How do I recover an unsaved, word document downloaded from an email program?

I downloaded an essay for editing earlier today, worked on it for roughly four hours, and the program crashed. Many changes have been made since the download.

I haven't once saved the document so it's in the temporary files. Is there a way to recover the file with the saved changes?

Paddy Johnson

Posted 2011-05-06T04:45:46.303

Reputation: 41

Did you download the file to a folder on your Desktop (or somewhere else)? Word should have created a temporary file, it should also ask you to restore it if you start it again. – slhck – 2011-05-06T04:56:54.957

1Also, see if you can find it here: /Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office version AutoRecovery/Autorecovery save of filename – slhck – 2011-05-06T04:59:27.747

I opened the temporary file directly from word, so the file was not on the desktop, but the temporary file folder. I believe word doesn't save if it's in that file? – Paddy Johnson – 2011-05-06T05:00:43.130

There is an autorecovery file saved at 12:36. I assume this means that if I force quit word, I'll be able to recover it? – Paddy Johnson – 2011-05-06T05:08:56.837

I don't know when you last opened/quit Word and what time you have. But yes, I'd try that (and maybe make a copy of the autorecovery file first). I just posted this as an answer, maybe it works. – slhck – 2011-05-06T05:10:51.547

Thank you. I couldn't save the temp file because the program had crashed, but I did recover my file. I very much appreciate the advice. – Paddy Johnson – 2011-05-06T05:18:15.117

Answers

Office for Mac should save autorecovery files at /Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office version AutoRecovery/Autorecovery save of filename.

If Word is still running or hanging you need to quit it before trying to open the autorecovered file.

And that all being said, press Cmd+S a bit more often! It's Word for Mac, after all.

slhck

Posted 2011-05-06T04:45:46.303

Reputation: 182 472

I just had a similar problem: opened a Word document from within Entourage, edited the document for a while and saved it with a new filename. ( while not paying attention to the directory name ..)

Afterwards I couldn't find it.. Word's File -> Open Recent -> menu option did not show it as one of the files I had recently opened. Oops, slight panic.

I realised it probably stored it in Entourage's download directory, and indeed it was located there. So in case you're using Entourage for your email check:

/Users/<username>/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/Outlook Temp

Erik

Posted 2011-05-06T04:45:46.303

Reputation: 11

As discussed here I found the autorecovery files in:

/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Office 2011 AutoRecovery

Jeromy Anglim

Posted 2011-05-06T04:45:46.303

Reputation: 642

In Word for Mac 2011, if you hit save without specifying the directory, the file will be in the Outlook Temp folder. The easy way to get there is click File>Open, click whatever folder is shown, that will bring up a list including "Recent Places", and Outlook Temp will be listed... Your file will be in that folder.

user208112

Posted 2011-05-06T04:45:46.303

Reputation: 1