Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application which helps in data analysis and organization. However, sometimes you may experience issues when Excel documents get deleted without saving, which leads to the loss of valuable data. Such instances usually occur due to forceful termination of Excel programs, software bugs or glitches, overwriting existing files, virus or malware attacks, etc.
Whatever is the cause for the deletion of unsaved Excel Files on Windows devices, the good news is that you can easily recover them. Here, in this comprehensive guide, we will discuss some free data recovery methods that will help you to know how to recover unsaved Excel files on Windows. Go with the mentioned methods one by one to get your deleted Excel documents without any cost.
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What Causes Deletion of Unsaved Excel Files on Windows?
Understanding the exact reason for the deletion of unsaved Excel files on Windows will help you to implement effective data recovery workarounds. Here are some common reasons why Excel files usually get deleted on Windows:
- Crashes and System Failures: One of the main reasons for the deletion of unsaved Excel files is unexpected crashes or system failures. If Excel software or your device OS crashes before you save your work, all the unsaved tasks will get deleted.
- Forceful Termination of Excel: Closing Excel software forcefully, such as by using Task Manager, can lead to the deletion of unsaved files.
- Accidental Overwriting of Existing File: When you mistakenly open a random Excel file, make any changes, and save it, unknowingly it overwrites the original file and causes unintentional deletion of previous unsaved changes.
- Software Bugs or Glitches: Like any software, Excel is not immune to bugs or glitches. Sometimes, software issues can cause unexpected behavior, such as the deletion of unsaved changes.
Along with the above reasons, there are many more causes for the deletion of unsaved Excel files on Windows. This includes device incompatibility with the Excel version, storage device issues, incorrect file types, improper Autorecover settings, etc.
How do I Recover Unsaved Excel Files?
Now that you are familiar with the reasons for the sudden deletion of unsaved Excel files on Windows, go through the free data recovery methods mentioned in this part of the blog to get your lost files back:
Method 01: Use AutoRecover Feature
One of the first methods to recover unsaved Excel files on Windows is to use Excel’s AutoSave feature. The AutoSave feature saves copies of all open Excel files at fixed intervals and allows you to recover them if data loss occurs due to an unexpected system shutdown or power failure.
Go through the following easy steps to recover unsaved Excel files on Windows using the AutoRecover feature:
1. Launch Excel software and go to File > Options.
2. Now, navigate to Save > Save Workbooks.
3. Check if the ‘Save AutoRecover information every’ and ‘Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving’ options are already selected. If not, check the box next to both options.
4. Then, copy the path next to the AutoRecover file location box. Launch File Explorer, paste the copied path in the Menu Bar and hit Enter.
5. An unsaved file with .xlb extension will appear on your device screen. Double-click on the File and select Excel from apps to open that .xlb file.
6. Lastly, save the file to the desired location.
Method 02: Recover Unsaved Excel File via Backup
Excel creates backup copies of files at regular intervals, which you can use in case of accidental deletion without saving. Follow the below-given steps to locate and recover backup files:
1. Open an Excel file and go to the “File” tab.
2. Go to Info > Manage Versions. This option will display the previously created backup versions of that file.
3. Select the backup version you need to restore and click Save/Save As to save the file at the original location.
Recovering an Excel backup file via backup is a simple and quick process. However, if you don’t have any backup created, you can try using a free data recovery tool to help you out.
Method 03: Recover Unsaved Excel File Using Free Data Recovery Tool
If the above-mentioned free data recovery methods fail to restore your unsaved Excel file, you can use a free data recovery software for recovering Excel files without any cost. Stellar Data Recovery Free is an all-in-one data recovery tool which supports the recovery of deleted Excel files from any storage device. Not only Excel files, you can use this tool to recover deleted CSV files, Word documents, photos, videos, and many other types of files.
The software supports the recovery of lost files in three simple steps. You can apply the following easy steps to recover unsaved Excel files on Windows using the Stellar Data Recovery Free tool:
Step 1: Launch the Stellar Data Recovery Free tool on your Windows device. Select the type of data you need to recover and click Next.(To recover unsaved Excel files, select Office Documents)
Step 2: Choose the folder location where your unsaved Excel file was earlier stored and click Scan to start the scanning process.
Step 3: Once the scanning process is completed, preview the recoverable files and select the files you need to restore. Tap the Recover button to save selected files back to your device.
Conclusion
Hope the above easy steps to recover unsaved Excel Files on Windows help you with the desired output. Whether using the AutoSave feature, searching for backup files, or using a free data recovery tool, the aforementioned methods will help you retrieve your unsaved work efficiently.
Remember to act promptly, use the available tools, and create backups on external storage drives or cloud storage locations to maximize your chances of restoring your valuable data.
