Quick Fix: How to Recover Deleted Google Sheets

Wondering how to recover deleted Google Sheets? Check out this comprehensive guide to learn 4 useful ways to restore your lost sheets.

Posted by @Gia December 17, 2024 Updated By @Gia September 18, 2024

Can I Restore a Deleted Google Sheet?

Google Sheets is a cloud-based online spreadsheet application designed by Google. As a powerful tool for data processing, it allows you to easily create, view, edit and share spreadsheets online. One of its excellent features is real-time collaboration, which enables multiple users to handle the same sheet simultaneously. As a result, Google Sheets is also widely used in teamwork.

Using Google Sheets is very common in our daily work, but losing essential data can be a significant issue. How to recover deleted Google Sheets should be a priority, regardless of the reasons for their loss. Can I restore a deleted Google Sheet?

Absolutely! There are several effective solutions to restore deleted Google Sheets. Whether your sheets were deleted due to improper operations or unexpectedly replaced by other data, you can get them back using appropriate methods.

How to Recover Deleted Google Sheets?

When discussing how to recover deleted Google Sheets, what we should do first is determine how they were deleted. This section provides four easy and efficient recovery solutions tailored to different loss scenarios. Read through this post and pick an ideal option according to your situation.

Recover Deleted Google Sheets Using Recovery Software

If your worksheets have been completely deleted, consider recovering them using professional recovery software. While Google Sheets are typically stored on Google Drive, some users may back them up regularly to avoid unnecessary data loss. If these local backups are accidentally deleted, recovery software can help you effortlessly restore deleted Google Sheets without any data loss.

AOMEI FastRecovery, a highly efficient data recovery tool, aims to help users recover lost, deleted, or corrupted files on Windows PCs & Servers. With its advanced data scanning and recovery technology, you are allowed to quickly locate the deleted files and retrieve them with a few steps.

Why choose AOMEI FastRecovery:
Supports recovering multiple file formats from various storage devices, including PCs, USB drives, SD cards, and more.
Addresses diverse data loss scenarios, recovering your files quickly and efficiently.
Features a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for those with minimal experience.
Provides file preview before recovery, ensuring accurate selection.
Guarantees your data 100% safety throughout the recovery process with 14 years of development expertise.

Here’s how to recover deleted Google Sheets using AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Launch AOMEI FastRecovery on your computer first, and then choose the exact partition where your sheets are stored.

Step 2: Scan the specific disk to find the deleted sheets. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan:

  • Quick Scan: Quickly searches for recently deleted files.
  • Deep Scan: Thoroughly scans your storage device for finding lost data from more complex loss situations.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, missing files will be displayed. Select the sheets you want to restore, and click Recover

Step 4: Specify a saving path for the recovered sheets and wait until the process is complete.

Recover Deleted Sheets from Google Drive Trash

In addition to recovery software, recovering deleted sheets from Google Drive Trash is also viable. As we know, all the Google Sheets are typically stored on Google Drive’s cloud. There is a feature called Trash provided by Google Drive that supports temporarily storing your deleted files. Therefore, when you discover that your essential sheets are deleted by accident, you can recover them via it. 

Let’s restore deleted Google sheets via Google Drive Trash:

Step 1: Open Google Drive and sign with your account.

Step 2: Click on the panel at the top left corner and select Trash.

Step 3: Find your deleted worksheet, right-click it, and select Restore.

Note: Deleted files can only be stored in Trash for 30 days before being permanently erased. So, it’s recommended to recover them as soon as possible.

Recover Permanently Deleted Sheets with Google Drive Help

If you didn’t save the sheets on Google Drive or restore them from Trash in 30 days, you may need to seek assistance from Google Drive to retrieve your lost files. You can check the related tutorials or aids by searching permanently deleted sheets on Google’s official support site. Alternatively, directly contact the support team of Google and provide details about your issue.  

Recover Google Sheets via Version History

What should I do if I accidentally delete a part of the Google Sheet while editing it? Don’t panic. In this situation, your sheet is not deleted and can be reverted to a previous version. Google Sheets offers a feature named Version History that supports automatically saving different versions of your file as you make changes. This feature also helps you track who made changes on the files, especially useful for collaborative projects. If you realize that you have made a mistake, you can revert the sheet to a previous version.  However, it is important to note that this method only works for the situation where your files have been saved in Google Drive beforehand.

Follow these steps to restore the previous versions of Google Sheets:

Step 1: Open the Google Sheets first, and find the file you want to recover.

Step 2: Click File on the top menu and select Version History > See version history.

Step 3: Browse through a list of versions and choose the version you want, then click Restore this version.

Note: Version History is only visible to the author of the sheet and other users who have edit privileges. Users with viewing permission cannot access Version History.

Extension: Reasons for Losing Google Sheets

Why do we lose Google Sheets? There are various reasons that can cause Google Sheets to lose while working. Understanding these loss reasons can help you better protect your sheets against unexpected loss. Here are some frequent causes.

Accidental Deletion: You may accidentally press the delete key or make a wrong choice while managing your sheets.

Syncing Failure: Sometimes, using the desktop version of Google Drive may cause your sheets to become out-sync between the local devices and the cloud.

Unintentionally Overwriting: Occasionally, you may overwrite or replace some important files due to improper operations. For example, selecting Replace existing sheet contents when importing other data can lead your original sheets to be overwritten.

Compatibility Issue: Third-party programs or plugins may not be fully compatible with Google Drive, thus resulting in potential loss or corruption of your sheets.

FAQs

Q1: Is it possible to recover permanently deleted Google Sheets?

Sometimes, it is possible. If you have saved your sheets on local devices and then deleted them, you can use a professional recovery tool to recover them with ease. If you haven’t saved them to any devices or backups, it’s best to contact Google Drive Support timely for a suitable recovery solution.

Q2: Can I restore a deleted Google Sheet without relying on Google Drive?

In general, it is very difficult to recover Google Sheets without relying on Google Drive. This is because Google Sheets is a cloud-based application that only supports storing data on the cloud service. The recovery must rely on Google service unless you have previously saved the sheet to other devices in advance.

Q3:Can I recover a Google Sheet deleted by another user?

Yes, you can recover a Google Sheet deleted by another user. If you are the author of the sheet or have edit privileges, you can check the Google Drive Trash or use Version History to restore the desired file. If not, please contact the sheet's owner or ask Google Drive Support for assistance.

Summary

Losing Google Sheets can be a hassle for us, but recovery is often possible with these solutions discussed above. How to recover deleted Google Sheets? This post outlines several common loss reasons and offers four effective methods to restore deleted Google Sheets. To better protect your sheets, it is recommended to back up crucial data regularly with local drives or other tools, like AOMEI Backupper Standard.