File recovery from excel

When working on an Excel file, the data can go haywire due to system crash, human errors, virus/malware infections and other unknown issues. Even if you back up your Excel file quite often, corruption can still be a problem. Also, the backup won’t necessarily contain the most recent version of your Excel file. But with the help of Best Excel Recovery Software, you can easily recover corrupt data from an Excel file in a hassle-free manner. See the below listing and choose the right option.

Stellar Repair for Excel (Excel Recovery Software)

Stellar Repair for Excel offers a quick and hassle-free way of dealing with all common Excel file corruption errors like ‘unreadable content’, ‘unrecognizable format’, ‘Excel file is corrupt and cannot be opened’ etc. The software features a rich and intuitive GUI that helps repair corrupt Excel files and quickly restore the file data in 3 simple steps – load the corrupt file, repair & preview the file, and then save it.

Supported OS: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 & 2000

Pros:

• Recovers every object in Excel files like tables, charts, chart sheets, cell comments, images, formulas, etc.
• Fixes freeze panes, gridlines, and other worksheet properties
• Retains original worksheet properties and cell formatting
• Restore corrupt or damaged Excel file of any size
• Batch repair multiple Excel files
• Option to find specific Excel files
• Previews recoverable Excel data
• Flexibility to save the repaired file at the default or user-defined location
• Option to save log information of the repairing process
• Supports latest MS Excel 2019 version

You can see the working of the software here:

Software with 100% integrity and precision

Cons:

• Allows to preview single worksheet from the repaired Excel file

Kernel for Excel Repair Software

This is another great Excel repair tool that allows repairing corrupt data from Excel files that cannot be recognized or accessed. It features a simple to use and easy to navigate GUI that makes the process of repairing Excel files a seamless process.

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, 98, NT & 95 Supported MS Excel Versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, XP, 2000, 97 & 95

Pros:

• Restores all types of Excel data objects like tables, charts, formulas, chart sheets, images, etc.
• Preserves cell’s properties and formatting
• Allows recovery of multiple Excel files at once
• Previews recoverable content of the repaired file
• Supports MS Excel version 2019

Cons:

• Does not provide the option to search for specific Excel files
• No option to save the log report

SysTools Excel Recovery software can help recover excel worksheet data after a system crash and can repair all types of MS Excel file errors. It allows to repair a single workbook or a complete folder to restore Excel spreadsheet data.

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP, Vista, Windows 2008, 2003, 2000
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, & 2007

Pros:

• Recovers Excel data like pivot tables, cell commenting, formulas, graphical charts, images, etc.
• Repair and retrieve data from multiple worksheets
• Retrieves page layout with themes and gridlines
• Option to search for files on the drive
• Provides a preview of recoverable Excel data objects

Cons:

• Option to save the log report is not available
• Does not support the recovery of password-protected files

Recovery for Excel

Next, in the list of the Top 10 best excel file recovery software is Recovery for Excel. It efficiently repairs corrupt Excel spreadsheets and saves the data into a new spreadsheet, without changing the original data. The software scans the corrupt file and saves the preview of recovered data into a file.

Supported OS: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 2003/2008 Server
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000, 97, 95 & 5.0

Pros:

• Recovers tables, numbers, merged cells, chart sheets, hyperlinks, formulas, etc.
• Repairs frozen rows and columns
• Supports multiple recoveries of files in a single attempt
• Saves the preview of recoverable data
• Saves log report of the recovery process

Cons:

• Does not support the latest MS Excel version
• Does not retrieve cells’ names, VBA modules, and drawings
• Preview of recoverable Excel data is not available in the interface

Recoveryfix for Excel

Like any other Excel file recovery software, Recoverfix for Excel Repair to enables data recovery from corrupt or damaged Excel files. The software can fix all types of Excel corruption errors and recovers entire data stored in a corrupt file.

Supported OS: Windows 10 and all earlier versions
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 and 2000

Pros:

• Recovers all objects of Excel file including text, embedded texts, tables, chart sheets, images, etc.
• Retains original properties of the Excel file
• Repairs multiple Excel files simultaneously
• Offers preview functionality

Cons:

• Does not support MS Excel 2019 and 2016 versions
• No option to save log data

ExcelFIX

Another great recovery tool under the Top 10 best excel recovery software in 2023 list is by Cimaware, ExcelFIX helps extract data from the damaged MS Excel file and saves the data in a new Excel file. It can be used to fix most of the common Excel file errors.

