Missing Word data PLEASE HELP!!!

Question

Can someone please help me? Earlier today, I emailed a file from my iPad2 to my PC!\[\](http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png), converting it to a Word document. I clicked on enable editing and worked on the document for most of the day, saving the changes as I went to be on the safe side, which appeared to be working fine. I closed the document before going out (which appeared to be safely saved) and have just tried to reopen it, but it doesn't appear to be in my word files or my recent items. How do I restore it please? I'm using Windows 7 and MS Office 2010 home and student edition. Any help greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to Microsoft Community and thank you for posting the question. I understand how frustrating it is to lose the document in spite of saving it periodically.

Have you tried searching for the work document by the file name and by extension in Windows 8 search function?

Refer to the following link to Recover an earlier version of an Office file:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/word-help/recover-an-earlier-version-of-an-office-file-HA010356735.aspx

If the above link does not help,, then let us search for *.doc, *.docx and by file name using the Windows 8 search. Refer the following link on how to search for files on Windows 8:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows-8/search-file-explorer

Also if you have backup software which automatically backs up the data on the hard drive, then you may try to restore or retrieve them and check if it helps.

I hope this helps in retrieving the lost document from the computer. If you need further assistance, reply and we will check if there are any other ways to retrieve the document.

Thank You

Answer 2

Thanks so much, Pamela. Those sounded so promising, especially as we're on the same systems, and my heart leapt, but sadly no positive results. My documents don't seem to be in My Documents, no matter how hard I look! It looks like it's another 6 hours of editing for me. Ah well, worth a try and thank you!

Answer 3

I don't use Outlook.  So this works for me.  Open the mail attachment again and do a save as.  If you are lucky, the folder that opens is the same one you saved to the last time.  Switch the folder to the details view so you can see file names and modify dates.   Look for  you file. If you find it, right click and create a shortcut for the desktop.  Close the dialog without saving.  Go to the desktop and open the shortcut.  Remember to save it to  a more accessible folder.

Another possibility is versions. On my system (Windows 7), they are stored in folders here: C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word.  In the past we couldn't open .asd files.  According to the experts here, they were only fragments of files.  But last  week I had six versions of one long editing  file, and each one opened in W2010 with all information (I assume) up to the time of the save.   I hope you see the same result.

Also, did you notice the Graham says that now Word saves Outlook attachments to My Documents?

Answer 4

Thanks so much for your reply, Jay. The solution looked really promising, but my version of Windows (8) appears mot to have the required folders and to be too clover for this, saving every file I send it in My Documents, rather than to a temporary location :(

I question why Microsoft lets you edit these documents without providing warnings or error messages telling you to save your work to another location, even though the saved button on top of the screen appears to work. If I've lost half a day's work due to this, I'll be very distraught!

Any more ideas gratefully received.

Answer 5

This may help: http://www.gmayor.com/outlook_attachments.htm