I really need some help recovering an unsaved Excel file on my Windows 11 work laptop. I'm not the administrator for this machine, which adds another layer of difficulty. I worked a whole hour on some crucial notes in an Excel file yesterday, but I forgot to save it. I've checked the usual recovery folders, specifically the one under C:UsersmyusernameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftExcel, but I couldn't find any recovered files there.
I also looked in C:UsersmyusernameAppDataLocalTemp, where I found four temporary files (.tmp) created during the time I was working on the unsaved file. I tested this by deliberately not saving another file, and I got four similar temporary files again, so I think I might be in the right place.
However, when I try to rename those .tmp files to .xlsx, I still can't open them in Excel. I could really use a solution—I'm the sole breadwinner for my family, and my job is on the line. Any help would be amazing!
3 Answers
First, check Excel's built-in recovery options by going to File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks. If that doesn't work, make sure to copy those .tmp files to a different location before trying to open them. You could try dragging and dropping them into an open Excel window to see if that helps. Also, using a tool like 7-Zip can sometimes let you open those files as archives, which might reveal the data you lost.
Just a heads up, if you exited the Excel file without saving it, the changes are likely gone. Temporary files typically get cleaned up once the application is closed. Excel usually provides recovery options if it crashes, so if that didn't happen, you're in a bit of a tough spot. Also, modern versions of Office don't auto-save unless the file is in OneDrive or SharePoint.
If this is a work computer, you might get lucky! Many corporate servers automatically save backups of files every few hours, keeping them for about 30 days. You should reach out to your IT department and ask if they can help restore the temporary file for you. I've had success with this in the past!
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