LOST EXCEL DOCUMENT

MS Gonzales Trucking INC 0 Reputation points
2026-06-29T17:03:45.01+00:00

I have tried though many avenues, including YouTube, to find a document that seems to be lost. PLEASE HELP!!!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows
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  1. Hendrix-C 18,425 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-29T17:55:12.08+00:00

    Hi,

    I'm really sorry and I truly understand that how stressful it is when losing an important workbook.

    Since you didn't clearly state which steps you have done to try recovering the lost file, I will suggest going through the highest possibility recovery paths. However, one important note I need to mention firstly is that you must not create a new file with the same name with the lost file since it may overwrite the temporary recovery version of your lost workbook.

    1/ Check the AutoRecover folder

    • Open Excel and go to File > Open > Recover Unsaved Workbook
    • Check the folder and look for any file that look relevant to your lost file
    • If you found the correct file, saved it immediately

    2/ Check Version history (if the file was saved in OneDrive/SharePoint)

    • Sign into the OneDrive and go to My Files > go to the folder where the file should be > right click the file and choose Version History
    • Check the file versions by date/time and restore/download the correct version if found.
    • Also, check these locations to see if your file is accidentally moved there. If yes, restore it:
      • OneDrive Recycle Bin
      • Your computer local Recycle Bin
      • Folders named Desktop, Documents and Downloads under OneDrive

    3/ Use File Explorer previous version

    • In File Explorer, go to the folder where the workbook was stored initially
    • Right click the containing folder > choose Restore previous version
    • Look if you found any recovery version of your lost workbook > choose Restore to...

    User's image

    You can try these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, please feel free to reach out again in the comments on this post. I'm happy to assist you further and we can work together to find out a way.     

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.


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