[Answered] How to Open Recovered Files in Word?

Learn how to open recovered files in Word and how to recover lost Word documents in this guide. Meanwhile, there’re related Word document recovery tips and data loss prevention tips.

Penny

By Penny / Updated on April 3, 2024

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Can you find a document that wasn’t saved?

   
   
   
       

I left an unsaved Word 2016 doc open the last night, but this morning, it was gone. It’s not coming up under the managed document/recover unsaved documents approach. How do I recover an unsaved Word document in Windows 10? Thanks.

- A user from Tenforums

Microsoft Word (MS Word) is a popular word-processing program in Office software. Plenty of users have used this application to create and edit documents since 1983. Over the past decade, Microsoft Word has grown into a more versatile and powerful software.

word-document-recovery

Thus, it could be painful after accidentally closing a Word version without saving it. At this point, how to open recovered files in Word? In brief, how to recover unsaved Word documents?

Part 1. How to open recovered files in Word?

For Windows PC, how to find unsaved documents in Word? Please get an overview of the following methods. Moreover, these solutions also can recover unsaved Excel files.  

Way 1. Recover unsaved Word documents from temporary files

Windows operating systems can automatically save temporary files when editing Word files. You could restore your desired Word files if you never delete temporary files using CMD or Disk Cleanup.

Go to the path to find temporary files: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp

find-word-temp-file-in-temp-folder

Please replace your username with UserName. Open your temporary storage folder to see if there’re Word documents you need.

Way 2. Recover unsaved Word documents via AutoRecover

How to recover unsaved Word documents in Windows? MS Office has released several valuable features for data loss prevention. AutoRecover is a practical function that can store your AutoRecover information at a default or customized time interval.

save-document

After turning on AutoRecover, let’s perform how to open recovered files in Word.

Step 1. Go to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.

path-to-find-lost-data

Step 2. Select and copy the unsaved Word document you want to restore.

find-lost-document

Step 3. Open your Microsoft Word program, then click File > Open > Recover Unsaved documents. Please click “Open” after pasting the copied file in the File name column.

choose-a-location-to-store

Way 3. Recover unsaved Word documents from wbk files

Similarly, if you’ve opened Word > File > Options > Advanced to tick Always create a backup copy, each Word document has an extension (.wbk).

always-create-backup-copy

You can also find and recover unsaved Word documents from wbk files.

Step 1. Press “Win + E” to open Windows File Explorer.

windows-file-explorer

Step 2. Go to the backup path:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word

Please fill in your username. Check whether there’re your desired Word documents or not.

wbk-file

Part 2. How to recover lost Word documents in Windows?

This part is ready to help you with the deleted/lost Word documents because deletion is the most common data loss scenario.

How to recover lost Word documents? There’s no need for those prepared users who’ve created regular backups to use a third-party tool.

But for those users without backups, it’s inevitable for you to seek help from one of the best Word document recovery software like MyRecover to recover your lost Word files.   

★Tips:   
Recover the deleted/lost Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, photos, videos, audio, folders, and other 200+ types of data from HDD, USB, SD cards, and other storage devices.
Keep the original format for the deleted/lost files.   
During Quick Scan and Deep Scan, you can enter filenames in the search bar to find your desired files or wait to see all the deleted and other missing files.   
Support NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, and ReFS file systems.

Download MyRecover on your Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or Windows Server computers to get your permanently deleted Word files back!

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. Launch MyRecover on your PC, and hover the mouse over the partition that contains the Word files you want. Then click Scan.

select-location-to-scan

Step 2. Locate your desired Word files by Name, Date, Type, Size, or Path. After Quick Scan and Deep Scan, you can also wait to view all the files and other missing files.

scanning-drive

Step 3. Go to the Deleted Files/Other Missing Files folder, and click “Recover x files” to get your selected Word files back. Please remember to store these recovered files in another path.

select-deleted-word-files-click-recover

Relevant Q&A about the Word document recovery

How to open recovered files in Word? Or how to recover lost Word documents? Please get the corresponding methods above. And there’re some Word document recovery tips for you.  

Penny
Penny · Editor
Penny works as an editor at AOMEI Technology, while she's a tester and editor for AOMEI Data Recovery Tools. She enjoys helping users with data recovery issues on Windows and iPhones using simple and practical solutions. Outside of work, she has a strong affection for pets, particularly giant pandas.