If you want to look at the previous version again, it is better to create a backup copy of your data. Excel deletes all previously autosaved versions when you close the document. Just click on the Restore button in the yellow bar to revert to the newer unsaved version of the workbook.

When you open this file in Excel, you'll get the message above your worksheet. If the program closed incorrectly, the last autosaved file is labeled with the words (when I closed without saving). When you click any of them, it will open along with the most current version of your workbook so that you can compare them and see all the changes. The name of each version has a date, time and the ' (autosave)' note. Next to the Manage Versions button you'll see all autosaved versions of your document.Įxcel automatically saves versions of the workbook at specified intervals, but only if you've made changes to your spreadsheet between these intervals.

See below how to retrieve an overwritten Excel file:Ĭlick on the FILE tab and choose Info on the left-hand pane. It is especially helpful when you make a mistake that you can't undo, or when you want to see how the document looked like a few minutes earlier. Click on the Save As button in the yellow bar above your worksheet and save the file to the desired location.Įxcel 2010 and later makes it possible not only to restore the unsaved workbooks, but also to recover previous versions of your document. The document will open in Excel and the program will prompt you to save it.

When the Open dialog box pops up, just select the necessary file and click Open.

You can also go to FILE - > Info, open the Manage Workbooks drop-down and select Recover Unsaved Workbooks from the menu.

Create time-stamped backup versions in Excel.

How to save a backup copy of your workbook.

If you want to know how to retrieve an overwritten Excel file, go ahead and read this article. What is the worst that could be? While working on a workbook you found out that you made a mistake about an hour ago, you already made a lot of changes since that time and undo is not an option.

That is frustrating, but don't be so cut up about it - you can easily recover your unsaved document. Just imagine that you have been working on a very important document in Excel for some hours, creating a very complicated graph, and then… oops! Excel crashed, the power went out or you accidentally closed a file without saving. You'll also learn different ways of file backup on your PC or in the cloud. Do you want to protect your workbooks from unexpected computer crashes or power failures? This article explains how to recover unsaved files and restore previous versions of your workbook in Excel 2010 - 365.

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