{"id":7864,"date":"2012-07-13T21:04:04","date_gmt":"2012-07-13T14:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tom.ji42.com\/?p=7864"},"modified":"2012-07-13T21:04:04","modified_gmt":"2012-07-13T14:04:04","slug":"how-to-recover-a-lost-file-in-word-2007-or-in-word-2003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/?p=7864","title":{"rendered":"How to recover a lost file in Word 2007 or in Word 2003"},"content":{"rendered":"

Use these methods in the order in which they are presented to recover the lost document. If one of these methods is successful and you recover the lost document, you are finished and you do not have to follow any more steps.<\/p>\n

Method 1: Search for the original document<\/h3>\n

The original document might not have been removed from the computer. Follow these steps to see whether you can find the document:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Click\u00a0Start<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. In the lower-left corner of the\u00a0Windows Desktop Search<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Click here to use Search Companion<\/strong>, if that option is listed.<\/li>\n
  3. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0All Files and Folders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  4. In the\u00a0All or part of the file name<\/strong>\u00a0box, type the name of the document that you want to find.<\/li>\n
  5. In the\u00a0Look in<\/strong>\u00a0box, click\u00a0My Computer<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If the search details pane does not contain the document that you are looking for, you might have typed the file name incorrectly or the document might have a different name. Follow these steps to search for all Word documents:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Start a new search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    2. Click\u00a0All files and folders<\/strong>, and then copy and paste (or type) the following text into the\u00a0All or part of the file name:<\/strong>\u00a0box, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.\n
      *.doc<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      If the details pane still does not contain the file that you are looking for, the document might have been moved to the Recycle Bin. To view the Recycle Bin and restore the document if it is there, follow these steps:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. On the desktop, double-click\u00a0Recycle Bin<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      2. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Details<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      3. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Arrange Icons by<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Date Deleted<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      4. Scroll through the files.\n

        If you find the document that you are looking for, right-click the document, and then click\u00a0Restore<\/strong>\u00a0to return the document to its original location.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Note<\/strong>\u00a0Microsoft currently does not provide any utilities to recover documents that have been deleted, or emptied from the Recycle Bin. However, some third-party utilities to recover deleted documents may be available on the Internet.<\/p>\n

        Method 2: Search for Word backup files<\/h3>\n

        If the previous method did not work for you, the main document might be gone. But there might be a backup copy of the document available. The\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting in Word creates backup copies of every document that you create.<\/p>\n

        First, follow one of these steps to see whether the\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting is enabled:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • If you use Microsoft Office Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, click\u00a0Word Options<\/strong>\u00a0in the lower-right corner, and then click\u00a0Advanced<\/strong>. Scroll through the headings until you find the\u00a0Save<\/strong>\u00a0section, which is close to the end of the list. If the\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting, located in the\u00a0Save<\/strong>\u00a0section, is selected, Word created a backup copy of the document.<\/li>\n
        • If you use Microsoft Office Word 2003: On the\u00a0Tools<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Options<\/strong>. The\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting is located on the\u00a0Save<\/strong>\u00a0tab. If the\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting is selected, Word created a backup copy of the document.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Then, if the\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting is not selected, go to method 3: “Force Word to try to recover a file.”<\/p>\n

          If the\u00a0Always create backup copy<\/strong>\u00a0setting is selected, follow these steps to find the backup copy of the lost document:<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Locate the folder in which you last saved the missing document.<\/li>\n
          2. Look for files that have the .wbk extension.\n

            If there are no files that have the .wbk extension in the original folder, follow these steps to search the computer for all files that have the .wbk extension:<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Click\u00a0Start<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
            2. In the lower-left corner of the\u00a0Windows Desktop Search<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Click here to use Search Companion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
            3. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0All Files and Folders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
            4. In the\u00a0All or part of the file name:<\/strong>\u00a0box, copy and paste (or type) the following text:\n
              *.wbk<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
            5. In the\u00a0Look in<\/strong>\u00a0box, click\u00a0My Computer<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
            6. If you find any files that are named “Backup of” followed by the name of the missing document, follow these steps to open the backup copy:\n
                \n
              1. Start Word.<\/li>\n
              2. Perform one of the following actions:\n
                  \n
                • If you use Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, click\u00a0Open<\/strong>, click\u00a0All Files (*.*)<\/strong>\u00a0in the Files of type box, locate and select the file, and then click\u00a0Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                • If you use Word 2003: Click\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0All Files (*.*)<\/strong>\u00a0in the\u00a0Files of type<\/strong>\u00a0box, locate and select the file, and then click\u00a0Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Method 3: Force Word to try to recover a file<\/h3>\n

