Have you ever had a moment where you thought you saved your work, but when you go back to find it and it is nowhere to be found? If this has happened to you, please keep reading. This losing of Microsoft Word Documents on a Mac happens more often than you think from various reasons from forgetting where you saved the document to the computer-system completing crashing on you in the middle of a sentence. Below are a list of methods if you are trying to locate your lost and unsaved Microsoft Word files.
Method TMP folder
The Apple Mac OS system created temporary files within your computer’s Temporary folder, or TMP folder. It is important to check there first to see if that is where your lost document has ended up. In order to find this folder, you must do the following:
- Go to Applications, then Utilities, then click on Terminal
- Once in Terminal, enter the following command and then press enter: open $TMPDIR
- Once you have entered this, you have now opened your TMP folder.
- Once in this folder, open the folder named: “Temporaryitems”
- If you’re lucky you document should be there!
Method Auto Recovery
Now say you go there, and your document is still nowhere to be found. Microsoft Word on Mac computers include an Auto Recovery option. It is automatically turned on by default. What this does is save your opened word file every 10 minutes. You can also modify the app’s settings to have it auto save a document at a shorter or longer interval. This is especially helpful because if you’re computer freezes while you are working on a document, or in the rare case that your computer crashes, you can use the Auto Recovery copy to recover the word document that was last saved by your computer. In order to use this, follow these steps:
- Close Microsoft Word for Mac
- Click Home
- Open the Documents folder, and then open the Microsoft User Data folder
- Locate the file that starts with the following words: “AutoRecovery save of” and select the document you want to recover, and rename the file to your choosing
- Add “.doc” to the file name extension
- Double click on that file, and the document should now open up for Word on Mac.
- Click the File menu, and then select Save As
- Type the name of the file into the Name field, and then click the Save button.
The Other Side of This Is to Also Check This Way:
- Go to Finder, then click “Go”, and then Go to Folder and then type in the following: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
- There is a good chance that your lost document may be here.
As long as you have not turned off the AutoRecovery mode, this method should help you recover a document that has disappeared. Note that the process only works for documents that were being worked on before the disappearance.
Method Trash or Backup
Recover Deleted Word Document from Trash or Backup
After you have saved your word file and exited Microsoft Word, the possibilities of recovering a deleted or lost file are negligible. If you accidentally delete a vital word document that you wish to recover or you have lost your data due to faulty disk, there are a few options that you can exploit to get your files back.
Recover the Deleted File from Trash Bin
To recover a deleted file from trash, click on the Trash icon to open the trash folder.
Locate the file that you want to recover.
Right-click on the name of the file that you wish to recover and select the Put-Back option. The data will disappear from trash and be returned to its original location.
Recover from Backup
If you are used to backing up your data on Mac, you can use the backup to recover a lost file. However, this only works in cases where the backup was made before the file were deleted. You only have to navigate to your backup and possibly Time Machine that was used in the backup process.
Method Using Disk Drill
This process refers to the use of a data recovery software known as Disk Drill. The software makes use of deep scanning technology to locate file fragments and deleted files that are not visible in your operating system but are visible in your computer storage.
Download the free version of the software and install it.
Run the software and choose the storage where your lost files were last seen.
Select the recover option. This allows the software to scan the storage you selected as it attempts to find the lost file.
To speed up the scan, you can scan for specific files using filters, allowing the application to generate the data that can be recovered.
If, by any chance, the review notifies you that it is possible to recover the files, upgrade the tool to the pro version and use it to recover these files by clicking on the recover option.
Once the files are recovered, identify the location where the recovered data can be stored.
Method Recover Permanently Deleted Word Files
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
This is another software that you should try out to recover deleted files, especially when the other methods have failed. The program is used to scan files that had previously been saved either automatically or manually but then deleted at some point and then emptied the trash bin. These files can be found after scanning the hard drive using this software. It recovers files of up to 2GB. For the first attempt, you can use the free version. This program works just like the Disk Drill software.
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent losing documents, and the most important one is to remember to always save your documents yourself as often as you can. If you are in the middle of thinking before typing, make sure you click save so that your saves properly. The other sure fire way to make sure that this does not happen is to also save all work onto a flash drive. By having your work saved on both a flash drive and your computer, you are less likely to lose you work due to computer crashes, or just forgetting to save in general.
This actually saved my assignment!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
can you please tell me how? I tried all three steps with no results.
For method 2, what do you mean by click home?