Supported OS: Windows 8, 7, XP, Vista, Windows ME, NT, 2003, 98 & 95
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000, 97 & 95.

Pros:

• Retrieves cell values, formulas, cell comments, structural elements, hyperlinks, images, etc.
• Supports multi-file recovery
• Allows to verify the recoverable Excel file data before saving it
• Multi-language support is included

Cons:

• Performs recovery of password-protected XLS files only
• Log report of the repair process cannot be saved
• May hang or crash in some instances

Choose Recovery Toolbox for Excel if you are looking for limited data recovery from a corrupt Excel file. However, the software allows to fix all types of Excel errors. Further, it has a clear and straightforward UI that can be used by a novice.

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista, Windows 2003, 2000, 98, Windows Me & NT
Supported MS Excel Versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, & 2007

Pros:

• Repairs all types of Excel errors including error code 1004, 13, 91, and other errors
• Recovers worksheets, workbook cell data, tables styles, fonts
• Repairs formulas, cell formatting values, table column width, and row height values
• Allows to save repaired data in existing or a new Excel file

Cons:

• Cannot repair spreadsheet properties like comments, VBA macros, merged cells, hyperlinks, etc.
• Does not support the recovery of multiple Excel files
• Does not support saving log information

This Excel repair utility can be used to restore data from a corrupt workbook and worksheet of any size.

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista, Windows 2000, Me, NT 4.0, 98 & 95
Supported MS Excel Versions: 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 & 2016

Pros:

• Repair table styles, cell values, cell formatting, formulas
• Provide a preview of recoverable Excel file data
• Export data directly to MS Excel

Cons:

• Cannot recover merged cells, hyperlinks, VBA macros, and some other data types and objects
• Support for MS Excel 2019 version is not available
• Does not support batch repair of Excel files

DiskInternals Excel Recovery

DiskInternals Excel Recovery software can help you find and recover MS Excel files from any storage media. Unlike other software in the list, DiskInternals scans an entire drive to locate the Excel file you want to recover.

Supported OS: 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 Server & Vista
Supported MS Excel Versions: 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 & 2016

Pros:

• Recovers unsaved or accidentally deleted Excel files
• Provides a detailed preview of recoverable workbooks and spreadsheets
• Allows to recover multiple Excel files at once
• Recovered files can be saved on any disk

Cons:

• Does not support MS Excel 2019 version
• Difficult to understand user interface for novices

Excel Repair Kit

This Excel repair software is capable of recovering Excel file data that gets corrupted due to an unexpected event. It only takes a few minutes to repair an Excel file and recover corrupt data by using Excel Repair Kit.

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, XP, Vista, Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0 & 2000
Supported MS Excel Versions: 95, 98, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 & 2016

Pros:

• Recovers Excel elements including cell data, formulas, cell formatting, links and much more
• Intuitive wizard-based UI

Cons:

• The option to search the file is not available
• Does not support Excel version 2019

Conclusion

Whatever the cause, losing critical Excel file data can be a horrendous experience. With Excel file recovery software the chances of retrieving lost or corrupt data are good.

Hopefully, the list of the Top 10 best Excel Recovery Software in 2023 covered in this post will help you pick a suitable tool to meet your data recovery needs.

When Microsoft Excel detects a corrupted workbook upon opening, it automatically starts File Recovery mode and attempts to repair the workbook. If File Recovery mode doesn’t start, try using this manual process to recover your workbook:

1. Click File > Open.

2. Click the location and folder that contains the corrupted workbook.

3. In the Open dialog box, select the corrupted workbook.

4. Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open and Repair.

   

5. To recover as much of the workbook data as possible, pick Repair.

   If Repair isn’t able to recover your data, pick Extract Data to extract values and formulas from the workbook.

If neither automatic nor manual repair works, there are some recovery methods that might help salvage your data. You can also take some preventive measures to avoid losing your work by automatically saving a backup copy of your workbook or creating a recovery file from time to time.

• Recover data from a corrupted workbook

• Automatically save a backup copy of a workbook

• Automatically create a recovery file at set intervals

Recover data from a corrupted workbook

Choose one of the following methods to help recover your data. If it’s not successful, try another method. You can also try third-party software solutions to try to recover workbook.

