels. He keeps up with the latest developments in Microsoft 365 and continuously tests methods against real-world file corruption scenarios to ensure accuracy.

Have questions about this guide or need additional help with Office issues? Shou welcomes feedback and suggestions for improving these troubleshooting resources.