I really need some assistance recovering my lost dissertation files that I definitely saved. Early on in my writing process, when I was around 1500 words in, I had a scare but was able to recover my work. After that, I made sure to save my dissertation every day after writing.
Now, I have two important files: my actual dissertation and a data collection table. Unfortunately, I ended up in the hospital unexpectedly for about two weeks, during which time I only had access to Netflix and YouTube. Now that I'm back home, I can't seem to locate my dissertation files anywhere. I've checked my Dissertation folder in Finder and also OneDrive, but neither has them. I thought I was safe saving my work in both spots.
I need these files urgently because I was almost halfway done with my dissertation before my hospitalization, and I really can't afford to start from scratch while focusing on recovery. I do not have Time Machine set up. Last time I had a similar issue, I managed to recover my work using Terminal, but I can't remember how I did it. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
You might want to check if the file shows up on OneDrive online. Sometimes there's a chance your files could be saved there without you realizing it.
In Word, go to the 'Open' menu and check 'Recent Files'. Your document could be listed there, which might make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
I looked there too, but it doesn't show up, unfortunately.
Word saves unsaved items in temporary locations sometimes. You might want to look there for your lost files—it might save you from having to start over! Here's a link that might help: [How to recover unsaved Word documents - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/word/recover-lost-unsaved-corrupted-document)
I checked OneDrive online, and it’s not there. I even tried the restore option, but it's like the file never existed.