[Fixed in 6 Ways] Saved Excel File But Can't Find It

Why did my saved Excel file disappear?

Microsoft Excel stands as one of the most popular spreadsheet applications worldwide, renowned for its powerful features and advanced calculation capabilities. It’s a go-to tool for users managing data across various industries. However, like any software, Excel is not without its challenges. Many users encounter issues, particularly with unsaved or missing files.

Typical Excel file problems:

» Unsaved work: One of the most stressful situations is closing an Excel sheet without saving. Users often worry about how to recover an unsaved Excel file.

» Saved files missing: Another frequent problem is saving an Excel file only to find it missing later, which can be incredibly frustrating.

Several factors can lead to missing Excel files, including:

✫ If the Excel files are saved on cloud services like OneDrive or SharePoint instead of your local drive, you might not locate them on your computer.
✫ Files could be saved in an unexpected folder, making them difficult to find.
✫ Occasionally, the file extension may not match the expected format, complicating the search.
✫ Sometimes, the saving process is incomplete, leading to unsaved changes.
✫ The files might have been deleted accidentally, causing them to disappear from view.

This guide compiles multiple solutions to help recover unsaved or missing Excel files. If you’re facing these issues, explore the methods outlined to resolve your file recovery concerns effectively.

How to fix the saved Excel file but can’t find it?

Losing an Excel file after saving it can be frustrating, but there are multiple ways to troubleshoot and recover your missing documents. Let’s explore each method to help you retrieve your lost Excel files.

Fix 1. Check if you have saved the Excel file online but not locally

If you frequently use cloud services, your Excel files may be saved online rather than on your local drive. This is common when accessing or editing files through platforms like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Outlook.

Log into your cloud service account and check your files. If you use Outlook, check the local temp folder at the following path:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\

Fix 2. Search for the lost Excel file on your hard drive

Files can sometimes end up in unexpected locations instead of their usual folders. If you've saved an Excel file but can't seem to locate it, a thorough search of your hard drive might help you track it down. This approach works well for locating recently saved documents, such as Word files.

Step 1. Open File Explorer or This PC. In the search box, type the Excel file extension .xlsx or the file name if you remember it, then press Enter to begin the search.

Step 2. To narrow down the results, use the Search Tools. Click on "Kind" under Search Tools and select "Document".

Step 3. Browse the search results to locate your missing Excel file.

Fix 3. Check the Excel Extension

If you've saved an Excel file but can't locate it, the issue might be due to an incorrect file extension. Standard Excel files usually have the ".xlsx" or ".xls" extensions. If the file has a different or incompatible extension, Excel may have difficulty opening it. To fix this, try renaming the file and ensure the extension matches the correct format.

Fix 4. Check if the Excel file wasn’t saved and stored in the temp folder

Sometimes, your attempt to save an Excel file might fail, resulting in lost work. This can happen when changes are made, but the program is closed without properly saving. Fortunately, Excel's autosave feature is designed to help in such situations, automatically saving your work every 10 minutes.

To recover unsaved files, open Excel, go to the Open menu, and select the "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" option. This feature allows you to restore documents that weren’t saved correctly.

If the unsaved file isn't found using this method, try checking Excel’s temporary files folder:

Go to: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel

Sort the files by their modified date to quickly find the document you need.

Fix 5. Recover an Excel file from the Recycle Bin

If your Excel files are not found online, in File Explorer, or in the temp folder, they may have been deleted. To check, open the Recycle Bin and see if your missing Excel sheets are there.

Here’s how you can recover deleted Excel files from the Recycle Bin:

Note: If you have emptied the Recycle Bin after saving the document, proceed to the next recovery method.

Step 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop to open it.

Step 2. Locate or search for the Excel file, right-click on it, and select Restore.

The Excel file will be restored to its original location.

Fix 6. Recover an Excel file after permanent deletion

If you’ve saved an Excel file but can’t locate it and find that it has been permanently deleted from your computer, you might not be able to access it through conventional methods.

In such cases, you can either use backups you’ve created beforehand or seek assistance from professional data recovery services, though the latter can be expensive.

Alternatively, consider using a specialized Windows data recovery tool. Among various options, AOMEI FastRecovery stands out as an excellent choice. It offers a range of useful features for file recovery including:

※ Compatible with all editions of Windows 11/10/8/7/Server.
※ Recover deleted files from formatted HDDs, SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and other storage devices.
※ Retrieve deleted Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and up to 200+ types of files.
※ Get deleted files back with their original filenames, formats, and paths.

If you’re unsure whether the software can locate and restore your deleted Excel files, trying the free version first could be a practical approach.

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

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool starts 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 recovery to end.

Conclusion

Saved Excel file but can’t find it? That’s all about the reasons and solutions. If you have the same troubles, don’t hesitate to read this article to get rid of it. As you can see, AOMEI FastRecovery would be the top choice for you to recover the lost, missing, deleted, or unsaved Excel files.