Important: If a disk error or network error prevents you from opening a workbook, move the workbook to a different hard disk drive or a local disk before trying any of the following recovery options.

Recover data when the workbook is open in Excel

• Revert the workbook to the last saved version    If a workbook becomes corrupted while you work but before you save your changes, you can revert your workbook to the last saved version:

  1. Click File > Open.

  2. Double-click the name of the workbook that you have open in Excel.

  3. Click Yes to reopen the workbook.

     The workbook opens without any changes you made that might have caused the workbook to become corrupted.

Recover data when you can’t open the workbook in Excel

• Set the calculation option in Excel to manual    Try changing the calculation setting from automatic to manual. Because the workbook won’t be recalculated, it may open.

  1. Click File > New.

  2. Under New, click Blank workbook.

  3. Click File > Options.

  4. In the Formulas category, under Calculation options, pick Manual, and then click OK.

  5. Click File > Open.

  6. Locate and then double-click the corrupted workbook to open it.

• Use external references to link to the corrupted workbook    To retrieve only data and not formulas or calculated values from the workbook, try using external references to link to the corrupted workbook.

  1. Click File > Open.

  2. Go to the folder that contains the corrupted workbook.

  3. Right-click the file name of the corrupted workbook, click Copy, and then click Cancel.

  4. Click File > New.

  5. Under New, click Blank workbook.

  6. In cell A1 of the new workbook, type =File Name!A1, where File Name is the name of the corrupted workbook that you copied in step 3, and then press Enter.

     Note:  You have to enter only the name of the workbook—you don’t have to type the file name extension.

  7. If the Update Values dialog box appears, select the corrupted workbook, and then click OK.

  8. If the Select Sheet dialog box appears, select the appropriate sheet, and then click OK.

  9. Select cell A1.

  10. Click Home > Copy, or press Ctrl+C.

  11. Select an area, starting in cell A1 that is approximately the same size as the range of cells that contain data in the corrupted workbook.

  12. Click Home > Paste, or press Ctrl+V.

  13. With the range of cells still selected, click Home > Copy again, or press Ctrl+C.

  14. Click Home > the arrow below Paste, and then under Paste Values, click Values.

      Pasting values removes the links to the corrupted workbook and leaves only the data.

• Use a macro to extract data from a corrupted workbook    If a chart is linked to the corrupted workbook, try using a macro to extract the source data of the chart.

  1. Copy the following macro code and paste it in a module sheet:

     Sub GetChartValues()

     Dim NumberOfRows As Integer

     Dim X As Object

     Counter = 2

     ‘ Calculate the number of rows of data.

     NumberOfRows = UBound(ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).Values)

     Worksheets(«ChartData»).Cells(1, 1) = «X Values»

     ‘ Write x-axis values to worksheet.

     With Worksheets(«ChartData»)

     .Range(.Cells(2, 1), _

     .Cells(NumberOfRows + 1, 1)) = _

     Application.Transpose(ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).XValues)

     End With

     ‘ Loop through all series in the chart and write their values to

     ‘ the worksheet.

     For Each X In ActiveChart.SeriesCollection

     Worksheets(«ChartData»).Cells(1, Counter) = X.Name

     With Worksheets(«ChartData»)

     .Range(.Cells(2, Counter), _

     .Cells(NumberOfRows + 1, Counter)) = _

     Application.Transpose(X.Values)

     End With

     Counter = Counter + 1

     Next

     End Sub

  2. Insert or delete a worksheet into your workbook right-click its sheet tab, and then rename it ChartData.

  3. Select the chart from which you want to extract the underlying data values.

     Note: The chart can be embedded on a worksheet or on a separate chart sheet.

  4. Run the macro.

  5. The data from the chart is put on the ChartData worksheet.

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Automatically save a backup copy of a workbook

With a backup copy of your workbook, you’ll always have access to your data if your workbook is deleted accidentally or if it becomes corrupted.

1. Click File > Save As.

2. Click Computer, and then click the Browse button.

   

3. In the Save As dialog box, click the arrow next to Tools, and then click General Options.

   

4. In the General Options dialog box, check the Always create backup box.

   

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Automatically create a recovery file at set intervals

A recovery file of your workbook also helps ensure you’ll have access to your data if your workbook is deleted accidentally or if it becomes corrupted.

