how do I restore a file in word that i accidently deleted

Did you really delete the file? Or, did you delete a shortcut in Word or Windows that leads to the file?

"Word list" is generally a recent file list maintained by Word or Windows, and not the files. If you delete a file from one of those lists, you really only delete a shortcut to the file.

You really want to look on your computer and keep track of where you are storing files and under which name.

Say your file was saved as "My Special Document About Cats." You can search for that in the Windows search bar in Windows explorer. Search on your computer or your network. The search may take some time but your document is likely there.

Dear @DAN STOLL, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

As I am also a moderator, I have the same experience as you and other users. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees in this forum, cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas. 

First, may I ask if that Word file was saved in OneDrive or locally on your computer? And try looking in the folder where you saved the file to see if it's still there.

Also, have you ever sent this file to anyone? If so, please check your sent items; sending a file to someone else is a great way to retrieve a copy. 

Please help me check the Recycle Bin in OneDrive. If it’s not there, scroll down to the bottom and check the Second-stage recycle bin. 

If the file was saved locally on your computer: Please check the Windows Recycle Bin. Usually, the Recycle Bin is on your desktop. If you can't find it, please follow this reference to locate it: Find the Recycle Bin in Windows - Microsoft Support 

If you have ever opened that file in a browser, please open the browser and press Ctrl + H to try searching for it in your history. 

For now, please try the steps mentioned above. If they don't work, please help me reach out to your organization’s Global Admin. Since I see you tagged this as 'Word for Business,' if in this case, you are using a work/school account, your organization will have a Global Admin. You can ask them to use Content Search in the Admin Portal to try and find it for you. 

If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your account's organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.   

While my initial suggestions don’t solve the issue immediately because I may not have fully captured your intent yet, your feedback is crucial. With the additional details you provide, I’ll be able to pinpoint the exact cause and work closely with you to fix it. So, if you face any difficulties or find anything unclear, please reply to me so I have the opportunity to support you better.  

I look forward to your support and response!  

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To restore a deleted file in Word, you can follow these steps:

1. Check the Recycle Bin: If you deleted the file without emptying the Recycle Bin, you might be able to restore it. Double-click the Recycle Bin on your Desktop and search for the deleted Word document. If you find it, right-click the file and select Restore.
2. Restore from OneDrive or SharePoint: If your document was saved or synced to OneDrive or SharePoint, you can restore it from there. For OneDrive, visit the OneDrive website and check the Recycle Bin. For SharePoint, refer to the documentation on restoring items deleted from SharePoint.
3. Search for AutoRecover files: If you have AutoRecover enabled, you can try to recover the file by reopening Word. It will search for any AutoRecover files and display them in the Document Recovery pane if available.
4. Check for Backup Files: If you have the backup copy option enabled in Word, you can check for backup files with a .wbk extension in the following locations:
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles Replace <UserName> with your actual username.

If you still cannot find the file, you may want to search for temporary files with a .tmp extension or use the Windows File Recovery tool if you are on Windows 10 version 2004 or later.

References:

• How to recover unsaved Word documents