                  If Word did not create a backup copy of the document, you might be able to use the AutoRecover feature to recover the lost document.<\/p>\n

                  Note<\/strong>\u00a0The AutoRecover feature in Word performs an emergency backup of open documents when an error occurs. Some errors can interfere with creating an AutoRecover file. The AutoRecover feature is not a substitute for saving the document.<\/p>\n

                  If the\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>\u00a0option is selected, Word creates a temporary AutoRecover file that includes the latest changes in the document. Every time that Word starts, it searches for AutoRecover files. If Word finds any AutoRecover files, it displays the files that it finds in the Document Recovery task pane.<\/p>\n

                  First, to see whether the\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>\u00a0option is selected, use one of the following steps:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • If you use Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, click\u00a0Word Options<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Save<\/strong>. The\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>\u00a0option is in the\u00a0Save documents<\/strong>\u00a0section.<\/li>\n
                  • If you use Word 2003: Click\u00a0Options<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0Tools<\/strong>\u00a0menu. The\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>option is located on the\u00a0Save<\/strong>\u00a0tab.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Then, if the\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>\u00a0option is selected, try closing Word and reopening it. If the AutoRecover task pane appears on the left side of the screen, click the lost document to restore it.<\/p>\n

                    If the\u00a0Save AutoRecover information every [] minutes<\/strong>\u00a0option is not selected, you can try to force Word to recover the document.<\/p>\n

                    Use one of the following steps to force Word to recover the document:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • If you use Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, click\u00a0Open<\/strong>, select the Word document, click the down arrow on the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0button in the lower-right corner of the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0screen, and then click\u00a0Open and Repair<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                    • If you use Word 2003: Click\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0menu, select the Word document, click the down arrow on the\u00a0Open<\/strong>button in the lower-right corner of the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0screen, and then click\u00a0Open and Repair<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Method 4: Manually recover AutoRecover files<\/h3>\n

                      If Word could not open the AutoRecover file automatically or through the\u00a0Open and Repair<\/strong>\u00a0option, the AutoRecover file might be saved in a nondefault location. You might have to look for the AutoRecover file manually.<\/p>\n

                      Follow these steps to search for AutoRecover files manually:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. Click\u00a0Start<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                      2. In the lower-left corner of the\u00a0Windows Desktop Search<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Click here to use Search Companion<\/strong>, if that option is listed.<\/li>\n
                      3. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0All Files and Folders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                      4. In the\u00a0All or part of the file name:<\/strong>\u00a0box, copy and paste (or type) the following text:\n
                        *.ASD<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
                      5. In the\u00a0Look in<\/strong>\u00a0box, click\u00a0My Computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                      6. Click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        If a file that is named\u00a0DocumentName<\/var>.asd appears in the details pane, follow these steps to open the document:<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. Start Word.<\/li>\n
                        2. Follow one of these steps:\n
                            \n
                          • If you use Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                          • If you use Word 2003: Click\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0menu.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                          • In the\u00a0File of type<\/strong>\u00a0list, click\u00a0All Files (*.*)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                          • Locate and select the\u00a0.asd<\/strong>\u00a0file.<\/li>\n
                          • Click\u00a0Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                          • Restart the computer.<\/li>\n
                          • Start Word.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            If Word finds the AutoRecover file, the Document Recovery task pane opens on the left side of the screen, and the lost document is listed as\u00a0DocumentName<\/var>\u00a0[Original]<\/strong>\u00a0or as\u00a0DocumentName<\/var>\u00a0[Recovered]<\/strong>. If this occurs, perform one of the following actions:<\/p>\n