1. Click File > Options.

2. In the Save category, under Save workbooks, check the Save AutoRecover information every box, and then enter a number of minutes. (The default is 10.)

   

3. In the AutoRecover file location box, enter the location where you want to save the recovery file.

4. Make sure that the Disable AutoRecover for this workbook only box is unchecked.

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Losing crucial Excel files is a very frustrating situation as this deletes many hours of work and leaves you completely helpless. However, in this article, we will show you how to perform .xlsx file recovery from Recycle Bin, .temp folder, previous versions, or using an advanced Excel File Repair & Recovery Tool.

Table of Content:

Can I Retrieve Deleted Excel Files?

How to Perform XLSX File Recovery?

• Use the Best Excel File Repair & Recovery Tool
• From Recycle Bin
• From .Tmp Folder
• Via Windows Previous Versions
• Through ‘Recent Unsaved’ Option

How To Repair XLSX Files?

• Try Excel Inbuilt Option “Open and Repair”
• Use External References for XLSX Repair

Can I Retrieve Deleted Excel Files?

Yes, you can retrieve deleted Excel files effortlessly.

But how? Let’s find out the answer:

Well, there are numerous reasons to lose your important Excel file data like sudden power failure, file system corruption, etc. Regardless of the reasons, the lost Excel files are remained there in your device disk and can be easily recovered.

In the next section, you will find a few excellent ways to recover XLSX file successfully. So, let’s check them out.

How to Perform XLSX File Recovery?

Way 1: Use the Best Excel File Repair & Recovery Tool

Well, to repair and recover XLSX/XLS file I have so many manual solutions to share with you all. But if you guys are looking for some effortless and guaranteed solution, try Excel File Repair software.

It is the best and even professionally recommended tool for the recovery of corrupt Excel workbook data and to avoid permanent data loss situations. Besides, it is capable to restore entire data including the charts, worksheet properties cell comments, and other data without doing any modification. It is easy to use and supports all Excel versions.

* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

Why Choose Excel File Repair Software?

• Does easy recovery of all your excel workbook tables, sorts, filters, chart sheets, formulas, cell comments, charts, images, etc.
• Completely Preserves entire worksheet properties like freeze panes, split, gridlines, formula bar and cell formatting
• Repair single and multiple XLSX/ XLS files in one go.
• Fix all types of Excel corruption errors
• Well support for all MS Excel versions: 2019/ 2016/ 2013/ 2010/ 2007/ 2003 / 2000
• Shows real-time preview of all the recoverable items from your corrupt xlsx/xls files before starting up the recovery procedure.
• Well, compatibility and support for both Mac/Windows.

So, just download it on your PC & follow the below user guide.

Steps To Utilize Excel File Repair Software:

Way 2: Recover XLSX File From Recycle Bin

If your xls/xlsx file has been accidentally deleted then the easiest option is to recover it from the Recycle Bin folder. here is how you can do so:

• Go to the Recycle Bin folder >> search for your deleted xlsx/xls files.

• Once you get it >> make a right-click on it and choose the option “Restore”.

• You will see that your deleted xlsx/xls file will be restored to the original location from where it was deleted.

Well, it’s good if you get your deleted Excel file in the recycle bin. But if unfortunately, your deleted xlsx file is not in Recycle then read our helpful post: 5 Quick Fixes To Recover Deleted Excel File Not In Recycle Bin.

Way 3: Restore Xlsx/Xls File From .Tmp Folder

As per the MS Office data security protection policy entire of its application has AutoRecovery feature. If you keep this option ON in your MS Excel application, it will make a temp folder for saving up all your saved or unsaved data in temporary files.

You can consider this option as your 2^nd chance if find nothing in the recycle bin.

Follow the below steps to recover xlsx file or retrieve xls file data from the temp folder.

• Search for the temp files having the same name as your lost Excel file along with the .tmp extension.

If you are a Windows 10/8/8.1 user then make a search in this location:

C:UsersAppDataLocalMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles

If you are a Windows 7/XP user then make a search in this location:

C:UsersnameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftExcel

• Search for the temporary Excel files starting with special characters “~” or “$” and ending with extension “.TMP”.

