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Hi, All my Microsoft Word documents have changed to DOCX files Hi, All my 'Microsoft Word. Hi, All my 'Microsoft Word documents have changed to DOCX files including on Groove and now I can't view these DOCX files that I have in Groove.
Summary
If you happen to encounter computer suddenly restarts or shuts down before clicking save on a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file, take it easy. There are three ways you can try to recover unsaved Word document after the computer restarts or shutting down. What's more, if you have lost the saved Word document, you can use EaseUS data recovery software to recover the deleted document with ease.
Can Word recovery software recover unsaved Word document?
In fact, none of the data recovery software on the market can recover unsaved Word documents. Typically, the third-party software only helps when you at least have an original file located on your computer's hard disk or a connected USB drive. You can use these data recovery tools to restore lost saved Word document, which is later missing due to accidental deletion, disk formatting, virus attack, partition loss, etc.
But for unsaved Word document caused by an unexpected computer crash or shutting down, the answer is NO. Even the EaseUS data recovery software on this page, which is very famous in the field of data recovery. Then, how to recover a Word document that you forgot to save after computer restarts? Follow the three effective solutions below.
How to Recover A Word Document Didn't Save After Computer Restart
Microsoft Office offers users the AutoRecover to restore the on-editing Word document automatically. You can enable this function by going to 'File' > 'Options' > 'Save' > checking 'Save AutoRecover'. You can change the time of AutoSave interval. As long as this feature starts to work, you can recover the unsaved Word document after a computer restart, crash, or shutting down with the following methods. If your word version is below version 10, see another post on how to recover unsaved Word document 2007/2003.
Method 1. Recover from Recent Documents (Word 2010/2013/2016/2019)
- Open Word application and click the 'Open' > 'File' tab.
- Click 'Recent'.
- Scroll to the bottom of your Recent Documents and then click 'Recover Unsaved Documents'.
- The saved drafts will open in a new window. Click 'Save As' to restore the disappeared unsaved Word document after a computer problem.
Method 2. Recover from Manage Document
- Run Word > open a new file or an existing file.
- Click the 'File' tab > 'Info' > click 'Manage Document'.
- Click 'Recover Unsaved Documents'.
- You will see the list of your unsaved files. Select the file and click 'Open' > 'Save As' to store the Word file.
Method 3. Recover from Temporary Files
- You can find the temp files in this path: C:UsersUser_NameAppDataLocalMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles.
- Choose the one you need to recover and open with Word application to save again.
If you have deleted the Unsaved Files folder and lost all the temporary files, you can use EaseUS Data Recovery to restore the deleted tempory files.
How to Recover Deleted or Lost Word Document on Windows 10/8/7
As explained before, a data recovery tool can't help you get back the unsaved Word document, but it provides you with an effective and easy way to recover deleted files. And EaseUS file data recovery software, a renowned document recovery program, enables you to restore lost DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, CWK, HTML/HTM, INDD, and EPS with a few clicks.
Supporting 200+ file types, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is good at recovering (permanently) deleted files from hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive, pen drive, external hard drive, and so on. Now, download this data recovery software and use it to restore any lost files as you need with the detailed guides below.
Step 1. Choose the Word file location
It's the first step. You must clearly know where your Word files got lost, choose a hard disk drive or a specific folder. If it's on a USB flash drive or SD card, take one more step to connect it to your computer.
Right-click on the drive X: and click the Scan button.
Step 2. Scan all lost data
The software will start immediately scanning all lost data on the selected drive, and you'll see more and more data showing up in the scan results.
Step 3. Select Word files and recover
After the scan, use the quickest way to the wanted Word documents by choosing 'Documents' from the drop-down list in 'Filter'. You're allowed to preview a Word file if you have Microsoft Word application installed on your computer. Finally, select the desired documents and click 'Recover'.
All major operating systems running on computers can find files on the hard drive or other drives connected to the computer. Click one of the links below for help with finding files and apps on your computer or mobile device.
Windows 10
Microsoft Windows provides an easy-to-use search feature that can help you find any file on your computer, even if you don't know its full name. Whether you need to find a document, spreadsheet, picture, or video, the Windows search feature can help you find it. Choose the version of Windows on your computer in the list below and follow the steps to search for a file. Search examples and tips are also available by clicking the search tips link below.
- Press the Windows key, then type part or all the file name you want to find. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
- In the search results, click the Documents, Music, Photos, or Videos section header to view a list of files that meet the search criteria.
- Click the file name you want to open.
Tip
You can use the arrow keys to arrow up or down to the app, file, document, or setting you want to view and press Enter to open it.
Windows 8
- Press the Windows key to access the Windows Start screen.
- Start typing part of the file name you want to find. As you type results for your search will be shown. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
- Click on the drop-down list above the Search text field and select the Files option.
- The search results are shown below the Search text field. Scroll down through the list of search results to find the file you are looking for, then click the file name to open it.
Windows Vista and Windows 7
- Click Start to open the Start menu.
- In the Search text field at the bottom of the Start menu, type part or all the file name you want to find. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
- In the search results, click the Documents or Files section header to view a list of files that meet the search criteria. You can also click the See more results link at the bottom of the search results to see a full list of files that meet the search criteria.
- Double-click the file you want to open.
Windows XP
- Click Start to open the Start menu.
- In the Start menu, click the Search option.
- In the Search Results window, in the Search Companion section, fill out All or part of the file name field. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
- If the computer has more than one hard drive, or you want to search a USB flash drive or CD/DVD, click the Look in from the drop-down list and select the appropriate drive.
- Click the Search button to execute the search.
- Files meeting the search criteria are shown in the Search Results window. Double-click the file you want to open.
How to find a file using Windows Explorer
- Open Windows Explorer.
- In the left navigation pane, click on Computer or This PC.
- Near the top-right of Windows Explorer, click in the Search field and enter part or all the name of the file you want to find.
To search for a file in a specific drive instead of the entire computer, click on the drive under Computer or This PC in the left navigation pane. Then enter the file name you want to search for in the Search field.
iPad and iPhone
- Go to the home screen.
- Swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right edge of the screen.
- Type the file into the search bar at the top of the screen.
- Tap the Search button.
Android tablets and phones
- Open the Settings menu.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap Files or File manager.
- Navigate through the folders to find your desired file.
Search tips
Below are a few tips to help users find files on their computer.
Find all GIF picture files on the computer
Type *.gif In the search text field. The *.gif indicates any file that ends with a file extension of .gif. The .gif can be replaced with any file extension. Below are a few examples of the common extensions you may use.
- *.doc or *.docx = Microsoft Word documents
- *.xls or *.xlsx = Microsoft Excel documents
- *.jpg = Another image extension (JPEG pictures)
- *.htm and *.html = HTML web pages
- *.mp3 = MP3 music files
- *.mp4 = MPEG-4 movie files
See the file extension page for a complete listing of extensions.
Find any files that contain help in the name
Type *help*.* in the search text field. The *help* indicates any file containing the word 'help' in the file name and the '.*' indicates that the file can end with any extension.
Additional information, examples, and help with wildcards, as seen in the above examples, is available on our wildcard page.