Deleting issue!!!

Question

multiple times, i type and am working on a document, then it randomly deletes 5 pages of work, i can't get them back without "restoring file" to previous changes DAYS ago. Then i loose all of my progress and am back to where i was 5 days ago. I PAY for a subscription, this is a NEW computer. I'm Distraught. I cannot keep restoring to 5- a month ago because i loose current changes just because it keeps deleting. YES i have auto save on, NO i didn't accidentally delete it. I feel like i'm going in circles trying to finish this project. I would just like to work start to finish without having to loose all progress and edits and go back to days ago because it randomly deleted my work!

Answer 1

This is not going to help you recover the content you have lost; it is for future use...

AutoSave and Versions only apply to documents saved on OneDrive or SharePoint. They are a great feature but not reliable as we see a number of questions posted here where they did not work.

My recommendations are:

1. Do all editing of important documents using the desktop Word application, not the online or mobile apps.
2. Save to a location on your hard drive. You can have that synced to OneDrive if you wish.
3. Routinely press Ctrl+S every time you pause in your writing.

See:

• https://www.gmayor.com/automatically_backup.htm
• https://addbalance.com/word/download.htm#MicrosoftWordPrograms
• https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/BasicConceptsWord.htm

AutoRecover only applies to documents that have been saved at least once to your hard drive. It is in case of Word crashing and is not a substitute for regular saving of your work.

Answer 2

The behavior described suggests two separate needs: stopping the random loss of pages going forward, and recovering work when it happens.

To protect current and future work:

1. Confirm where the document is stored
   • If the file is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, AutoSave continuously writes changes to the cloud copy. This is the most reliable setup for avoiding data loss and for using Version History.
   • If the file is stored only on the local disk or a network share, Word relies on AutoRecover instead of cloud AutoSave. In that case, configure AutoRecover as below.
2. Turn on and tighten AutoRecover
   • In Word, go to File > Options > Save.
   • Ensure Save AutoRecover information every x minutes is checked.
   • Set the interval to a small value such as 5 minutes or less so that at most a few minutes of work are at risk.
   • Ensure Keep the last autorecovered version if I close without saving is checked.
3. Keep using AutoSave when working in OneDrive/SharePoint
   • For documents opened from OneDrive or SharePoint, leave AutoSave set to On so changes are continuously saved to the cloud document.
4. Use Version History instead of restoring very old copies
   • If the file is in OneDrive or SharePoint, use Version History to go back only as far as needed instead of days or weeks:
     1. Open the document in Word.
     2. Select File > Info.
     3. Select Version History (if available).
     4. In the Version History pane, open recent versions until finding one just before the unwanted deletion.
     5. Select Restore on that version to roll back without going back to very old states.
5. If large sections disappear again
   • Immediately check File > Info > Version History (for cloud files) to see if a recent version still contains the missing pages.
   • If the file is local, after a crash or unexpected closure, look for the Document Recovery pane when reopening Word and choose the most recent recovered version.

These steps do not explain why the deletion occurs, but they ensure that when it does, recovery is limited to minutes of work instead of days, and that the correct recent version can be restored instead of rolling back to much older copies.

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References:

• Help protect your files in case of a crash
• How to recover unsaved Word documents
• Restore a previous version of a file without unwanted changes
• What is AutoSave?
• Video: Recover Office files