He meant the home folder in the side panel of finder, which contains default subfolders like music, movies, documents, etc.
i see no folder that says HOME so FUCKING annoying i hate mac!
It should be labeled “your name” rather than “home” but it should be represented by a house-shaped symbol. “Your name” meaning whatever name you gave when setting up your computer.
I got my assignment back!!!! THANK YOU. I was panicked
I saved my working file online without saving on my mac (saving file is not directed to the mac). i accidentially press cancel while its loading on my icloud storage and i lost it there and theres no other option to inform first before agreeing to cancel completely for this case. Please how could i recover my unsaved file from this problem of
You saved my lifeeee!
thanks you just saved me time
This has been as helpful as a bloody cucumber mate
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Looked all around and this was the only article that helped me find it!
i still cant find my doc in that folder, i am using word 2016 in Mac OS high sierra. been tried everything still didnt work. I accidentanly hit dont save button when i close the word file…If anyone know please tell me
Thank you so much! This is the only article that helped. For me, the section ‘The Other Side of This Is to Also Check This Way’ is key. Thank you again!
THANK YOUUUU The Other Side Of This worked for me :))) Also, when in finder and when u click ‘Go’ up the top, you can hold down the option/alt button, and it opens a secret library section. 😉
you are the only person that gave me a tip that helped, serena. I owe you a beer.
BEST RESULT! I HAVE TRY ALL DAY LONG TO RECOVER THE DOCUMENT AND AFTER READING ALL THE TIPS ONLINE AND TRY ALL OF THEM I DISCOVER YOURS ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
BEST TIP EVER!!
THANK YOU
Thanks so much! This worked for me and saved me from having to do over 2 hours of work! I used this method ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
and changed the location of the document to my desktop and the ending from .docx to .doc 🙂
This way worked for me too!!!
You just saved my life. Thank you.
This is a life saver! The idea that worked for me was:
The Other Side of This Is to Also Check This Way:
Go to Finder, then click “Go”, and then Go to Folder and then type in the following: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
Worked a treat. Thanks a million!
Same I was about to cry when I thought my file was gone. Then this came along.
Thank you so much! This method worked for me ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
You saved me what could have a full lost hour of work!! THANK YOU!
Brian, I tried a bunch of things from other sites and your “The Other Side” tip was the only thing that got me straight to my documents. I thought my docs were long gone. Thanks a bunch!!
YOU SAVED MY GRADE. I LOST MY ESSAY PLAN SHEET AND YOU HELPED ME FIND IT!!!!!!
Go to finder i got that but then click GO what does that mean
??
Thank you so much. hours of work now recovered. No thanks are too much for the effect you have just had on my sanity
One suggestion: make sure readers use the command
open $TMPDIR
not
open$TMPDIR
if you remove the space between n and $ the command does not work
Also when Temporary items open, scroll all the way to the end of the list, look for Word Work files and open with TextEdit do not stop on the items marked ~Word Work.. you can open but it is unformatted. Word Work files opened with TextEdit are nicely formatted.
Thanks again
So i’ve tried everything and I cannot find my file! help!
every time I try one of these and I open the files, there is nothing in them… why is that???? please help
Literally saved 2 hours of important work today.
This didn’t work for me because the Office recovery folder was hidden. Here is how to find it:
~/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Office 2011 AutoRecovery
But there is yet another tiny hurdle to get to it : in the current version of OSX, the user’s Library-folder is a hidden folder. So if you want to access it, the easiest way to do so is :
– in the Finder, click on “Go” in the top menu bar
– when the pulldown menu appears, press the ALT-key on your keyboard (a.k.a. OPTION-key) and an extra option named “Library” will appear in the pulldown menu
– while holding the ALT-key, click on “Library” and your personal (hidden) Library-folder will open in the Finder
– there you can navigate to Application Support–>Microsoft–>Office to find the “Office 2011 AutoRecovery”-folder you are looking for
Thanks so much Megan, this was the only method which allowed me to find the most recent auto save of my Word doc.
Do I have to have Microsoft Office 2011 for this to work? I use 365 and it updates regularly
Thank you! I was ready to give up. You’re a life saver! 🙂
You saved me!!! Thank you sooooo much!!!!!
