how to recover file in excell

Norman Beadle 0 Reputation points
2026-09-06T10:56:12.3866667+00:00

the fille says lost or moved or deleted which i have not moved or deleted it

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Other
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. DaveM121 928.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-06T11:30:38.25+00:00

    1

    Open File Explorer and manually search inside your user folder for that file.

    2

    If the file is not available in your user folder, if you use OneDrive to sync your files online, log into OneDrive in a web browser (https://onedrive.live.com/) and check if the file is available there, also check the online OneDrive Recycle Bin for the file to check if the file can be restored from there.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-09-06T10:56:26.64+00:00

    Try these recovery paths in order:

    1. Search for the workbook on the PC
    • Open File Explorer.
    • Select This PC.
    • Search for the file name, or search for Excel files and sort by Date modified.
    • Also check common folders like Documents, Desktop, Downloads, and OneDrive if it is used.
    1. Check Excel Recent files
    • Open Excel.
    • Go to Open > Recent.
    • If the workbook appears there, open its file location.
    1. Check for an unsaved or recovered workbook in Excel
    • Open Excel.
    • Go to File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
    • If a recovered copy exists, open it and save it immediately.
    1. If the file was stored in OneDrive
    • Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
    • If the file exists there, restore it.
    • If the file opens but content is missing, use Version History for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.
    1. If Excel closed unexpectedly before
    • When AutoRecover is turned on, Document Recovery opens the next time the Office app starts.
    • In the Document Recovery pane, open the listed files and choose the most recent one based on date and time.
    • Save the file you want to keep.
    1. Check whether AutoRecover is enabled for future protection
    • In Excel, go to File > Options > Save.
    • Make sure Save AutoRecover information every is checked.
    • The default interval is 10 minutes.
    • Confirm Disable AutoRecover for this workbook only is unchecked.

    Important:

    • If the workbook was already saved after content was lost, recovery may be limited unless AutoRecover, Version History, or a backup exists.
    • If a recovered file opens, save it right away before closing or editing it.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.