If Excel or Windows crashed, reopen Excel and inspect Document Recovery before creating another workbook. If the workbook was never saved, go to File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks. For a workbook already stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, check Version History for missing saved edits.

Quick answer: Open a promising workbook, immediately save it under a new name, and check the sheets, formulas, charts, PivotTables, and external links that matter before treating it as recovered.

Excel files need more verification than a readable first sheet. A candidate can open normally while still missing hidden sheets, named ranges, formulas, queries, macros, or the most recent imported data.

Match the symptom to the recovery tool

What happenedFirst place to checkImportant distinction
Excel or the computer closed unexpectedlyDocument Recovery when Excel reopensRecovery copies are snapshots, not guaranteed complete saves
A new workbook was never savedFile > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved WorkbooksLook for an automatically saved temporary workbook
A cloud workbook lost recent cell changesUnsaved Changes pane, then Version HistoryPending cloud edits and older saved versions are different things
A local workbook lost recent changesFile > Info and the configured AutoRecover folderSave each candidate separately before comparison
The workbook exists but reports corruptionOpen and Repair on a duplicateRepair can recover only part of a workbook

1. Review Document Recovery after a crash

  1. Reopen Excel once.
  2. In Document Recovery, note each candidate's file name and time.
  3. Open the newest candidate first, but keep the pane open.
  4. Use File > Save As and add -recovered plus the date to the name.
  5. Review any second candidate if the workbook structure or recent entries are incomplete.

Do not click away from the recovery list until you have saved the files you may need. A workbook with the newest timestamp is not automatically the best one; the saved snapshot may have occurred before a large paste, query refresh, or new worksheet.

2. Recover a workbook that was never saved

  1. Open Excel and select File > Info.
  2. Choose Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
  3. Sort candidates by modified time.
  4. Open the likely workbook.
  5. Select Save As and use the normal .xlsx format unless the recovered file contains macros that require .xlsm.

Before closing the recovered workbook, check the bottom tab bar for all expected sheets. Use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Sheet if a critical sheet may be hidden.

Excel recovery checklist showing candidate copies, workbook tabs, formulas, and modified times.
Excel recovery checklist showing candidate copies, workbook tabs, formulas, and modified times.

3. Check Excel's AutoRecover location

Excel shows the recovery path configured for the current installation:

  1. Go to File > Options > Save.
  2. Confirm Save AutoRecover information every is enabled.
  3. Copy the path in AutoRecover file location.
  4. Paste the path into File Explorer.
  5. Copy likely files to a separate holding folder before opening them.

The same settings page also shows whether Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving is enabled. Changing these options now will not recreate an older workbook, but it explains which recovery behavior was available when the loss occurred.

4. Separate cloud upload problems from local recovery

Microsoft 365 Excel can show an Unsaved Changes pane when edits were not confirmed as uploaded to the cloud. This pane may include cell values and formulas, but it does not capture every type of change; charts, shapes, formatting, filters, and some PivotTable operations may not appear.

For a OneDrive or SharePoint workbook:

  1. Save or download the current workbook as a separate copy.
  2. Open File > Info > Version History.
  3. Preview a version from before the data disappeared.
  4. Compare the relevant sheets rather than restoring immediately.
  5. Download the older version or copy its missing data into a new workbook.

This preserves both the current cloud file and the older calculations. Selecting Restore too early can make the older workbook current and hide newer valid edits.

Verify the recovered workbook

Use this checklist before the recovered file becomes the working copy:

  • Sheets: expected tabs exist and hidden sheets are accounted for.
  • Formulas: inspect key totals and press Ctrl + ` `` to display formulas if useful.
  • Calculation: confirm the calculation mode and recalculate before trusting totals.
  • Tables and filters: verify row counts and whether filters hide records.
  • PivotTables and queries: check the last refresh time before refreshing again.
  • External links: do not update links automatically until the source files are identified.
  • Charts and objects: confirm they survived even if the cell data looks correct.
  • Macros: preserve .xlsm format when VBA is required.

If formulas are missing but displayed values remain, save that candidate too. It may still provide data that can be moved into a cleaner workbook.

If the workbook is corrupted

Work only on a duplicate. In Excel, choose File > Open > Browse, select the copied workbook, open the arrow beside Open, and choose Open and Repair. Try Repair first; if that fails, Extract Data may recover values and formulas without preserving the full workbook.

Do not save a partially repaired workbook over the original. A successful open is only the beginning of validation.

When Excel finds nothing

Check email attachments, Downloads, Teams or SharePoint libraries, OneDrive recycle bins, Windows File History, and backups covering the original folder. If the workbook was stored on a failing drive or contains business-critical records, stop writing new files to that drive and involve IT or a recovery specialist.

Sources and further reading