How to Recover an Unsaved or Earlier Word Document

Word may be able to recover work after a crash or an accidental change. The available options depend on whether the file was saved, whether recovery data exists and whether it was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Recovery is not guaranteed.

Start with a separate copy

If you can still open a useful version, save a copy before experimenting. Avoid overwriting the only copy of the document.

After a crash

1. Reopen Word and check for the Document Recovery pane.
2. Open the available recovered versions and check their timestamps and contents.
3. Save the version you need with a clear name and location before closing the recovery pane.

An unsaved document on Windows

1. Open Word and go to File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents.
2. If a recovery file is listed, open it and inspect the contents.
3. Use Save As to save a normal document in a known folder.

If the file had been saved previously, Manage Document may also list a version marked as closed without saving. Compare it before restoring, because restoring can replace the saved version.

An earlier cloud version

For a file saved in OneDrive or SharePoint, check Version History. Open and compare earlier versions before choosing one to restore. This is different from recovering an unsaved local document.

Word for Mac

After an unexpected shutdown, reopen Word and check its recovery prompt. If necessary, follow Microsoft’s Mac-specific AutoRecovery instructions in the linked guide; Windows menu paths are not interchangeable with Mac instructions.

Tip: AutoSave and AutoRecover serve different purposes. Check your saving location and recovery settings before relying on either for future work.

Sources and useful links

• support.microsoft.com: en-gb/word/recover-your-word-files-and-documents
• support.microsoft.com: en-au/word/recover-an-earlier-version-of-a-word-file
• support.microsoft.com: en-us/office/collab-files/recover-files-in-office-for-mac