How to replace original MS Excel file with recovered/autosaved version?

Question

When I try to save recovered Excel file after unclean shutdown to overwrite original file, Excel says it cannot access the file. To my understanding original file should not be locked because I did not open it and Excel opened recovered version.

My goal is to replace original file with recovered one without having to save recovered file somewhere else and replacing original. Best would be to do it inside Excel. I don't understand why Excel doesn't allow this by default.

Answer 1

Click on the original file to open it from the Recovery pane then close it.

You should then be able to save the recovered file directly over the top of the original without having to save it somewhere else.