Recover Unsaved, Deleted, or Corrupted Word Documents [Pro Guide]

There's nothing more frustrating than losing hours of work in Microsoft Word. Whether it's an important document for work or school, or a personal project you've been working on for a while, losing progress can be a major setback.

Fortunately, in many instances, it's possible to recover a lost or deleted Word file. This article will show you how to recover unsaved, deleted, and corrupted Word documents. Additionally, we'll provide specific guidance and solutions for data loss and corruption scenarios with Word documents. Use the quick navigation below to jump to the most likely cause of your issue and follow the step-by-step guide for Word recovery.

"Recover an unsaved Word document"

There are several reasons why a Word document may not save correctly, including forgetting to save a document, a crash, or incompatibility with Word.

User scenario: Accidentally closed an unsaved Word document

The main problem with not saving files is forgetting to save, as illustrated by the following user scenario.

"I accidentally closed a Microsoft Word document without saving it. I'm trying to recover an unsaved Microsoft Word file. Any suggestions on how to recover it?"

Solution 1: Recover Unsaved Word Document in Windows 10

Did you accidentally close Microsoft Word without saving your document? Don't panic. There are several methods you can try to recover an unsaved document.

Check recent documents

First, check the Document Recovery feature. In Word, click File > Open > Recent Documents. If your unsaved document is listed here, you can click it to open and then save it. If your unsaved document doesn't appear in the Recent Documents list, don't worry—you can still try some other methods.

Find temporary files

One way is to look for temporary files that Word creates when opening a document. These files usually have the same name as the original document but with a .tmp extension. Search your computer for files with the .tmp extension to find these. Once you locate the file, rename it with the .docx extension, and Word should be able to open it.

Still can't find your unsaved document after trying both methods? Don't worry – you can use Microsoft Word's built-in document recovery tool to get it back.

Refer to the complete guide on how to recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10. We also have a video tutorial that can help you recover unsaved DOC and DOCX files.

Did you know?

While file loss is sometimes inevitable, you can effectively prevent it from happening in the future by saving your work frequently while handling files. In Word, you can rely on AutoSave to save your documents automatically at intervals you set. Therefore, we advise against disabling AutoSave in Word (or even Excel) and even increasing the frequency with which Microsoft Word saves your documents.

Solution 2: Recover unsaved Word document with recovery software

If you lost your unsaved Word document due to accidental deletion, hard drive formatting, or system issues, the above methods won't work. In this case, you'll need to use a professional unsaved file recovery program like the Data Recovery Wizard Pro tool to retrieve your data.

To recover an unsaved Word document using recovery software, follow this tutorial:

< strong > Step 1: < /strong> Launch the tools Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. Select the disk where you lost unsaved files and click "Scan".

Step 2. On the left, you'll see "Path" and "Type" tabs. Click on "Type" and select "Unsaved Files". You can double-click on a folder to open it or hit "Open". This unsaved file recovery software will help you easily restore unsaved Word, Excel, PPT, and other files.

Step 3. Select the files you want to retrieve, then click on “Preview.” After that, hit “Recover” to save your unsaved files. Just make sure not to save the recovered files in their original location to avoid overwriting them.

Fix 3: Recover Unsaved Word Document on Mac

If you're a Mac user, you know there are many ways to recover an unsaved Word document. Whether you use Time Machine, iCloud, or a third-party service, you have several options for getting back your lost work.

But what if you haven't? Can you still recover unsaved Word documents on Mac? The answer is yes! With a bit of effort, you can find and recover any unsaved Word document on your Mac. Here's how:

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Recover Deleted or Lost Word Documents with Data Recovery Software

Apart from losing data due to closing without saving, many people also get headaches from accidentally deleting Word documents.

User Scenario: Accidentally deleted an important Word document

Users might accidentally delete a Word document. For instance, they might have tried to delete another file but clicked the wrong one. Or while moving files around, they might have mistakenly dragged the Word document to the Recycle Bin.

Regardless, if you've deleted a Word document, don't panic. First, check your Recycle Bin to see if the file is still there. If it is, you can restore it to its original location. If the file isn't in the Recycle Bin, you can try using a data recovery program to scan your hard drive for deleted files.