• Once you get the temporary Excel file of your work just copy it and save it to some other safe location. Don’t forget to change the extension of these .TMP to .XLSX or .XLS.

Way 4: Perform XLSX File Recovery via Windows Previous Versions

You can even try to recover lost Excel files through Window’s Previous versions. However, this method will only help if you have enabled the file backup feature previously.

Thus, if you have done this, follow these steps and get the lost .xlsx files back easily:

• Navigate to the folder that contained your deleted Excel file >> make right-click on it.
• Select the option “Restore previous versions“.
• Now, choose the accurate version from an appearing list.
• Finally, click on “Restore” option to bring the lost XLSX file back at the preferred location on your system.

Way 5: Get Back Erased XLSX Files through ‘Recent Unsaved’ Option

Many of us are unaware of an innovative feature of Microsoft Excel that is “Autosave”. This feature saves the changes in a file every few minutes so that we can restore the Excel file data if they are deleted due to a sudden power shutdown or computer crash.

However, this process depends on the version of Excel that you are using.

Thus, if you’re using Excel 2019/2021 version, follow the below steps to get those files back:

• Open the Excel >> click on Open.
• In a Workbooks tab then scroll down & click on Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

• Choose the wanted file >> click Open.
• Now, click on Save as & save your file to another location on your PC.

Undoubtedly MS Excel is a very useful and powerful application of the Microsoft Office suite. But there is also a fact this is highly prone to corruption and a minor mistake can take over your entire Excel file with ease.

So, if any of your important Excel documents got corrupted, try the XLSX repair solutions discussed below:

1: Try Excel Inbuilt Option “Open and Repair”

Microsoft provides the inbuilt Open and Repair utility to scan and repair .xlsx files. So, follow the ways to run the tool:

• Click on “Open” in the File Menu
• Then from the list, select corrupted XLSX file

• Now, from the drop-down list of the “Open” tab > choose “Open and Repair”

• Lastly, click on the “repair” button to repair the Excel file.

I hope your corrupt XLSX and XLS file is repaired now but if unfortunately the Excel file is still corrupted or won’t recover any data from corrupt XLSX file then click the second option Extract Data.

It is estimated now the XLSX or XLS file is repaired but if not then try the second method.

2: Use External References for XLSX Repair 

I hope the above-given methods help you to repair corrupted Excel workbook. But if not then another option is to try recovering data without the formulas and calculated values from the workbook by making use of the external references (to link Excel workbook) as:

Follow the steps to do so:

• First, click on File > and Open.
• Now move to the folder that contains corrupted file
• Right-click on file name of corrupted XLS file > click Copy > hit Cancel.
• Click File button > choose New.
• Now under New > select Blank workbook. In the first cell (A1), type =!A1 > hit Enter.

• Now choose corrupted XLSX > in the Update Values dialogue (if appears) > click OK.
• Choose the relevant sheet in the Select Sheet dialogue (if appears) > click OK.
• Now choose the cell A1 > click Home > Copy.
• Select (start from the cell A1) an area equal to that of the data in the original workbook.
• Click on Home > now Paste.
• Next click on Home > select Copy again (on the same selection of cells)
• Lastly, click on Home > then on the below arrow Paste > click Values (under Paste Values).

Well, by pasting values, the links to the corrupted XLSX workbook are removed and only the data is left.

What Error Mostly Occur In XLSX Or XLS File?

People very often encounter errors when their Excel file gets corrupted. The error itself says a lot about the issue so that it can be fixed easily. Here are some of the common XLS/XLSX file error messages:

• Excel Cannot Open The File ‘(Filename)’.Xlsx’
• Invalid XLS File Format
• Excel Found Unreadable Content In Filename .xls 
• The File You Are Trying To Open Is In Different Format than Specified By the File Extension Excel Error
• Excel Error File Name XLS Cannot Be Accessed

Related FAQs:

The Way Forward:

MS Excel file corruption is a very miserable situation so make sure to follow the best preventive methods to avoid XLS/XLSX files from getting corrupted.

Also, make sure to follow the backup of your data regularly to avoid data loss. Despite this, read the complete article carefully to fix XLS/XLSX file corruption and perform XLSX file recovery.

Follow the given steps carefully and if you are a novice user then make use of the automatic Excel File Repair tool to repair/recover XLS file data easily.

