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20 September 2024  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
The article discusses the importance of Word documents for Windows 10 users and the distress caused by their loss. It reassures that unsaved or deleted Word documents can often be recovered using various techniques and tools. The article provides guidance on how to search for and recover these documents, emphasizing the use of Windows 10's built-in search function as a first step to locate potentially misplaced files.



Table of contents

table iconHow to Search for a Lost Word Document in Windows 10
table iconMethods to Recover Unsaved Word Documents in Windows 10
table iconMethods to Recover Deleted Word Documents in Windows 10
table iconConclusion
how to rotate a table in word
Word documents play an important role in the lives of most Windows 10 users, and their loss can be terribly painful. The good news is that an unsaved or deleted Word document often isn’t as lost as it may seem at first. With the right techniques and tools, recovery is often possible. This article explains how to search for and recover unsaved or deleted Word documents in Windows 10.

How to Search for a Lost Word Document in Windows 10

Before you explore more sophisticated methods to recover unsaved or deleted Word documents on Windows 10, it’s worth trying a simple search. The goal is to verify that the files are really gone and not just hiding in some unexpected place. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a powerful built-in search function that can help you locate files you might have misplaced or forgotten about. Here’s how to use Windows Search effectively:
1. On your Taskbar, click the Search icon.
find word files in windows 10
2. Type the document name in the search box and press Enter. Give the search feature some time to find your Word documents.
3. If your Word document pops up in the list of files, double click it to open in Word. Note that if your file does not appear in the file list, you need to move on to the next methods described in this article.
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Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

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Methods to Recover Unsaved Word Documents in Windows 10

If the Windows search didn’t locate your Word document, all hope is not lost yet. There are several other methods to recover unsaved files, whether due to a computer crash or accidental closure.

Method 1. Use Word AutoRecover

Microsoft is well aware that Word users often forget to save their documents until it’s too late. That’s why Word comes with a built-in feature designed to help you recover unsaved documents. The name of this feature is AutoRecover, and it automatically saves hidden copies of files you’re working on. If the feature detects that Word has crashed unexpectedly, then it will prompt you to recover your unsaved work when you next launch the application. Here’s how to use AutoRecover to recover an unsaved Word document:
1. Launch Task Manager and make sure that Microsoft Word isn’t running in the background (this can sometimes happen after a crash, and it would prevent AutoRecover from triggering). If you notice that it is indeed running, then you need to select it and click the End task button.
Ending a task on a Windows PC
2. Launch Microsoft Word again. It should automatically locate any auto-recovered files and display them in the Document Recovery task pane on the left side of the screen. Recovered files are listed as either “document name [ Original ] ” or “document name [ Recovered ] .”
3. You can save the recovered file in any location you want. Alternatively, you can manually look for AutoRecover backup files (they have the .asd extension) in the folders where they are typically stored:

C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word

C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles

Please replace [User Name] with your user account name.
If the paths above do not work, please try locating the AutoRecover file in “Word Options” >> “Save” tab.
Open Word file options autosave
If you find them there, then you can:
1. In the File menu, select Open, and then Browse.
2. Navigate to the folder where the .asd file is stored and open it just like you would a regular Word file.
No luck with the AutoRecover feature? Don’t despair! There are still more places where you can look for your unsaved Word document.

Method 2. Search for Temporary Files

Another method you can employ to recover your unsaved Word document is by digging through temporary files in Windows. Temporary files are used to store data temporarily while a document is being edited. Here are some locations where you might find temporary files created by Microsoft Word:

C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Word

C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Temp

Please replace [User Name] with your user account name.
You can also look for temporary folders and files (often called tmp) using the search feature in Windows 10:
1. Press Windows + R to activate the run dialog
windows Key + R
2. Then type %temp% in the input widget.
open command prompt to delete files
3. Analyze the search results.
If you find a promising temporary file, you can attempt to open it directly in Microsoft Word. With some luck, you might recover all or part of your lost document.
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Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

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Methods to Recover Deleted Word Documents in Windows 10

Compared to unsaved files, deleted Word files require a different approach for recovery. That’s because deleted Word documents are very likely to still be located in the Recycle Bin, in your backups, or on your hard drive.

