How to Recover Deleted Word Documents: Complete Guide [2026]

Learn how to recover deleted Word documents with our complete guide, including free tips, advanced methods, and professional tools.

1. Introduction

Accidentally deleting a Word document is one of the most common data loss scenarios on Windows and Mac. Whether you use the Delete key or empty the Recycle Bin, recovery is often possible if you act quickly and stop writing new data to the affected drive.

This guide covers the following three scenarios:

• Accidental deletion — the file was deleted and may still be in the Recycle Bin
• Permanent deletion — the Recycle Bin has been emptied or Shift+Delete was used
• Content deletion — text, pages, images, or sections were accidentally deleted inside an open document

2. Method 1: Undo the Deletion with Ctrl+Z

2.1 Recover Deleted Word Documents with Ctrl+Z

If you just deleted the file and have not performed any other operations, Ctrl+Z is the fastest recovery method.

Shortcut method:

• Windows: Press Ctrl+Z (repeat as needed to undo multiple deletions)
• Mac: Press Command+Z (repeat as needed)

GUI method:

1. In File Explorer, open the folder where the file was stored before deletion.
2. Right-click any blank area in the folder and select Undo Delete.

2.2 Recover Deleted Content with Ctrl+Z

If text, pages, images, or sections were accidentally deleted and the document is still open, press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo the deletion.

Limitations:

1. By default, Word keeps up to 100 undoable actions per session. If you have performed many edits after the deletion, you may need to press Ctrl+Z repeatedly, and the deleted content may already be beyond the undo limit.
2. Closing the document clears the undo history. Once the file is closed and reopened, Ctrl+Z can no longer restore the deleted content. In that case, restore a previous version instead (Section 6.2).

3. Method 2: Recover from Recycle Bin

3.1 Method 2.1: Windows Recycle Bin

When a file is deleted normally (without Shift+Delete), Windows moves it to the Recycle Bin rather than erasing it permanently. You can recover it from the Recycle Bin:

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, or search for it in the Start menu:
   
2. Locate your Word document. Use the search box or sort by Name or Date Deleted to find it faster.
3. Right-click the file and select Restore. The file returns to its original location:
   

Note: For a network shared drive, you need to check its own recycle bin on the server side instead of the local one.

3.2 Method 2.2: Mac Trash

On Mac, deleted files go to the Trash before permanent removal.

1. Click the Trash icon in the Dock.
2. Locate your Word document.
3. Right-click the file and select Put Back to restore it to its original location.
   

3.3 Method 2.3: Cloud Drive Recycle Bin

If the file was stored on a cloud drive, check its own separate recycle bin:

• OneDrive Recycle Bin
• SharePoint Recycle Bin
• Google Drive Trash
• Dropbox Deleted Files
• iCloud Drive Recently Deleted

Note: If you delete a file in the Word mobile app (three-dot menu -> Delete), you are actually deleting the cloud file on OneDrive, not a local file, so it will not appear in your smartphone’s local trash. Check the OneDrive recycle bin instead.

Note for SharePoint: If the file is not in the end-user Recycle Bin, a SharePoint administrator can check the site collection Recycle Bin or the Preservation Hold Library.

4. Method 3: Re-download/Resend the File

If the deleted file was originally downloaded from the Internet or received as an email attachment, re-obtaining it may be faster than any recovery method. Check the following:

• Email inbox and sent items for attachments containing the file
• Check the Downloads folder for a local copy, or browse the download history for a direct re-download link
• Contact the original sender or the website where the file was hosted to request a fresh copy

5. Method 4: Restore from Backups or Copies

Before attempting disk-level recovery, brainstorm all locations where a backup or copy of the file may exist:

• Regular or Auto Backups: If you use any backup software or services, check the backups.
• Cloud drives: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud Drive — many files sync automatically.
• Other cloud-based services: Many documents are automatically saved on cloud services during normal use, such as Google Docs.
• Shared network drives: The file may have been saved to a team or department folder
• External drives: USB drives or external hard drives, where you may have saved or transferred a copy.
• Other devices: a laptop, home PC, or mobile device that may have synced the file

6. Method 5: Recover via File History/Time Machine

6.1 Recover Deleted Word Documents

If File History (Windows) or Time Machine (Mac) was enabled before the deletion, you can restore the folder to a point in time before the file is deleted.

