Latest version of my document is missing - not in recycling bin or latest version history.

Question

When I went to open the document there was a third-party pop-up. Stupidly, I did not read what it said before clicking okay.

Now every version of the document I can find is from several days before - several thousand words are missing. It is as if the latest version of the document no longer exists at all.

Is there any possible way to restore this?

I don't understand where it possibly could have gone.

Answer 1

Where is the affected document saved? If it is saved on your hard drive, you can try searching for *.asd files. These are AutoRecover files and if you find some, try opening them in Word via File > Open > Browse.

Answer 2

If your latest document version is missing and it's not in the Recycle Bin or the version history, you can try the following methods to recover it:

1. Check for AutoRecover Files: If you have AutoRecover enabled, Word may have saved a backup of your document. You can check the following locations for AutoRecover files:
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles Replace <UserName> with your actual username.
2. Search for Temporary Files: Sometimes, Word creates temporary files that may contain your lost content. You can search for files with the .tmp extension in your system.
3. Restore Previous Versions: If your document was saved on a local drive and you have File History or System Restore enabled, you can right-click on the file, select "Restore previous versions," and see if a more recent version is available.
4. Contact IT Support: If your document was saved in a corporate environment, your IT department may have backups or audit logs that could help recover the lost version.
5. Third-Party Recovery Tools: If all else fails, consider using third-party file recovery tools that can scan your hard drive for deleted or lost files.

If you still cannot find the document, it may be necessary to recreate the lost content based on any previous versions you have.