Where is the “Go” button?
what do ypu do id get this message? word cannot open file because the file format does not match file extension
method 1 worked but i was having a problem opening it until i renamed it and added “.doc” at the end, worked great
saved my project after word crash!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
method that worked for :
Go to Finder, then click “Go”, and then Go to Folder and then type in the following: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
Thank you!!! Seriously, you SAVED ME!! Stayed up all night and wrote for 5 hours and then it crashed. After I recovered it, it still would not open. Just had to change it from Docx to Doc. LOVE YOU!!!!!! 🙂
I’ve tried to find my file through various different methods. I don’t know what’s happening with my Mac, but I don’t have a “home” not a “your name” folder. I don’t have the “word recovery folder” or whatever it’s called and I have an important meeting in a few days that this document was supposed to be fore. I wrote the document in about 10 /20 minutes. I don’t know if that’s long enough for an auto save but I sure hope so. PLEASE ANYONE! Help me🙏🏽
Finding this article was a lifesaver (for me and my daughter!) She had an important project written in Word totally disappear. She had saved it on her desktop. It showed only in Recent files, but could not be opened. All the standard Microsoft and Apple means of finding it failed. The Step 1 method above, getting to the temp folder, worked a dream.
Method 2 Worked perfect – thank you SO much!!!!
Excellent help – this worked for me. Thank you.
i use any data recovery for mac (mac lost data recovery tool) . thank you so much.
Thank you so much! You literally saved my life. Method 2 worked for me and it was so helpful. God bless you.
Thanks very much but the auto recovery saved file cant open when I click open
Thank you so much. Helped my girlfriend found her file.
I have tried the methods mentioned above and can’t find it. I also can’t find the word recovery folder. In my home screen I do not have a Documents folder. Any suggestions?
I closed Mac after closing Word document without saving it, neither of the suggestions are not working for me. Are there any other suggestion, please help.
This totally saved me. I had been saving my file, but out of nowhere Word just flipped a weird message. Then my file was gone!
Thank you so much!
THANKKK YOUUU!!! LAST OPTION WORKED FOR ME!
bro what if I don’t have “AutoRecovery save of” in my Microsoft User Data folder am I screwed?
THANK YOU! Was able to recover a week’s work of writing for my final!!!!
hi i think I lost my file yesturday, i didnt save it what do I do ????
For some reason I have tried all suggestions and cannot find my work. I accidentally saved over it and started a new assignment over the old one by mistake and cannot recover it anywhere 🙁
i have a question, because this keeps happening to me…. i havent lost a full file, but my cats like to sit on my keyboard WHILE i am working this last time they ended up erasing a full paragraph of work that i had been working on for a while. the person i am, i save each document i have up every day, but of course, i dont exactly know when this Butt-erase actually happened. i tried to go back to the most recently saved version… but it was like that there too. am i screwed? or is there a way for me to recover my work?
Oh my god. Thank you so much. I only realised days later that I’d closed a document, without ever having saved it. Went through all the processes I could find online to no avail. Had started to resign myself to starting again when I gave your last tip a try.
Hallelujah! There is was! “Document 1” was recovered and immediately renamed and saved.
Thank you so much.
Thank you!!! I found my missing unsaved document using your last tip!!!
I haven’t lost a document but just most of it. I can’t find it anywhere and on my version history, the last time it says to have been saved was a month ago even though i KNOW i was on it two days ago and it has been saved continuously before that.
This seriously saved me (to the extent that it could – still lost some work). Not sure why my microsoft word decided to completely restart and update itself… back to google drive for me. Thank you so much for this post.
Trying to recover an unsaved word document Please help tried three steps still cannot get document.
Not able to see my word document in Ms word 2016 for MAC
Saved on the desktop
Was available in recent documents when I clicked it sent some error saying you don’t have permission to open and thereafter it’s missing from my MAC
It was an important document with some 5 day of hard work
Need it back desperately
Checked all online solutions like looking in temp auto recovery terminal etc
Please help !!!
Thank you for posting this. It was literally the very last step listed before I was all out
of hope and options. You saved me 16 hours worth of work from being lost forever and having to try to figure out all I written to reproduce it once again. Thank you thank you!! Pizza pizza!! If I knew where you were, I send you two! For real!
Thank you so much
Thank you! You saved my life
I never saved the file before so I could not find the automatic saved file, is there any way to retrieve it??tried all these methods, to no avail.
same for me i tried every method and nothing worked
Nothing worked i worked on the file and never saved it before i have tried every technique and nothing is there any other way i worked for hours on this please
Brian:
I have an old Mac w/ 2011 office installed. I have no idea what type of recovery capacity it has. I just created a word doc that was never saved and the computer froze when I attempted to download a picture. In the hopes that I could recover the word doc, I hit control, command delete and of course am not able to recover the docs with any of the options provided here. HELP!!