6.1.1 Windows File History

Note: File History must be turned on before the file is deleted. Go to Control Panel -> File History to verify.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder that contained the deleted file.
2. Right-click the folder and select Properties.
3. Click the Previous Versions tab. A list of available backup snapshots appears.
   
4. Select a version dated before the file was deleted.
5. To preview the content, expand Open and select Open in File History.
6. Click Restore to restore the entire folder.

6.1.2 Mac Time Machine

1. Open the folder where the deleted file was stored.
2. Open Time Machine from the menu bar or Applications.
3. Use the timeline on the right or the arrows to navigate back to a point when the file existed.
4. Select the file and click Restore.

6.2 Recover Deleted Content via File History

If content was deleted from a document and the file was subsequently saved and closed, you can recover it by restoring a prior version of the document that still contains the deleted content. This works for files on both the local drive and the cloud drive:

• Windows File History: Follow the steps in Section 6.1.1, but apply them to the Word document itself rather than its parent folder. Select a version dated before the content was deleted.
• Mac Time Machine: Follow the steps in Section 6.1.2, but apply them to the Word document itself rather than its parent folder. Select a version dated before the content was deleted.
• Google Drive Version History
• OneDrive Version History
• SharePoint Version History
• Dropbox Version History

7. Method 6: Recover via AutoRecover

If Word had an AutoRecover snapshot of the file before it was deleted, you can recover deleted Word documents from the snapshot.

7.1 Via File -> Open

1. Open Word and click File -> Open -> Recent.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the list and click Recover Unsaved Documents.
3. In the Open window, select your file and click Open.
4. Save the recovered file immediately using File -> Save As.

7.2 Check the AutoRecover Folder Manually

If the above step returns no results, search the AutoRecover folder directly.

1. Press Windows Key + R, type %AppData%\Microsoft\Word\, and press Enter.
2. Click the Date Modified column header to sort files by newest first.
3. Check all .asd (AutoRecover) files, and any subfolders that may contain them.
4. Double-click a candidate file, or open it from within Word via File -> Open, to identify your lost document.
5. If a file cannot open, change its extension to .doc and try again.
   Note: The actual format of an .asd file is .doc, so you need to change its extension to .doc instead of .docx.
6. Immediately save the recovered file with File -> Save As.

8. Method 7: Recover from the Auto Backup File

If the Always create backup copy option was previously enabled in Word, a .wbk backup file is created in the same folder each time a new version of the file is saved. So you can recover a deleted Word document from the backup:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the same folder as the original Word document.
2. Look for a file named Backup of [your filename].wbk.
3. Double-click to open it in Word.
4. Use File -> Save As to save a permanent copy to a safe location.

Note: The auto backup is the previous version of your saved document.

9. Method 8: Check the TemporaryBackupFile Folder

If you use the OneDrive client to sync your Word documents, some users have successfully recovered lost documents from a dedicated TemporaryBackupFile folder:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to:

   C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Word\TemporaryBackupFile

2. Look for files matching your original file name and open them to verify contents.
3. If a file will not open:
   • For .asd file, change its extension to .doc and try again. Note: .asd is actually in .doc format, do NOT change its extension to .docx.
   • For other files, change its extension to .doc or .docx and try again.
4. Use File -> Save As to save a permanent copy to a safe location.

10. Method 9: Check the UnsavedFiles Cache Folder

Office maintains a dedicated UnsavedFiles cache folder that may contain recoverable copies of the deleted Word documents:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.
2. Click the Date Modified column header to sort files by newest first.
3. Open any relevant file.
4. If a file will not open:
   • For .asd file, change its extension to .doc and try again. Note: .asd is actually in .doc format, do NOT change its extension to .docx.
   • For other files, change its extension to .doc or .docx and try again.
5. Save the recovered file immediately with File -> Save As.

