Word: Not saved - so you can restore the document
If you have not saved a document or Word has crashed, you can restore the file in most cases. We'll show you how.
Restore unsaved documents in newer versions of Word
The following instructions work for the newer Word versions 2013, 2010 and 2007. If you are using an older version, read on in the second paragraph.
- Click "File" in the top left corner of Word, then select the "Information" category.
- Click the "Manage versions" button and select the "Restore unsaved documents" option.
- Check which date of the files most closely matches your lost document and open the file. You can then save the document in Word.
Restore Word documents in older program versions
Depending on the version of Word, the files are saved in a different location. Hold down the "Windows" and "E" keys so that Explorer opens. Enter the following paths here and use the date to check whether the Word backup you are looking for could be behind a file. Then you have to open the file with Word or change the extension to .doc or .docx.
- C: \ Users \ yourusername \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Office \ UnsavedFiles
- C: \ Users \ yourusername \ AppData \ Local \ Temp
- C: \ Windows \ Temp
In the next practical tip we will show you how to save a Word document as a PDF file.