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How to recover an unsaved Word document and restore a previous version
Get back a Word document you closed without saving using Recover Unsaved Documents, and roll a saved document back to an earlier version with Version History.
By Nur Islam- 5:00 video
- 6 steps
- 7.5K views
Jump to a step (6)
Closing Word without saving, or saving over a long document and not knowing what changed, can cost hours of work. Undo does not help once the file has been closed and reopened.
Word keeps copies of unsaved documents as long as AutoRecover is turned on, and you can open them from File > Info > Manage Document. For saved files, Word can show earlier versions and compare them side by side, but only when the file is stored in OneDrive (or another cloud service that keeps versions).
What you need
- Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 desktop app)
- AutoRecover turned on in Word's Save options
- OneDrive connected to Office for Version History
Step by step
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01
Open Recover Unsaved Documents
Open Word and start a blank document. Go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents. Word opens the folder where it keeps unsaved documents.
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02
Find and save the lost file
Sort the folder by Date modified so the newest file is at the top. Open it; your text is all there. Save it straight away with Save As to a normal folder and give it a proper name (the video saves
Business Reportto Downloads). -
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Turn on AutoRecover if the option is missing
If you do not see the recovery option or the folder is empty, go to File > Options > Save. Make sure Save AutoRecover information every is checked (10 minutes by default, and you can shorten it) and that Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving is checked.
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04
Open Version History for a saved file
To go back to an earlier version of a saved document, open it and go to File > Info > Version History. A list of saved versions appears. Click a version and choose Open to view it.
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05
Compare versions and restore the one you need
With an older version open, click Compare to see it side by side with the current file, with the changes highlighted. This is useful when a long document changed and you do not know where. Keep or restore the version you want.
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06
Make sure files save to OneDrive
If Version History does not work, go to File > Options > Save and uncheck Save to Computer by default so files save to OneDrive, which keeps every version. If you use Dropbox or another cloud drive, storing the file in its synced folder also gives you version history.
Tips and common problems
- Recovered unsaved documents are temporary. Save the recovered file to a normal folder as soon as you open it.
- Version History only works for files stored in OneDrive (or another cloud service with versioning). Files saved only to your computer have no version list.
- Use Compare in Version History to find exactly what changed in a long document.
Questions
How do I recover a Word document I closed without saving?
Open Word, go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents, sort by date modified and open the newest file. Then save it right away.
Why can't I find Recover Unsaved Documents in Word?
AutoRecover may be off. Go to File > Options > Save and turn on Save AutoRecover information and Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving.
How do I restore a previous version of a Word document?
Store the file in OneDrive, then open it and go to File > Info > Version History. Open an older version, use Compare if needed, and keep the one you want.
