How can I recover my lost dissertation files on Word?
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Wanderlust73!
I've lost my dissertation files on Word, and I really need help recovering them. I know I saved them regularly, especially after a previous scare when I almost lost about 1500 words. I have two files: the actual dissertation and a data collection table. I was unexpectedly hospitalized for about two weeks and couldn't access my work. Now that I'm back home, I can't find my files anywhere! They're not in my Dissertation folder in Finder, and they're also missing from OneDrive, even though I saved to both places. I've already checked OneDrive online and tried restoring, but it's like the files never existed. I don't have Time Machine set up, but I once recovered an unsaved document using Terminal, although I can't remember how. I'm really desperate to get my work back since I was nearly halfway finished before my hospitalization. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Answers
Have you checked OneDrive online to see if it shows up there? Sometimes files can be hidden due to sync issues.
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Don't forget to check the 'Recent Files' list in Word. Go to Open, then Recent Files, and see if it appears there!
LostInRecovery: I looked there too, but unfortunately, it doesn’t show up.
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It's worth looking in Word's temporary file locations. Sometimes unsaved documents can linger there. You can follow this guide on recovering lost files: [How to recover unsaved Word documents - Microsoft 365 Apps](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/word/recover-lost-unsaved-corrupted-document).
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LostInRecovery: I double-checked, but it doesn’t show up in OneDrive online. Even the Restore option isn’t working; it's like the files vanished.