How to Recover an Unsaved Excel File in 2026

Your Excel workbook vanished after a crash, power loss, or a fast click on Don't Save. The right recovery move depends on where the file lived: a new Windows workbook, an existing file, a Mac AutoRecover copy, or a cloud file in OneDrive or SharePoint. Start with the closest match below, save anything Excel opens, then move to the next option.

1. Recover a never-saved workbook on Windows

Use this first when you created a new workbook in Excel for Windows and never saved it. Excel recovers the workbook only when it created an AutoRecover or unsaved copy and that copy has not been discarded.

1. 1.Open Excel.
2. 2.Select File.
3. 3.Select Info.
4. 4.Select Manage Document.
5. 5.Select Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
6. 6.Select the workbook, then choose Open.
7. 7.In the bar at the top of the file, select Save As.

Skip older routes that send you through File, Open, Recent Workbooks, or hidden Windows folders. Microsoft's current documented path is File, Info, Manage Document, then Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

2. Reopen Excel after a crash

1. 1.Open Excel again.
2. 2.In Document Recovery, select a recovered file to open and review it.
3. 3.Use the file menu in the pane for Open/View, Save As, Delete, Close, or Show Repairs.
4. 4.Select Save As for every file you still need.
5. 5.Select Close after the needed files are saved.

When Excel or Windows closed unexpectedly, the Document Recovery pane is the fastest place to catch files Excel saved during the crash, so reopen Excel before digging through backups.

When Excel asks about remaining recovered files, choose Yes, I want to view these files later until you have checked them. Choose No, remove the files. I have saved the files I need only after the recovered copies are saved.

3. Restore changes you closed without saving

This route is for a workbook that already had a saved copy before you edited it. Excel uses a separate recovery route when it still has the version from the moment you closed without saving.

Open the workbook and select File, then Info. Under Manage Workbook, select the file labeled when I closed without saving. In the bar at the top, select Restore.

Restore overwrites the previously saved version with the recovered one, so check the recovered workbook before you click it.

4. Check AutoRecover on Mac

• On Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac, reopen Excel after a power failure or unexpected shutdown. When Excel detects an AutoRecover file, it opens the file automatically. Save that recovered workbook immediately.
• For a manual check, open Finder, select Go, then Go To Folder. You can also press Shift + Command + G.
• Enter /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft. Look for AutoRecovered Excel files, open the one you need, and save it right away.

Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac saves an AutoRecover file every 10 minutes by default. When you manually saved the workbook or chose Don't Save, previous AutoRecover files are removed.

5. Roll back a OneDrive or SharePoint version

Use Version History when the workbook was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint and the latest copy is overwritten, missing changes, or changed incorrectly. Restoring an older version makes that version the current file.

• Excel for Microsoft 365: Open the workbook, click the file title, select Version history, choose a version, then select Restore. You can also use File, Info, then Version History.
• Office 2016 to 2021: Open the file, select File, then History.
• Excel for the web or OneDrive: Go to the folder, right-click the file, select Version history, choose an older version, open the three-dot menu or dropdown arrow, then select Restore.
• Windows File Explorer with OneDrive sync: Right-click the OneDrive-synced Excel file, select Version history, open the ellipses next to the version, then select Restore.
• Excel for Android: Tap File, then History. Open a past version, then tap Make a Copy or Restore.
• Excel for iPhone or iPad: Wait until everyone is no longer co-authoring. Tap File, Restore, then View Version History Online. Restore the version in the browser, return to Excel, and reopen the file.

Personal Microsoft accounts retrieve the last 25 versions through Microsoft 365 version history. Work and school version counts follow the library configuration.

6. Restore a deleted Excel file

1. 1.On Windows, open Recycle Bin, select the file, right-click it, then choose Restore.
2. 2.On Mac, open Trash, select the file, right-click it, then choose Put back.
3. 3.For OneDrive on the web, sign in at onedrive.com, select Recycle bin, choose the file, then click Restore.
4. 4.In the OneDrive mobile app, tap the Me icon, select the account, tap Recycle Bin, choose the files, then tap Restore.

