3 Ways to Recover a Word File Saved Over

Is it possible to recover a Word file saved over?

When editing Word documents, it is easy to lose important content due to improper operations. For example, you might overwrite the old content with new data or click the Save button instead of Save As. These actions will remove your original data, making it hard to access directly.

Can I recover a Word file that has been saved over? Sure! This article discusses several tried-and-true ways to recover a Word file that was saved over. If you are struggling with the same issue, keep reading to find the best solution.

How to recover a Word file that was saved over?

To avoid overwriting Word documents, Microsoft Office and Windows both provide specific features to recover Word files that were saved over. This section lists three ways to help you do that. Let’s explore them one by one.

Method 1. Check for AutoSave File Versions

Microsoft Office includes the AutoSave feature to automatically save your files while editing, reducing the risk of data loss. Even if you save the current document, it also allows you to restore to a previous version.

Here’s how to recover a Word file that was saved over:

Step 1. Restart Microsoft Word.

Step 2. Navigate to the File interface and select Info from the left menu.

Step 3. Under the Manage versions section, select the file version you want.

Step 4. Click Restore to restore the selected Word version.

Method 2. Recover Word Files from Previous Versions

If your file is not saved in OneDrive or SharePoint, you can recover it from previous versions. Windows offers some features to back up local data, such as File History and System Protection. If you have activated one of these, the recovery process becomes straightforward. You can access multiple versions of your Word files based on different timestamps and recover the version that you need.

Follow these steps to recover a Word file that was saved over from previous versions:

Step 1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Locate the folder containing the Word document you want to recover.

Step 3. Right-click on this folder and select the Properties option.

Step 4. Select the version you want and click the Restore button to recover it.

Method 3. Recover Word Files Saved Over from Temp Files

In addition to using backups, recovering Word files saved over from temporary files is also a good choice. Operating systems or applications will generate temp files to store data while a task is being executed. Sometimes, you can restore an earlier version from these files.

Here’s how to recover Word files saved over from the Temp folder:

Step 1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Navigate to the temporary file location using this path: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp.

Step 3. Find the desired Word document and change its extension to .docx or .doc.

Step 4. Open this file and save it to the specified location.

Bonus Tip: Recover Deleted Word Files Using Software

Now that you know how to recover a Word file that was saved over. Next, let’s discuss how to restore deleted files. You might think it is easy, as the Recycle Bin temporarily stores the deleted items and allows you to restore them effortlessly. But what if you cannot find the Word file in the Recycle Bin?

In such cases, it is advised to seek help from professional data recovery software. For instance, AOMEI FastRecovery, a robust and easy-to-use recovery tool, can help you retrieve lost and deleted files from various storage devices. This tool is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Windows Server, making it suitable for a variety of data loss scenarios.

Here is how to recover deleted files using AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your Word files are located.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, supporting scanning your storage devices to find lost data.

Step 3: After scanning, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the specific files and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for them and wait for the process to complete.

Using Tips:

You can start recovering files as soon as they appear during the scan.

It is advised to preview the files before recovery, ensuring you're retrieving the right ones.

To prevent overwriting existing data, save the recovered files to a new location.

Effective Tips for Handling Word Files

To manage and handle your Word documents efficiently and securely, consider implementing the following best practices:

✔ Enable the AutoSave feature to automatically save your document at regular intervals, avoiding file loss or data overwriting.

✔ Save your document frequently while editing it by pressing Ctrl + S, preventing significant data loss during unexpected shutdowns. When working with important documents, it is advised to use the "Save As" feature instead of directly saving changes to the current file.

✔ Be Cautious when closing the file and ensure all the changes you made are saved properly.

✔ Back up your important files to cloud services or other reliable storage devices, providing double protection for your data security.

FAQs

Q1: How to Enable AutoSave in Microsoft Office?

Follow these steps to enable the AutoSave feature:

• Open a file using Microsoft Office first. 
• If the file is not saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, go to File > Save As, then choose either OneDrive or SharePoint as the location and save the file there.
• Once the document is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, you should see a toggle switch for AutoSave in the top-left corner of the application window, near the file name.
• Turn on the AutoSave toggle. Then your changes will be saved automatically when editing files.

Q2: Can I recover a Word document that hasn’t been saved properly?

Yes, you can recover unsaved Word documents. Microsoft Word includes an AutoRecover feature that automatically saves temporary copies of your documents. Alternatively, if you saved your file to a cloud service, you can check for previous versions or backups there.

Q3: Is it possible to recover a Word file saved over from the Recycle Bin?

No, you cannot recover a Word file saved over from the Recycle Bin. Generally, only deleted files are stored in this folder. It is suggested to use the above methods to get to older versions of your Word document.

Conclusion

When editing Word documents, it’s common to accidentally overwrite old data by clicking Save instead of Save As. Recovering a Word file that’s been saved over can seem challenging, but it is possible with the right methods.

This article outlines three effective methods to recover a Word file saved over. By following the steps mentioned in this guide, you can easily restore the version you need. Additionally, if your Word files are lost or permanently deleted, consider using specialized software like AOMEI FastRecovery to recover them.