Excel File Disappeared after Saving: How to Recover Lost Excel Files?

Why has the Excel file disappeared after saving?

Have you ever saved an Excel file only to find it missing afterward? If so, don't worry—you’re not alone, and this post will help you recover your lost file. Sometimes, even though you're certain the file was saved, it can seem to disappear from your desktop. This could be due to a power failure, Excel crashing, or accidentally closing the program without saving properly.

If you are also facing this issue, there are four straightforward methods to recover your missing Excel files. These methods work for Microsoft Excel versions 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and earlier. Stay calm—there's a good chance your file can be recovered. 

How to fix saved Excel file disappeared issue?

If you find the saved Excel file disappeared, you can use these fixes for effective Excel file recovery.

Fix 1. Run AOMEI FastRecovery for Excel file recovery

One of the simplest ways to recover missing Excel files is by using a trusted third-party recovery tool like AOMEI FastRecovery as the files may be deleted by virus or other reasons. These tools make it easier to find lost data and increase your chances of success.

It helps you recover lost Excel, Word, PPT documents, as well as images, videos, audio, and emails with just a few clicks. This tool works on Windows PCs and can recover files from different storage devices. Just follow the clear steps, and you’ll be on your way to recovering your lost files.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first to find your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Fix 2. Show hidden files 

If the Excel file disappeared from the desktop or File Explorer without any reason, it is possible that you hide the files. You can follow the steps to show the hidden files and check it again.

Step 1. Launch File Explorer and press the three dots in the right-up corner, and select “Options”.

Step 2. In the Folder Options window, go to the “View” tab.

Step 3. Under “Advanced settings,” mark the checkbox next to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.”

Step 4. Choose “Apply” and “OK” to save the change.

The folders and files will appear in File Explorer. If you wish to hide the files, repeat the steps and mark the checkbox next to “Don’t show hidden files, folders, and drives.”

Fix 3. Recover the missing Excel file with the Previous Version in Excel

You can use Excel's built-in feature to recover to earlier versions of an Excel file if you need to fix one that was saved over. To find the disappeared Excel file, just do these easy steps:

Step 1. Click on the File tab, then choose Info from the menu on the left.

Step 2. In the Manage Versions section, you'll see a list of auto-saved previous versions. Select the version you wish to restore.

If the version you're looking for isn't listed, this approach may not work for you. In that case, consider using file recovery software to try and retrieve your file.

Fix 4. Recover unsaved Excel files with AutoRecover

Sometimes, you might accidentally think you've saved your Excel file when you haven't actually clicked the Save button before exiting. Fortunately, there is a method to recover these unsaved Excel files.

Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel, and click File > Open > Recent in turn.

Step 2. Select Recover Unsaved Workbooks at the interface bottom.

Step 3. Find the Excel file you lost, open it, and save it to the specified location.

Otherwise, here are the steps you need to take to restore saved Excel files that were closed without saving recent changes:

Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel once your computer is working properly; all unsaved files will be displayed on the Document Recovery pane.

Step 2. Select the Excel file you want and save it to the specified location.

Final lines

When you find the Excel file disappeared after saving, it is time to recover it quickly to avoid losing data with AOMEI FastRecovery. However, it would be helpful to develop the habit of regularly backing up your important data to prevent accidental data loss.