If the workbook was saved and then deleted, start with the recycle location that matches where the file was stored.

Personal OneDrive recycle-bin items are automatically deleted after 30 days. OneDrive work or school recycle-bin items are automatically deleted after 93 days, unless an administrator has changed the setting. Cloud-only OneDrive files deleted from the cloud do not appear in the computer Recycle Bin or Trash.

7. Use backups for larger losses

Windows File History: Open File Explorer and go to the folder that used to contain the workbook. Right-click the folder name, select Restore previous versions, choose a version on the Previous Versions tab, then select Restore. Use Restore to... to avoid overwriting the current folder.

OneDrive Restore your OneDrive: Sign in at onedrive.com. For a personal Microsoft account with Microsoft 365, select Settings, Options, then Restore your OneDrive. For a work or school account, select Settings, then Restore OneDrive. Choose a date, review the activity chart and feed, select the earliest activity to undo, then select Restore.

Use Restore your OneDrive only for broad damage, such as many overwritten, deleted, or corrupted files. It rolls back the whole OneDrive within the last 30 days, and files created after the restore point go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.

8. Recover Teams and SharePoint workbooks

Files you upload to a channel are stored in the team's SharePoint folder, so recover those from SharePoint when the normal Excel options do not fit. Files you send in a one-on-one or group chat are stored in your OneDrive for Business instead, so recover those from OneDrive.

• For a deleted channel workbook, go to Chat, then Channels, and pick the channel. Open the Shared tab, select More options, then Open in SharePoint. In SharePoint, select Recycle bin, hover over the workbook and select the circled check mark in the left column, then select Restore.
• For an older SharePoint version, open the document library, select the file's ... menu, choose Version history, hover over the date for the version you want, select the down arrow, choose Restore, then select OK.

SharePoint in Microsoft 365 keeps recycle-bin items for 93 days. If the file is not in the visible recycle bin, ask a site collection administrator to check the site collection recycle bin and use Restore.

9. Repair a workbook that still exists

1. 1.In Excel, select File, then Open.
2. 2.Select the location, then choose Browse.
3. 3.In the Open dialog, select the corrupted workbook.
4. 4.Click the arrow next to Open.
5. 5.Select Open and Repair.
6. 6.Choose Repair to recover as much data as possible.
7. 7.Choose Extract Data when Repair fails and you need values and formulas.

This is not an unsaved-file recovery method. Use it when you still have the workbook, but Excel says the file is damaged or cannot open it.

Set up the safety net after recovery. In Excel for Windows, select File, Options, then Save. Turn on Save AutoRecover information every x minutes and Keep the last autorecovered version if I close without saving. For cloud workbooks, save the file to OneDrive or SharePoint Online and use the AutoSave switch at the top-left of Excel. AutoSave needs an active Microsoft 365 subscription and stays off for older formats such as .xls, so AutoRecover remains the fallback for local files and legacy formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Excel recover a file I never saved at all?

Yes. On Windows, Excel recovers a never-saved workbook only when an AutoRecover or unsaved copy still exists. Check File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

Why is Document Recovery missing after I reopen Excel?

Document Recovery appears only when Excel has recovered files from the crash or unexpected shutdown. If Excel has no recoverable copy, the pane does not show the missing workbook.

Does AutoSave replace AutoRecover in Excel?

No. AutoSave continuously saves Microsoft 365 files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. AutoRecover remains the local recovery feature for local files and is on by default.

Can I recover an overwritten Excel file from OneDrive?

Yes. Open Version History for the OneDrive file and restore an older version. The restored version becomes the current file, and the former current file remains in version history.

How long do deleted OneDrive Excel files stay recoverable?

For personal OneDrive accounts, deleted files stay in the OneDrive Recycle Bin for 30 days. Work and school accounts keep them for 93 days, unless an administrator has changed the setting.