Document recovery

Question

Is there a way to sort the list of recovered documents by name or date last modified?

Answer 1

Hi Barry,

Regarding your concern, Excel currently does not provide an option to sort the files in the Document Recovery pane by file name or recovery date. The date and time associated with each recovered version appear below the file name, and you can widen the pane if this information is truncated. As a workaround, you can open and save the recovered workbooks to a folder, then use File Explorer to sort the saved files by Name or Date modified.

I understand that this workaround may not be practical when there are many recovered documents. Since sorting recovered files would be a useful improvement, I recommend submitting this suggestion directly to the Excel product team through the Excel · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern.

Answer 2

Excel’s Document Recovery pane cannot be sorted manually by file name or modification date; use the date and creation time displayed beneath each recovered file to identify the newest version. ^1^

Review and save the recovered files

1. Widen the Document Recovery pane by dragging its right edge so the full names and timestamps are visible.
2. For duplicate versions, start with the entry showing the most recent date and time.
3. Select each entry to inspect it, or use its drop-down arrow and choose Open or View.
4. Choose Save As and save the required version under a distinct name before deleting or closing any recovery entries.
5. If uncertain, select Close and then Yes, I want to view these files later. Do not choose the removal option until all needed versions are saved.

Workaround for a sortable list

For unsaved workbooks, open:

File → Info → Manage Workbook → Recover Unsaved Workbooks

The resulting Windows file dialog can be switched to Details view, where the files can be sorted by the available Name or Date modified column. Open the required file, then immediately select Save As to preserve it. Microsoft documents this recovery route for unsaved Excel files. ^2^

This alternate dialog may not contain every item shown in Document Recovery, so save important entries from the recovery pane before dismissing it.

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References

1. Recover your Microsoft 365 files | Microsoft Support
2. Recover an earlier version of an Office file | Microsoft Support