Completely Recover Lost/Deleted Word Documents

Regardless of how your Word document was deleted or where it was stored, you can recover a deleted Word document. If you deleted the file from your computer, you can restore it from the Recycle Bin or Trash. But if the file was permanently deleted, you'll need to use a data recovery program, such as the Data Recovery Wizard, to scan your hard drive for the file.

Sometimes, the file might be stored in a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox, and you may be able to recover an earlier version from the service's version history. However, if the file was completely deleted, you'll need to contact customer support for help.

We've got you covered with an ultimate guide on how to recover deleted Word documents in different ways. Hopefully, one of these methods will help you retrieve your document. Additionally, it's always a good idea to back up important files regularly, so you can restore them if they get lost or deleted.

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Repair Corrupted or Damaged Word Documents

The third issue related to Word documents that we'll be exploring is Word corruption. Corruption in Word can stem from two categories of problems: issues with the content or formatting within the Word file, such as a document appearing blank when opened, and issues with the Word application itself, like crashes or freezing. Specific scenarios include:

Case 1: Word Cannot Read Content Error

Some users might encounter the "Word found unreadable content" error when opening a Word document, with a message saying, "Word found unreadable content in XXXX. Do you want to recover the contents of this document? If you trust the source of this document, click Yes."

This issue can occur due to various reasons, such as a virus attack, file conversion, or a sudden power outage. Even using Word's Open and Repair feature might not resolve the problem.

Scenario 2: Microsoft Office stops working

It can be incredibly frustrating to have Microsoft Word freeze or become unresponsive while you're editing a document. But don't worry — you're not alone. Many users have reported the “Microsoft Word has stopped working” error, but there are some things you can try to get the program up and running again.

Usually, this problem can be resolved simply by closing and restarting the program. However, if the issue persists and your Word document might be corrupted, you can try some other troubleshooting steps.

Solution 1: Use Word Text Recovery Converter

If you have lost an important Word document due to a software crash or some other unforeseen circumstance, you may be able to recover the text using a tool such as the Word Text Recovery Converter.

This converter will try to open your corrupted Word document, repair it, and extract the text. It works most of the time, and you'll be able to save your document.

However, if the document is too severely damaged, the converter may not be able to recover all of the text. In this case, you may only be able to recover fragments of the text. Nevertheless, it's worth using the Word Text Recovery Converter to try to salvage what you can.

2. Repair Corrupted Word File Online

Regardless of the reason for the damage, you can try using an online document repair tool. There are some excellent online tools that can help you quickly and easily fix your corrupted Word file. Just choose a secure and reliable service and follow a simple process to mend your file.

First, go to the website of an online recovery service, such as Word Recovery Toolbox. Choose the option to upload your corrupted Word file. The site will then scan your file and attempt to fix it.

If the repair is successful, you can download the repaired file to your computer. Otherwise, you might need to try a different repair service.

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Repair 3: Repair a corrupt Word document using Word repair software

A corrupted Word file can be difficult to recover. If both of these methods fail, don't give up; you have one last option. You can use a professional Word repair tool, such as File Repair, to help fix your damaged document.

Damaged Word repair software can help you fix a document without having to start from scratch. This type of software can fix common issues such as missing text, formatting errors, and more.

When choosing a Word repair tool, it's crucial to ensure that it's compatible with your version of Word. Additionally, looking for one that offers a free trial can be beneficial, allowing you to test it before purchasing.

We have a dedicated article here on the best Word repair tools for Windows and Mac. You can use these programs to identify and fix corruption in documents from Word 2007 and later.

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Conclusions

If you accidentally close Word without saving, don't despair. First, check if there's a recent backup file available that you can restore to avoid losing any work. Failing that, you can attempt to use Word's AutoRecover feature, which can restore changes made in an open, unsaved document in the event of a crash or improper shutdown.

To restore deleted or permanently lost files, you can seek assistance from data recovery software. If you're struggling with a corrupted Word document, find a repair tool that suits your needs and follow the instructions to fix the damaged Word file.