how to recover file in excel

 Recovering files in Excel can be crucial, especially when dealing with important data. There are various methods to recover lost, unsaved, or corrupted Excel files. Below are detailed steps for each scenario:

Recover Unsaved Excel Files

1. Using the Document Recovery Pane (for crashes)

   • Open Excel. If it crashed previously, the Document Recovery pane should appear on the left side with a list of unsaved files.
   • Click on the file you want to recover and save it immediately.

2. Recover Unsaved Workbooks

   • Open Excel and go to the File tab.
   • Click on Open.
   • Scroll down and click on Recent.
   • At the bottom of the recent documents list, click on Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
   • Select the file you want to recover from the list and click Open.
   • Save the file immediately.

Recover an Overwritten File

1. Using File History (Windows)

   • Right-click on the file.
   • Select Restore previous versions.
   • Choose the version you want to restore from the list and click Restore.

2. Using OneDrive (if saved on OneDrive)

   • Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
   • Navigate to the file you want to restore.
   • Click on the file and select Version history.
   • Choose the version you want to restore and click Restore.

Recover a Corrupted Excel File

1. Open and Repair
   • Open Excel and go to the File tab.
   • Click on Open.
   • Navigate to the corrupted file.
   • Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Open button and select Open and Repair.
   • Choose Repair to recover as much data as possible.
   • If Repair doesn’t work, choose Extract Data.

Recover Deleted Excel Files

1. Using the Recycle Bin (Windows)

   • Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop.
   • Look for the deleted Excel file.
   • Right-click on the file and select Restore.

2. Using OneDrive (if saved on OneDrive)

   • Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
   • Click on the Recycle bin on the left pane.
   • Look for the deleted file.
   • Select the file and click Restore.

AutoRecover Feature

1. Ensure AutoRecover is Enabled

   • Open Excel and go to the File tab.
   • Click on Options.
   • Select Save from the left pane.
   • Ensure that Save AutoRecover information every X minutes is checked and set the time interval as desired.
   • Ensure that Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving is also checked.

2. Recover Using AutoRecover

   • If Excel crashes, it will automatically open the AutoRecover pane the next time you launch Excel.
   • You can also find AutoRecover files in the directory specified in the Excel Options under Save.

Tips to Prevent Data Loss

• Regularly Save Your Work: Frequently save your work to prevent data loss.
• Enable AutoSave: If you're working with Office 365 and OneDrive or SharePoint, enable AutoSave.
• Back Up Important Files: Regularly back up important Excel files to an external drive or cloud storage.

By following these methods, you can efficiently recover lost, unsaved, or corrupted Excel files and minimize the risk of data loss.