11. Method 10: Search the Temp Folder

If all above methods fail, you may also recover deleted Word files from the operating system’s temporary files folder.

Windows:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type %temp%, and press Enter.
2. In the File Explorer search box, type *.tmp and sort results by Date Modified.
3. Look for a candidate file larger than 0 KB that was created during your work session.
4. Make a copy of the file, then change the copy’s extension to .docx.
5. Open the copy in Word.
6. If the file opens successfully, save it immediately with File -> Save As.

Note: Also check files beginning with ~, ~$, or $ in the temporary folder and the folder where the original file was saved — Word creates these during an active session and they may contain recoverable content. In the File Explorer search box, enter the following filters:

• Files starting with ~: System.FileName:~<"~"
• Files starting with ~$: System.FileName:~<"~$"
• Files starting with $: System.FileName:~<"$"

Mac:

1. Open Terminal (use Spotlight to find it).
2. Type open $TMPDIR and press Enter.
3. In the Finder window that opens, navigate to the TemporaryItems folder.
4. Look for your Word document and open it to verify its contents.
5. Save a permanent copy immediately.

12. Method 11: Search the Whole Computer

Instead of checking individual folders one by one, you can also search the entire computer for Word or temporary files created during your work session:

1. Open File Explorer and click This PC in the left panel to search across all drives.
2. Click the search box in the top-right corner and type *.doc OR *.docx OR *.asd OR *.wbk OR *.tmp, then press Enter.
3. Sort results by Date Modified to bring the most recent files to the top.
4. Do not open Word while reviewing results, as that may trigger a cleanup of AutoRecover and temporary files.
5. Copy any promising file to a separate folder before opening it.
6. For .tmp files, change the extension to .docx. For .asd files, change the extension to .doc instead.
7. Open the file in Word. If it opens successfully, save it immediately with File -> Save As.

13. Method 12: Use Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is a free command-line tool from Microsoft that can recover permanently deleted files:

1. Download and install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.
2. Press the Windows key, type Windows File Recovery, and open the app. Select Yes when prompted.
3. Enter a recovery command in the following format:
   winfr source-drive: destination-folder [/mode] [/switches]
   
   Use Regular mode for recently deleted files on NTFS drives:

   winfr C: E:\Recovery /regular /n *.docx /n *.doc

   Use Extensive mode for files deleted long ago or on non-NTFS drives:

   winfr C: E:\Recovery /extensive /n *.docx /n *.doc

4. Type Y when prompted to confirm and start the scan.
5. After the scan completes, open the destination folder and check the recovered files.
6. Some files may have lost their original names; open each one to verify its contents.

14. Method 13: Use Professional File Recovery Software

When all the above methods fail, professional data recovery software such as DataNumen Data Recovery can help you recover the deleted Word documents:

1. Start DataNumen Data Recovery.
2. Select the source drive where the deleted file was stored in the past, then click OK to scan.
   
3. In the scan results, click the File Type tab in the left panel.
4. Select Document Files to filter results, or select MS Word DOCX Files for more specific results.
5. Review the candidate files listed in the results panel.
6. Check the files you want to recover and click Recover.
   
7. Choose a recovery destination on a different drive to avoid overwriting data, then click OK.

15. Repair Corrupt Recovered Word Documents

Recovered files — particularly those retrieved from temp files or data recovery scans — may be corrupt and fail to open in Word. In such cases, DataNumen Word Repair can repair these files:

1. Close Word and any other application that may have opened the source file.
2. Start DataNumen Word Repair.
3. Select the corrupt Word document.
4. Set the output fixed file name.
5. Click Start Repair.
6. After the process completes, open the output file to verify the recovered data.

16. How to Prevent Future Loss

The following measures significantly reduce the risk of permanently losing a Word document you delete by mistake:

• Enable AutoRecover with a short interval. Go to File -> Options -> Save. Make sure Save AutoRecover information every [n] minutes is checked and reduce the interval to 1–2 minutes. Also, check Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving.
  
