User:Kjkiser2/Recovering Lost Word Files

Recovering Lost Files in Microsoft Word

To help make sure this never becomes an issue, always make backups. To create a backup, follow the instructions here. Follow these steps top to bottom because it could be solved from the simplest solution and save you some time.

Search for the Original Document

1. Click Start, and then click Search
2. Click All files and folders in Search Companion on the left side of Microsoft Windows Explorer
3. In the All or part of the file name: box, type the file name that you want to find
4. In the Look in box, click My Computer, and then click Search
5. If the results pane does not contain the file:
   • In the All or part of the file name: box, type *.doc, and then click Search
6. If the document shows up in the results pane, simply open it and save it to the desired folder

Search the Recycle Bin

Its possible the file was accidentally deleted, so:

1. On the desktop, double-click Recycle Bin
2. On the View menu, click Details
3. On the View menu, click Arrange Icons by, and then click Date Deleted
4. Scroll through the files
5. If the file is there, right-click on it and choose Restore

Search for the Backup File

• NOTE: This will only work if you have the Always create backup file option checked

1. Locate the folder where you last saved the missing file
2. Search for files that have the .wbk extension
3. If you find any files that have the name Backup of followed by the name of the missing file, follow these steps:
   1. Start Word
   2. Click File, and then click Open
   3. In the File of type box, click All Files *.*, select the file, and then click Open
4. If there is not a .wbk file located in the original folder, follow these steps to search the computer for any .wbk files:
   1. Click Start, and then click Search
   2. Click All files and folders in Search Companion on the left side of Windows Explorer
   3. In the All or part of the file name: box, type *.wbk
   4. In the Look in box, click My Computer, and then click Search
5. If you find any files that have the name Backup of followed by the name of the missing file, follow these steps:
   1. Start Word
   2. Click File, and then click Open
   3. In the File of type box, click All Files *.*, select the file, and then click Open

Forcing Word to recover a file

• NOTE: This only works if you Save AutoRecovery info every option selected

1. On the File menu, click Open
2. In the Open dialog box, click to select your Word document
3. Click the arrow on the Open button, and then click Open and Repair