How to recover deleted content from Word

Question

Word deleted all of my content and I do not know how to recover it. When I hit undo, nothing appears, and the same for redo. When I go to the version edit history, it is completely gone and there is no trace of any of the content I have written. I was writing on the site version of Word, and it said that it was continuously syncing and autosaving my work so I am very confused. Please help.

Answer 1

If you are using the free online version of Word 365, documents are saved to the OneDrive that belongs to the Microsoft account where you are signed in.

Answer 2

Hi,

I understand how crucial it is to recover your lost progress on your thesis. Let’s explore some steps to retrieve that missing content in Word Online:

Check Version History: Word Online automatically saves your document as you work, but sometimes it’s helpful to check the version history.

Open your document in Word Online. Click on the “File” tab. Select “Info” from the left sidebar. Look for the “Version history” section. You’ll find a list of saved versions. Click on the one closest to the date when you were actively editing (in your case, around March 21st). Review the content to see if your missing text is there. If you find the correct version, you can restore it by clicking "Restore.

Recover Unsaved Documents: Sometimes Word Online may have saved an unsaved version. Go to “File” > “Info”. Look for the “Manage Document” dropdown. Choose “Recover Unsaved Documents”. Check if your missing content appears in the list of unsaved documents and recover it if possible.

Check Recycle Bin: If you accidentally deleted the content, it might be in your OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bin. Visit your OneDrive or SharePoint site. Look for the “Recycle Bin” or “Deleted Items” folder. Search for your thesis document and restore it if found.

Local AutoRecover Files (if using Word desktop): If you were using Word Online via the desktop app, check your local AutoRecover files. Open Word on your computer. Go to “File” > “Options” > “Save”. Look for the “AutoRecover file location” and navigate to that folder. Search for any files related to your thesis and open them to see if your content is there. or Temporary Files: Word may have saved temporary files on your computer. Search for .asd files (AutoRecover files) on your computer.

Contact Microsoft Support: If none of the above methods work, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support. They can assist you further in recovering your lost content.

I hope you are able to recover your lost work using the methods mentioned above. It's essential to take preventive measures to avoid such issues in the future.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or clarification on any of the steps.

Best regards,

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