2016 Word - Recovery

obi604 · 21-12-2018 3:47pm #1

Hi

I have Microsoft word 2016.

I have a file ive been updating for a year or so. Lots of info in it. called 2018
Now that 2019 year is starting, deleted more a less all on the info on file 2018 and did a 'Save as' to 2019 ( or so I thought)

BUT im a clown, and made a balls of it, the 'save as' I did, I somehow managed to not change the file name.
So I have one file now - the 2018 one and more a less all the info has been wiped.

Is there a way to recover a previous version of a word file from say 8 hours ago.

also, note, in advanced word options, I have not get this ticked 'always create backup copy'

so cannot do the right click on the file > properties > previous versions

any ideas?

oLoonatic · 21-12-2018 4:00pm

Search for .tmp files, there may be a trace of the old file here.

I'm presuming you dont have auto backups that you can roll back your system to.

obi604 · 21-12-2018 5:22pm

thanks, searched .tmp files and nothing there
no, dont have that auto backup thing

CatInABox · 21-12-2018 6:01pm

See the info on where Word keeps it temp files here.

obi604 · 21-12-2018 8:27pm

CatInABox wrote: »

See the info on where Word keeps it temp files here.

had a quick gander there.

the stuff in the link refers to finding an 'auto' saved file that may be 10 minutes or so old.

then trying to get at unsaved files

my situation is a bit different than that.

trying to get at a previous version of the file from hours ago or even yesterday etc

Capt'n Midnight · 21-12-2018 11:03pm

Don't get me started on Word.

Back in the 1980's all word processor programs saved backup copies of documents. But Microsoft stopped doing that a long time ago because WT actual F??

In future make sure you DISABLE quick save and ENABLE Always Make Backup Copy.

When you reach a milestone always use Save As to save a new the file a new name. This was the default on VAX back in the 1980's Filename.Ext;RevisionNumber
Microsoft didn't copy that feature.

IF and it's a huge IF, you have a version of windows that supports it and your IT people are clued in then there is a small chance you have Previous Versions enabled. If so then right click on the file and "Restore Previous Version"

Other options - if the file is broken use LibreOffice to open it. Third party apps are better at opening broken microsoft files , and that goes back to Lotus-123

if all else fails you could use photorec to try and find all previous word files and save to external drive. only if all else fails, it takes time and you will have an insane amount of false positives to vet.

Antar Bolaeisk · 29-12-2018 5:18pm

Were you saving the file to Onedrive or dropbox? If so there's a previous files option that could allow you to roll back the file.

obi604 · 29-12-2018 11:29pm

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Were you saving the file to Onedrive or dropbox? If so there's a previous files option that could allow you to roll back the file.

Hi. To neither unfortunately

smuggler.ie · 30-12-2018 1:30am

Any chance:
you have "File History" enabled on your computer?
you have mailed this document?

Xterminator · 31-12-2018 2:38pm

any chance you have shadow copies enabled?

https://www.wintips.org/restore-deleted-files-using-shadow-copy/

when did you last backup if ever? where was the file saved - locally, a network drive, an external device etc?

Esel · 31-12-2018 9:44pm

Do you have a hard copy (printout) of the file?

If so, you could scan and OCR it to get the data into a format that would allow you to recreate the file.

2016 Word - Recovery

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