
Losing an unsaved Word document can be frustrating, especially if it contains important information. You can recover an unsaved Word document from OneDrive if it was synced to the cloud.
First, log in to your OneDrive account to access your synced files. From there, you can navigate to the Recent folder, where you'll find a list of recently accessed files, including any unsaved Word documents.
If you're unable to find the document in the Recent folder, try searching for it by file name or content. OneDrive's search function can help you locate the document even if it's not visible in the Recent folder.
OneDrive's auto-save feature can also help you recover an unsaved document. This feature saves a copy of your document every few minutes, so you may be able to recover a previous version of your document from OneDrive.
Worth a look: How to Recover Deleted Google Documents
Recovering from AutoSave Failure
Word saves AutoRecover information every 10 minutes, so if you've been working on a document and haven't saved it, there's a good chance you can recover it.
The possible AutoRecover file location are below, replace "username" with your own: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.
You can also find the AutoRecover file location in the Word options, by clicking File > Options, then Save, and locating the AutoRecover file location and clicking Browse to open it.
Solution 1: AutoRecover
Word saves AutoRecover information every 10 minutes, making it possible to recover unsaved documents.
To access the AutoRecover file location, manually open the folder at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles. Replace "username" with your own.
If you can't find the unsaved Word document, try finding the AutoRecover file location in the Word options. For versions 2010-2021, click File > Options, then click Save and locate the AutoRecover file location.
Here's how to recover an unsaved Word document in newer versions of Word (2013, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021): start the unsaved document, click File > Open > Recent > Documents, and select Recover Unsaved Documents.
The AutoRecover feature is not a substitute for manually saving files, but it's a useful backup in case of unexpected crashes or closures.
You can also use the AutoRecover feature to recover unsaved Excel files and PowerPoint files.
To manually restore an unsaved document from the AutoRecover folder, follow these steps:
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1. Open the File menu and select Options.
2. Go to the Save section.
3. Copy the address next to AutoRecover file location.
4. Open File Explorer and paste the address into the address bar.
5. Press Enter to open the AutoRecover folder.
If you see any ASD files in the folder, you can open them with Word.
Here are the possible AutoRecover file locations:
- C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles
Disappearing Resource
If you've accidentally deleted or lost an unsaved Word document, don't panic. There's a way to restore it from OneDrive.
You can restore an unsaved Word document from OneDrive if you've been backing up your files to the cloud storage service. To do this, navigate to the folder containing the unsaved file, select it, and click the Download button to restore it to your computer.
If you've used the Shift + Delete keys to delete a Word document, you can recover it by going to the Recycle Bin in OneDrive. Select the file and click Restore at the top.
Explore further: How to Delete a Word Document from Onedrive
OneDrive's version history feature is also a lifesaver if you've overwritten a vital piece of information or need to go back to a previous version of a document.
To access version history through the OneDrive web portal, follow these steps:
- Open your favorite web browser and go to the OneDrive web portal.
- Navigate to the file you’re looking to recover a previous version of.
- Hover your mouse over the file name and click on the three dots that appear.
- Select Version History from the dropdown menu.
- Click the three vertical dots next to the version you want to restore or download and select the corresponding option.
Alternatively, you can access version history through File Explorer:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive files.
- Find the document whose you want to restore a previous version, right-click it, and select OneDrive > Version History.
- A new window will open, displaying the document’s various versions.
- Click on the three dots next to the version you’re interested in. From there, you can either restore it or download a copy.
Remember, every time you restore an earlier version, the latest one is overwritten, so make sure you've saved any recent changes elsewhere.
Alternative Methods
If you're unable to recover your unsaved Word document using the methods mentioned earlier, there are alternative methods you can try.
Word saves AutoRecover information every 10 minutes, so if you're lucky, you might be able to find your unsaved document in the AutoRecover file location.
To access the AutoRecover file location, you can manually open the folder at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles, replacing "username" with your own.
If you're using a newer version of Word, you can also try opening the UnsavedFiles folder from within Word by clicking File > Open > Recent > Documents and selecting Recover Unsaved Documents.
Word also provides a backup feature to create a copy of your Word files every time you save changes, with a file name ending in .wbk file extension.
Solution 2: Data

If your Word crashes or closes abruptly, it will automatically search for unsaved documents when you open it again and display them in the Document Recovery Panel.
You can recover unsaved Word documents by opening the previously unsaved document, which will show a "Document Recovery" pane on the left.
Check the unsaved Word document in the Document Recovery pane, and double-click to open it, or directly click Save as and select a location to store your Word.
In Microsoft 365, the Word will show you a message bar telling you it's a recovered file temporarily stored on your computer. To recover the unsaved Word document, you need to check the content in Word and click Save to restore it.
Here are some key facts to keep in mind:
- Word automatically searches for unsaved documents when you open it again.
- The Document Recovery Panel will display unsaved documents.
- You can recover unsaved documents by double-clicking on them in the Document Recovery pane.
- In Microsoft 365, you'll see a message bar indicating the file is temporarily stored on your computer.
Opening Microsoft Word
Opening Microsoft Word is the first step in recovering your lost Word document.
Microsoft Word is a powerful tool that can help you recover your document, but you need to know how to open it properly.
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If you've already installed Microsoft Word on your Windows computer, you can simply click on the Word icon to open it.
You can also search for Microsoft Word in the Windows search bar and click on the result to open it.
Recovering a Word document is a process that requires patience and the right tools, and opening Microsoft Word is the first step towards that goal.
Worth a look: How to Open Word Documents in Google Docs
Manual Recovery
You can recover an unsaved Word document from the AutoRecover folder.
To access the AutoRecover folder, open the File menu and select Options.
Navigate to the Save section, where you'll find the address next to AutoRecover file location.
Copy this address and open File Explorer.
Paste the address into the address bar and press Enter to open the AutoRecover folder.
In the AutoRecover folder, look for any ASD files that might contain your unsaved document.
You can open these files with Word to retrieve your work.
By checking the AutoRecover folder manually, you can recover your unsaved document with ease.
Note: The frequency of AutoRecover file saves can be changed in Options, but by default, it saves every 10 minutes.
For more insights, see: Open Google Documents in Word
Using Tools and Services
If you've tried the previous methods and still can't find your unsaved Word document, don't worry, there are still some options available.
You can use a file recovery tool, which can be found on the Microsoft Store or other recovery tools. These tools are relatively easy to use but may require a paid version for better results.
If you're not comfortable using a third-party tool, you can try using the Document Recovery feature in Word. This feature automatically searches for AutoRecover files and displays them in the Document Recovery pane.
Additional reading: How to Get Onedrive
Microsoft Word and Onedrive
If you've accidentally deleted everything on the page in Microsoft Word, don't panic! You can recover unsaved documents from the Windows Start menu.
Open your document in Microsoft Word, and click the File menu at the top-left corner of the window.
Click Info on the menu on the left side of the window under the section dividing line.
Consider reading: Where Is My Onedrive Menu
To access your recently backed-up files, click the Manage Document icon in the center panel, which looks like a sheet of paper with smaller versions in orange.
This opens the Unsaved Files folder, where you'll see a list of recently backed-up files that were automatically saved by Word.
To recover your unsaved document, select the document and click Open.
This opens the document in Word, and you can then save it to a folder you'll remember, such as Documents.
Here are the steps to recover unsaved documents in Microsoft Word:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word
- Click the File menu
- Click Info
- Click the Manage Document icon
- Click Recover Unsaved Documents
- Select the document and click Open
- Save your recovered document
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