If, in case you have any additional questions, then visit our Facebook or Twitter page.

Good Luck….

Let me tell you the shortest horror story ever.

Excel Crashed!

Imagine working on that urgent report or that extremely important dashboard where you have done such a fantastic job. You are proud of yourself and all the hard work you have put into it.

But you forgot a key step.

You didn’t save the Excel file (gasp!!!)

Ok, let me cut down on the dramatics and come straight to the point.

Excel has a tendency to crash, especially when you need it not to. Somehow, it happens at the worst possible time (not that there is a good time for this ever).

In such a scenario, your only option is to try and recover unsaved Excel files.

In some cases, you will be smiled upon by the Excel Gods and you’ll get the file, and in some cases, you may not.

In this article, I will share all there is to know when it comes to recovering unsaved Excel files. I will also show you the precautions and pre-emptive steps you need to take.

And if you want to absolutely make sure nothing goes wrong, I will also share a VBA code that will save a copy of your Excel file with a timestamp whenever you save the existing file.

Let’s get started!

All Possible Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel Files / Data

Excel (and even Windows) is highly unpredictable. It can crash anytime and can your Excel files with it.

It’s a bad situation to be in…

…but there are ways to tackle this.

Excel has a few functionalities where it can help you recover unsaved Excel files or data in some cases.

Here are three scenarios where Excel’s in-built checks can help you recover files/data:

1. You are working on a new file (which you haven’t saved yet) and your system/Excel crashes.
2. You updated a file which has been saved earlier and Excel crashes before you could save it.
3. You made a mistake and saved the changes, but now want to go back to the previous version.

Let’s see how to tackle each of these.

Recover a New Unsaved Excel File (that has never been saved)

If you are working on something and Excel crashes (or your system crashes), you can still recover that unsaved file.

Note: This method works as Excel has an inbuilt AutoSave and AutoRecover functionality. It’s enabled by default so you should be able to use these methods to recover the files. In case it’s not enabled, you will have to do it to be able to use these functionalities. How to enable AutoSave and AutoRecover is covered later in this article.

Below are the steps to recover an unsaved Excel file:

1. Open a new Excel workbook.
2. Click the ‘File’ tab
3. Click on ‘Open’
4. Click the Recent Workbook option (it’s at the top-left)
5. Click the ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’ button which is at the bottom
6. In the dialog box that opens, scroll through the list of unsaved Workbooks and open the one you want.
7. Save the file (using the ‘Save As’ option) with a different name in the location of your choice.

By default, Excel saves a copy of all the unsaved files at the following location:

C:Users[YourSystemName]AppDataLocalMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles

In the above address, you need to replace [YourSystemName] with the name of your system (which is ‘Sumit’ in my case).

You can also go directly to this folder (where unsaved copies of Excel files are saved) by opening any browser and copy-pasting the address in it (in the place of URL).

When you open any file from this folder, you will see a notification bar that will prompt you to save it.

Click on it and save it at a new location with a name of your choice.

Note: By default, all the recovered unsaved files are in the ‘XLSB’ format. When you save it, make sure you’re saving it in a format you want.

With this method, you can recover files which you created but never saved.

Recover Updated Excel Files (the previous version was saved)

This method can be used for files which you have saved earlier, and Excel crashed (or the system crashed or the power went off) when you were working on it.

So you still have the previously saved file, but you lost the changes you did.

Below are the steps to recover the updated Excel file:

1. Open any of the existing Excel Workbook.
2. As soon as it opens, you will see a document recovery pane that lists all the unsaved files. Click on any the file names to load the data.
3. When you get the data you want, save the file with a different name.

Alternatively, you can also open the Excel application, and you will see the ‘Show Recovered Files’ option (as shown below).

You can click on it and it will open the same Document Recovery pane.

Recover Overwritten Excel Files / Previously Saved Version (from within Excel)

While in the above two methods you can blame Excel or Windows for crashing or the power failure, this one is purely on you.

This is the case when you have a saved Excel file and you update the data and save it again.

But you end up making some changes you don’t want now (happens to me a lot).

What you really want is to get the previous version back.

While you can’t go back in life and correct your mistakes (unless you have a time machine of course), you can do that in the wonderful world of Excel spreadsheets.

In Excel 2010 and versions after that, Excel got an in-built feature to help you get the previous versions.

