Buzz
At times while composing text in Word, you may forget to save your document before a sudden power outage or encountering an error message requiring Word closure. Upon reopening the Word file, you might find your authored content missing. You can recover unsaved Word files using the methods outlined below.
Below are methods to locate and recover unsaved Word files, along with configuring automatic Word file saving settings. Join us as we explore.
How to Recover Unsaved Word Documents
Method 1
Step 1: Launch Word, and from the interface, select File.
Step 2: In the Info tab, choose Manage Document -> Recover Unsaved Documents.
Step 3: You will now be directed to the folder containing unsaved Word files. Simply select the file you wish to restore and click Open to reopen it in Word.
Step 4: Choose Save As and save the Word file, then proceed with editing as usual.
Method 2
Step 1: Open Word, then select File -> Options from the interface.
Step 2: Navigate to the Save tab on the left menu. Then, copy the path provided in the AutoRecover file location section. Press OK to close Word Options.
Step 3: Open File Explorer, paste the copied path into the address bar in File Explorer and press Enter to open the folder.
Alternatively, you can press Windows + R to open the Run window, then paste the path into the Open box and press OK to open the folder.
Step 4: Files with the asd extension are unsaved files; you can choose to open them with Word. Alternatively, you can navigate to the folder named after the file to view unsaved files.
Step 5: Finally, select Save As to save the Word file and continue editing if necessary.
Setting up Automatic Save Time in Word
Step 1: On the Word interface, select File -> Options.
Step 2: In Word Options, choose the Save tab, check the box next to Save AutoRecover information every, then set the automatic save time in the adjacent box. Note that the time unit is minutes. Then press OK to save the settings.
Here are two methods to help you find and recover unsaved Word files in Word. Hopefully, with these instructional methods, you will not lose important documents when your computer shuts down unexpectedly before you have a chance to save. Wish you success!