Method 1. Look for Deleted Word Documents in the Recycle Bin

The Windows Recycle Bin is the most obvious place to begin your search for lost or deleted files. Why? Because that’s where deleted files typically go (unless you delete them using the Shift + Delete combination) before they become permanently deleted. To restore deleted items from the Recycle bin, follow these steps.
1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
open recycle bin windows 10
2. Search through the list of items and locate the document you want to retrieve.
3. Right-click the Word document and select Restore.
Restore PPT files from recycle bin
The restored Word document will now be sent to its previous location. If you can’t find it in the Recycle Bin, then your next step are backups.

Method 2. Use the Previous Versions Feature in Windows

When configured to do so, the Previous Versions feature (also called File History) in Windows automatically creates backup copies of your files and folders. When you lose important data, such as a Word document, you can view all backed-up versions of your data right from File Explorer in Windows 10.
Tip: You can check if the Previous Versions feature is enabled on your computer and see which locations from Settings > Update & Security > Files backup. There, look for the “Back up using File History” section and check if there’s a backup drive. If not, the feature isn’t enabled, and this method most likely won’t help you.
To restore previous versions of files in Windows 10, please follow these steps:
1. Browse to the folder containing the Word document or folder, right-click it, and then select properties.
select properties of a folder in windows 10
2. Pick a previous version of the folder (one that contains your missing Word document) and click the Restore button.
file previous versions for file history
3. Open the restored version of the folder in File Explorer and look for your Word document—it should be right there.
Unfortunately, many Windows users don’t have the Previous Versions feature enabled, so this method won’t help everyone. If you’re among them, then your next best step is to try data recovery software.

Method 3. Use Data Recovery Software

When all else fails, data recovery software can be your last line of defense in retrieving deleted Word documents because it can get them back as long as they’re still physically present on the storage device (no other data has overwritten them). One excellent option for Windows users is Renee Undeleter, which stands out for several reasons: Renee Undeleter is a professional data recovery tool that can help you retrieve lost or deleted files from your computer. It is a user-friendly and comprehensive tool that offers a high success rate for file recovery.
Step 1: Download, install and run Renee Undeleter on your Windows computer.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Step 2: Select the [ Fast Partition Scan ] option in the main interface.
Tips: Please avoid installing the software on the disk containing the data to be recovered in order to prevent data overwriting. Also, refrain from saving new data to the same disk partition after a file is lost to avoid further damage or complete loss of the lost file.
Renee Undeleter, select Fast Partition Scan
Data Recovery Features
Fast Partition Scan: Recovers files from accidental deletions or recycle bin clearance.
Whole Partition Scan: Restores files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
Whole Disk Scan: Analyzes partition information for a comprehensive disk scan.
Image Creation: Generates a partition mirror image for backup purposes.
Step 3: Next, select the partition where the lost data is located, and click [ Next ] .
select partition to scan for fast partition scan
Step 4: Select the [ Fast Scan ] option and click the [ Next ] button to scan. The [Fast Scan] mode scans the initial 30GB of available space on the chosen disk. If desired files are not found, the [Deep Scan] mode can be used for a thorough scan of the hard disk partition, though it will require additional time.
Select Fast scan in Fast Partition Scan
Step 5: Wait for the scan to complete You can double-click the file to preview, then check the files that need to be recovered, and click the [ Recover ] button to recover the files to other disks.
undeleter preview docx
preview before recovery
Please select a disk without any important data when installing the software to avoid overwriting it. If the quick scan mode doesn’t find the necessary files, we suggest trying the deep scan mode for a full search. Using a professional software like Renee Undeleter can greatly increase your chances of successful file recovery. It is important to note that the longer you wait to use this method, the lower your chances of successful recovery become.
Note: Renee Undeleter is also available for MacOS users, offering similar functionality for Word document recovery on Apple computers.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, there are multiple ways to potentially recover your unsaved or deleted Word documents, from native features to third-party data recovery apps like Renee Undeleter. We hope that at least one method described in this article has helped you successfully recover your lost Word documents. Remember that prevention is always better than cure, so make sure to turn this data loss experience into a valuable learning opportunity by leveling up your backup practices.