Below are the steps to revert to a previous version of Excel (even when you have updated and saved it):

1. Click the File tab.
2. In the Info page, click on Manage Workbook, you’ll find all the previous versions of that file.
3. Click on the version you want to restore
4. Save the file (preferably with a new name).

When you select a previously saved version and open it, Excel will show you a prompt as shown below. You can click on Restore to get the previous version that you have selected or can save it as a new file with a different name.

Note that for this to work, you need to make sure that AutoRecover option is enabled. While it usually is enabled by default, it’s something you can check and ensure. I cover how to enable ‘AutoRecover’ later in this tutorial.

When it comes to recovering unsaved Excel files or data, these are the three in-built options in Excel that can be used.

Another way (which I highly recommend) is to save your files on the cloud (OneDrive or DropBox). This takes away a lot of worries as the cloud services keep previous versions of your files.

Recover Overwritten Excel Files / Previously Saved Version (from the cloud – OneDrive/DropBox)

If you’re in the habit of saving your Excel files on the cloud – by using services such as OneDrive or DropBox, you don’t have to completely rely on Excel to help you recover unsaved files or lost data.

These cloud services also keep previous versions of your Excel files.

Let me show you how to get the previous versions from OneDrive and DropBox. I am sure there must be many more such services that have this functionality.

Getting the Previous Version of the Excel File from OneDrive

To get the previous version of an Excel file, right click on the current version in Onedrive and click on Version History.

This will open the file and you can see all the previous versions of the file in the pane on the left.

Click on the version that you want. It will show you the file content and also give you the option to download that file or restore it.

Getting the Previous Version of the Excel File from DropBox

Just like OneDrive, DropBox also keeps the past versions of the Excel files that you can revisit and download.

To get the previous versions, go to the file in Dropbox web-portal and click on the three dots for the file for which you want to see the previous versions.

Click on Version History option.

This will show you all the versions of that file. You can open and download this version from DropBox.

In case you have installed the DropBox folder on your system and keep your files there, you can simply right click on any of the files and click on Version History.

Doing this will take you to the web version of DropBox where you can see and download all the versions of the file.

Precautions to Enable Easy Recovery of Unsaved Files

While Excel has some default settings that make sure you have good chances of recovering Excel files, it’s still a good practice to make sure everything is enabled.

Enable AutoSave and AutoRecover

To make sure Excel automatically save your files and show recovery options, you need to have these enabled.

Although it should be enabled by default, in case it’s not, you can do that manually.

Below are the steps to enable AutoSave and AutoRecover functionality in Excel:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab
2. Click on ‘Options’
3. In the Excel Options dialog box, click on Save (it’s in the left pane of the dialog box).
4. Make sure the following settings are enabled (as shown below).

Let me quickly explain what these options mean:

• Save AutoRecover information every X minutes: This option will make sure that your files are saved every 5 minutes (or whatever time value you specify here). This is 10 minutes by default and I have changed this to 5 minutes. You can reduce this further if you want.
• Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving: This will ensure that in case your Excel/system crashes or you close a file without saving, a version is saved that can be auto-recovered.
• AutoRecover file location: This is the default location where auto-recovered files are saved. You can change this if you want.

Note: If you have a huge file with lots of formulas and charts, saving it every 5 minutes will lead to recalculation and some possible system freeze. If you don’t want that, you can choose a longer time duration (or can change calculation mode to manual).

Automatically Create a Backup Copy of the Saved Excel File

While Autosave and Autorecover options are useful when you forget to save the files and system crashes, auto-backup is something which creates a copy of the file whenever you save it.

For example, if I am working on a file with the name Test.xlsx and I save it in a folder, this would automatically create a copy with the name – ‘Backup of Test.xlk’

Now, whenever I save the Test file, all the changes are also saved in the backup copy.

This can be useful if you make some changes in a saved file and want to undo it. In that case, you can use the backup copy instead.

Or if your file crashes or gets corrupt, you will have the backup copy which will have the last saved content.

Below are the steps to enable the auto-backup feature for a workbook:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click on ‘Save As’
3. Click on Browse to open the ‘Save As’ dialog box.
4. In the Save As dialog box, click on the Tools option (it’s in the lower right part of the dialog box).
5. Click on ‘General Options’.
6. In the ‘General Options’ dialog box, check the ‘Always Create Backup’ option.
7. Click OK.
8. Save the file in the desired folder/location.

