When we are editing a document using Microsoft Word, we may lose the unsaved important content due to accidental closure, system crash or other reasons. However, in Windows 10 operating system environment, there are some built-in features and tricks that can help us get back those unsaved Word documents. This article will detail how to utilize these methods to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10.
Can I Retrieve A Word Document That Wasn’t Saved?
It is indeed possible to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10. Though you may face unexpected situations like closing the document without saving it or experiencing a system crash, there are several ways to help you get back your lost work.
First, Word itself offers an auto-recovery feature that can attempt to recover files when the program closes abnormally. Second, you can also recover unsaved documents by checking temporary files. In addition, using a backup file for recovery is also a viable route. Apart from the above methods, you can also recover unsaved Word documents from Windows 10 with professional data recovery software.
Keep reading to learn more about the specific steps to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10 and choose the most suitable method to recover your documents according to your actual situation.
Method 1: Recover Unsaved Word Document in Windows 10 with AutoRecover Feature
Microsoft Word’s AutoRecover feature is a built-in security measure designed to help users recover unsaved or partially saved work in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as a sudden computer shutdown, a Word program crash, or an unexpected exit. The feature automatically saves temporary copies of documents at preset intervals so that lost data can be retrieved when Word is restarted after a problem.
To enable this feature to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10, you can follow the steps below:
- Step 1. Open the Word application.
- Step 2. Click on the “File” menu in the upper left corner.
- Step 3. Select “Options”.
- Step 4. In the left navigation bar, select “Save”.
- Step 5. In the right pane, check the “Save AutoRecovery information” checkbox, and set the appropriate time interval (for example, save every 10 minutes).
- Step 6. Click “OK” to save the settings.
Method 2: Restore Unsaved Word Document by Finding Temporary Files
If you have enabled the AutoRecover feature, then Word will be in the specified path to create a temporary file named “AutoRecover”. By finding this temporary file, you can also recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10.
- Step 1. Open the Word application.
- Step 2. Click the “File” menu in the upper left corner.
- Step 3. Select “Open”.
- Step 4. In the pop-up window, click the “Browse” button.
- Step 5. In the address bar, type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Word” and press Enter.
- Step 6. In the folder that opens, find the file named “AutoRecover”.
- Step 7. Double-click the file to open your unsaved document.
Method 3: Recover Unsaved Word Document in Windows Using Backup Files
If you have not enabled the automatic recovery function, or can not find the automatic recovery file, you can try to restore the unsaved Word documents from the backup file. The specific operation is as follows:
- Step 1. Open the Word application.
- Step 2. Click the “File” menu in the upper left corner.
- Step 3. Select “Open”.
- Step 4. In the pop-up window, click “Browse” button.
- Step 5. In the address bar, type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Word\Backup” and press Enter.
- Step 6. In the folder that opens, find the backup file associated with your unsaved document.
- Step 7. Double-click the file to open your unsaved documents.
Method 4: Quickly Recover Unsaved Word Document with MTM File Recovery
It is also recommended to use file repair tools, as it would greatly save your time. MTM File Recovery can scan and recover many files, including unsaved Word documents. It can help you quickly scan and recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10.
Unlike other data recovery tools that restore one Word document at a time, this software can work in batches, which makes it efficient and indispensable in various businesses. Here are the detailed steps of how to recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10:
Step 1. Download and install MTM File Recovery software on your Windows computer via MTM official website. Please pay attention to selecting the version for Word when downloading.
Step 2. Open MTM File Recovery and click the “Add” button on the top left corner of the software to select files. You can select one or multiple Word files that need to be recovered at the same time.
Step 3. After the selection is completed, the software will quickly scan and recover it in depth. You can preview the file contents on the right side of the software.
Step 4. Finally, click the “Export” button on the top of the software, you can export the recovered unsaved Word files.
Conclusion
Above are four simple and fast ways to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10. With these methods, you can effectively recover accidentally closed or unsaved Word documents in Windows 10 system.
To ensure data security, it is recommended to save documents regularly and enable the automatic recovery feature. Meanwhile, familiarizing yourself with how to find the auto-recovery files and backup files will also help you quickly recover your work results when you encounter problems.