Start with the recovery route that matches what happened. If Word or Windows crashed, reopen Word once and inspect the Document Recovery pane. If the document was never saved, use File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents. If the file had already been saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, check Version History instead of relying only on a local recovery file.
Quick answer: Open each promising recovery candidate, immediately use Save As with a new file name, and verify the missing paragraph, table, or revision before replacing anything.
Do not create a blank document with the same name or run a cleanup utility before checking these locations. AutoRecover files are temporary, and Word may remove candidates after it decides a recovery session is finished.
Choose the right recovery path
| What happened | Check first | What you are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| Word or the computer crashed | Document Recovery pane when Word reopens | One or more automatically recovered versions with times |
| You closed a document that had never been saved | File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents | An unsaved .asd candidate |
| A saved document is missing recent edits | File > Info and Version History for a OneDrive or SharePoint file | An earlier cloud version containing the edits |
| Word opens but shows no recovery item | Word Options > Save > AutoRecover file location | Recovery files in the configured folder |
| The file exists but will not open | Copy it first, then try Open and Repair on the copy | A readable duplicate without risking the original |
The distinction matters. AutoRecover protects work after an unexpected shutdown; it is not the same as AutoSave. AutoSave continuously writes supported Microsoft 365 files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, while AutoRecover periodically creates a recovery copy.
1. Check Document Recovery after a crash
- Reopen Word once.
- Look for the Document Recovery pane, usually on the left side.
- Note the time shown beneath each candidate.
- Open the newest candidate, but also inspect an older one if the newest copy is incomplete.
- Select File > Save As and give the recovered file a new name such as
proposal-recovered-2026-08-21.docx.
Do not close the recovery pane until every candidate you may need has been saved. Microsoft recommends keeping the recovery list available for a later review if you are unsure, rather than removing files immediately.
2. Use Recover Unsaved Documents
For a document that never received a normal file name:
- Open Word.
- Go to File > Info.
- Select Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents.
- Sort the available files by modified time if the picker allows it.
- Open a likely candidate and select Save As from the warning bar at the top.
Check the content before trusting the timestamp. A newer candidate can still be a nearly blank draft, while an older file may contain the section you need.
3. Find Word's configured AutoRecover folder
If the unsaved-document picker is empty, let Word tell you where it stores recovery files on this computer:
- Open File > Options > Save.
- Copy the path shown beside AutoRecover file location.
- Paste that path into File Explorer's address bar.
- Copy promising
.asdor.wbkfiles into a separate folder before opening them.
Do not assume %AppData%\Microsoft\Word and the Office UnsavedFiles folder are interchangeable. The configured location can vary by Office version and user settings; the value displayed in Word Options is the authoritative path for that installation.
If an .asd file does not open when double-clicked, open Word and use File > Open > Browse, then change the file-type filter so AutoRecover files are visible.
4. Use version history for a cloud-saved document
If the document had already been saved in OneDrive or SharePoint, version history is often stronger than a crash fragment because it preserves named saved states.
- Open the current document.
- Go to File > Info > Version History, or open version history from the file's OneDrive or SharePoint web menu.
- Preview a version from before the edits disappeared.
- Download or save a copy before selecting Restore.
- Compare the old and current files if both contain useful work.
Restoring can make an older version current. Saving a separate copy first prevents newer edits from being hidden by the restoration.
How to identify the best candidate
Compare the evidence that matters to the document, not just the file name:
- the exact paragraph, heading, comment, or table that was lost
- modified time relative to the crash or accidental close
- page count and file size
- tracked changes and comments
- embedded images, citations, headers, and footers
If two candidates contain different useful sections, keep both and merge into a third document. Recovery does not have to end with a single winner.
When Word finds nothing
AutoRecover cannot recreate work that was never captured during an AutoRecover interval. If the document was closed normally and Don't Save was selected, available recovery data may also be removed. At that point, check email attachments, Downloads, OneDrive or SharePoint, Windows File History, and any backup service that covered the original folder.
For an important legal, client, school, or business document, stop before installing recovery software on the same drive. New writes can reduce the chance of recovering deleted data. An IT administrator or recovery specialist may be the safer next step.