                              \n
                            • In Word 2007, double-click the file in the\u00a0Document Recovery<\/strong>\u00a0task pane, click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, clickSave As<\/strong>, and then save the document as a .docx file.<\/li>\n
                            • In Word 2003, double-click the file in the\u00a0Document Recovery<\/strong>\u00a0task pane, click\u00a0Save As<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0menu, and then save the document as a .doc file.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Note<\/strong>\u00a0If an AutoRecover file in the Recovery pane does not open correctly, go to the “How to troubleshoot damaged documents” section for more information about how to open damaged files.<\/p>\n

                              Method 5: Search for temporary files<\/h3>\n

                              If you could not find an AutoRecover file or a backup of the lost document, you might be able to recover the document from your temporary files.<\/p>\n

                              To search for the lost document in your temporary files, follow these steps:<\/p>\n

                                \n
                              1. Click\u00a0Start<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              2. In the lower-left corner of the\u00a0Windows Desktop Search<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Click here to use Search Companion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              3. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0All Files and Folders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              4. In the\u00a0All or part of the file name:<\/strong>\u00a0box, copy and paste (or type) the following text:\n
                                *.TMP<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
                              5. In the\u00a0Look in<\/strong>\u00a0box, click\u00a0My Computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              6. Click the two chevrons next to\u00a0When was it modified?<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              7. Click\u00a0Specify dates<\/strong>, and then type the\u00a0from<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0to<\/strong>\u00a0dates to include the time period since you last opened the file.<\/li>\n
                              8. Click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              9. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Details<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              10. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Arrange Icons by<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Modified<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              11. Scroll through the files, searching for files that match the last dates and times that you edited the document.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                If you find the document that you are looking for, go to the “How to troubleshoot damaged documents” section for more information about how to recover information from the document.<\/p>\n

                                Method 6: Search for ~ files<\/h3>\n

                                Some temporary file names start with the tilde (~) symbol. These files might not appear in the list of temporary files that you found in method 5: “Search for temporary files.”<\/p>\n

                                Follow these steps to find any files that begin with ~:<\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                1. Click\u00a0Start<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                2. In the lower-left corner of the\u00a0Windows Desktop Search<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0Click here to use Search Companion<\/strong>, if that option is listed.<\/li>\n
                                3. In the\u00a0Search Companion<\/strong>\u00a0pane, click\u00a0All Files and Folders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                4. In the\u00a0All or part of the file name:<\/strong>\u00a0box, copy and paste (or type) the following text:\n
                                  ~*.*<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
                                5. In the\u00a0Look in<\/strong>\u00a0box, click\u00a0My Computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                6. Click the two chevrons next to\u00a0When was it modified?<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                7. Click\u00a0Specify dates<\/strong>, and then type the\u00a0from<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0to<\/strong>\u00a0dates to include the time period since you last opened the file.<\/li>\n
                                8. Click\u00a0Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                9. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Details<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                10. On the\u00a0View<\/strong>\u00a0menu, click\u00a0Arrange Icons by<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Modified<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                11. Scroll through the files, searching for files that match the last dates and times that you edited the document.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  If you find the document that you are looking for, go to the “How to troubleshoot damaged documents” section for more information about how to recover information from the document.<\/p>\n

                                  How to troubleshoot damaged documents<\/h3>\n

                                  Word automatically tries to recover a damaged document if it detects a problem with the document. You can also force Word to try to recover a document when you open it.<\/p>\n

                                  Follow these steps to force Word to recover the document:<\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  1. Follow one of these steps, depending on the version of Word that you use:\n
                                      \n
                                    • If you use Word 2007: Click the\u00a0Microsoft Office Button<\/strong>, and then click\u00a0Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                    • If you use Word 2003: Click\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0on the\u00a0File<\/strong>\u00a0menu.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                    • In the\u00a0Files of type list<\/strong>, click\u00a0All Files (*.*)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                                    • In the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0dialog box, select the document.<\/li>\n
                                    • Click the down arrow on the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0button in the lower-right corner of the\u00a0Open<\/strong>\u00a0screen, and then click\u00a0Open and Repair<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                      Use these methods in the order in which they are presented to recover the lost document. If one of these methods is successful and you recover the lost document, you are finished and you do not have to follow any more steps. Method 1: Search for the original document The original document might not have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-13"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cOVM-22Q","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7864\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tom.tomwork.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}