• Enable Auto Backup. Go to File -> Options -> Advanced, scroll to the Save section, and check Always create backup copy. Word will create a .wbk backup file in the same folder on every save. Note: unlike Excel, this is a global setting that applies to all documents saved after it is enabled.
  
• Enable File History. Connect an external drive and go to Control Panel -> File History to enable automatic backups of personal files at regular intervals.
  
• Follow a regular backup strategy. Apply the 3-2-1 rule: maintain at least three copies of critical files, stored on two different types of media, with one copy offsite or in the cloud.
• Avoid Shift+Delete. Always use the standard Delete key to send files to the Recycle Bin instead of permanently bypassing it.
• Use antivirus software. Malware can silently delete or corrupt files. Keep antivirus definitions up to date to prevent malware-related data loss.

17. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I recover deleted text or pages inside a Word document rather than the entire file?
A: If the document is still open, use Ctrl+Z immediately (Section 2.2). If the file has been saved and closed, use Windows File History or cloud Version History (Section 6.2) to restore a prior version of the document that still contains the content. An AutoRecover snapshot (Section 7) or auto backup (Section 8) may also contain an earlier version with the content.

Q: My document was permanently deleted and the Recycle Bin is empty — can it still be retrieved?
A: Yes, provided the disk space has not been overwritten. Stop using the affected drive immediately and try Windows File Recovery (Section 13) or professional data recovery software (Section 14). Recovery success decreases as the drive continues to be used.

Q: The deleted document was on a network drive and isn’t in my local Recycle Bin. Where do I look?
A: Files deleted from network shares do not go to the local Windows Recycle Bin. Check the network share’s own recycle or trash folder. If it is not visible, contact your IT administrator — the network server may have a server-side recycle bin that requires admin access to retrieve files from.

Q: How long do I have before a permanently deleted Word document becomes unrecoverable?
A: There is no fixed window. On an HDD, deleted data can persist for days or weeks if the drive is not heavily used. On an SSD with TRIM enabled, the data may be erased within minutes. Act immediately and avoid writing any new data to the affected drive.

Q: I overwrote my Word document by saving changes. Can I get the old version back?
A: Go to File -> Info -> Manage Document to check for AutoRecover snapshots (Section 7). If Always create backup copy was enabled, the .wbk backup file holds the version before your last save (Section 8). For files on OneDrive or SharePoint, use Version History (Section 6.2). If Windows File History was enabled, restore a Previous Version of the file (Section 6.1.1).

Q: Are third-party recovery tools safe to use?
A: Reputable tools operate in read-only mode during scanning and do not modify the source drive. Always save recovered files to a different drive — not the original — to avoid overwriting other recoverable data.

Q: What should I do immediately after accidentally deleting a Word document?
A: Stop using the affected drive immediately, as any new data written to it may overwrite the data section of the deleted file and make recovery impossible. Check the Recycle Bin first (Section 3). If the file is not there, work through the methods in order from Section 4 onward. Do not install software, download files, or run disk cleanup tools on the affected drive during the recovery attempt.

Q: My recovered Word document is corrupted and won’t open. What are my options?
A: Use Word’s built-in Open and Repair function first: go to File -> Open -> Browse, select the file, click the dropdown arrow next to Open, and choose Open and Repair. If that fails, use DataNumen Word Repair (Section 15) for a deeper repair of the file structure.

18. Conclusion

To recover deleted Word documents, start with the fastest methods: Ctrl+Z (Section 2) and the Recycle Bin (Section 3). If those fail, check whether a copy of the file exists elsewhere before attempting disk-level recovery (Sections 4–5). Use File History or Time Machine next (Section 6), then work through the AutoRecover, backup, and temp file methods (Sections 7–12). For permanently deleted files with no backup, use Windows File Recovery (Section 13) or a professional recovery tool such as DataNumen Data Recovery (Section 14). If the recovered file is corrupt, DataNumen Word Repair (Section 15) can restore it. To avoid repeating this situation, enable the prevention measures in Section 16 — particularly AutoRecover with a short interval, Always create backup copy, and a cloud or external drive backup strategy.

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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.