Now, whenever you save this file, an exact copy will be saved with the pre-fix ‘Backup of’.

Here are a few important things you need to know about using this auto-backup functionality in Excel:

• This is a workbook level setting. This means that if you enable it for one workbook, it will only work for that workbook. If you want it to work for others as well, you will have to manually enable it.
• This is different than Autorecover and Autosave options. These are independent settings and configuring one doesn’t impact the other. So you can have a workbook where AutoRecover, AutoSave, and AutoBackup all work.
• The backup file is saved with a .XLK extension. This is the extension for back-up files, and you may see a prompt when you open this file. Just click on Yes and it will open the backup file.
• The backup file is always one version behind your main file (except the time you save it for the first time). For example, if you create a new file and enable backup in it and do some changes and save it. This will save the new file as well as a backup copy of it. At this point, both the files (the main file and the backup) will be exactly the same. Now, if you make some changes in the main file and save it once, it will not be saved in the backup file. But if you save it again, it will be done in the backup file as well.

Auto-backup is a good feature as it gives you the file’s last saved version in case you make some unwanted changes and save the file. You can use the backup file to get the version before the last saved version.

Automatically Save a Time-Stamped Copy of the Excel Workbook

While all the methods covered so far rely on the Excel in-built features, you can also use a short VBA code to make sure you don’t lose your work ever.

With a VBA code, you save a timestamped copy of your Excel file as soon as you save it (or close it).

This ensures that you always have all the previous versions and you can go back and recover a file in case you mess up. Also, since these are time-stamped, you can easily find which version you want (or where you messed up).

Below is the code that will create a timestamped copy of the workbook as soon as you save it:

Private Sub Workbook_BeforeSave(ByVal SaveAsUI As Boolean, Cancel As Boolean)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim BackUpPath As String
BackUpPath = "C:UserssumitDesktopTest"
ThisWorkbook.SaveCopyAs BackUpPath & Format(Now, "dd-mm-yyyy hh:mm:ss") & " " & ActiveWorkbook.Name
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Note that you have to specify the location of the folder where you want to save the backup copies (change the path highlighted in bold in the above code).

This may mean that you end up with a lot of copies, but it can be a huge life-saver when you’re working on critical projects.

You can use a similar code to save a copy before you close the workbook (instead of saving a copy every time you save).

Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
Dim BackUpPath As String
BackUpPath = "C:UserssumitDesktopTest"
ThisWorkbook.SaveCopyAs BackUpPath & Format(Now, "dd-mm-yyyy hh-mm-ss") & " " & ActiveWorkbook.Name
End Sub

You need to put this code in the ThisWorkbook code window.

To do this, open the VB Editor (keyboard shortcut – ALT + F11) and double click on the This Workbook object in the project explorer.

Repairing Corrupt Excel Files

In case you find yourself with a corrupt Excel file, there are a few things you can do.

First and foremost, you can use the repair option that’s in-built in Excel.

Below are the steps to recover a corrupt file by repairing it:

1. Open the Excel application.
2. Click on ‘File’ and then click on ‘Open’ (or use the keyboard shortcut Control + O).
3. Click the Browse button.
4. In the dialog box that opens, select the file that has been corrupted.
5. Click on the small downward pointing triangle in the ‘Open’ button (as shown below).
6. Click on Open and Repair.
7. Excel will show you a prompt as shown below. Click on Repair.

If you’re lucky, everything would go smooth and you’ll be able to recover your data from the corrupt file.

In case repair option doesn’t work, follow the above steps till Step 5, and then instead of Repair, click on ‘Extract Data’. Excel will ask you whether you want to ‘Convert to values’ or ‘Recover Formulas’.

You can try using whatever option works for you. Excel will try and extract as much data as it can, and create a new workbook with the extracted data.

If this also doesn’t work. you may have to rely on third-party tools to recover corrupt Excel files.

You May Also Like the Following Excel Tutorials:

• Reduce Excel File Size
• How to Turn On AutoSave in Excel
• Clean Data in Excel.
• Excel Interview Questions.
• Excel Pivot Table
• Automatically Open Specific Excel Files on Startup
• How to Mark an Excel Workbook as Final?