How to Recover a Word Document like a Pro

It doesn’t matter if you’re a creative or non-creative person; losing an important Microsoft Word file is more than enough to make you have a bad day. A few short years ago, even tech nerds would have had a tough time trying to solve this issue. But nowadays, several techniques will help you recover unsaved word documents like a pro. Well, there are no definite assurances that you’ll get your file back. However, it’s a lot better than throwing in the towel and accepting defeat.

Common Ways To Recover Word Document

There are a few ways to recover word documents, ranging from a simple file search to other complex processes such as triggering auto-recovery with your task manager or scouring the recycle bin. The first step might not necessarily work; in that case, you’ll have to try out a couple of the other methods.

Quick Search

If your Microsoft Word version falls between 2010 to 2019, a quick search can help you recover the original version of an unsaved Word document.

For PC owners, simply press the Windows button to access the search bar, then input the Word file name you’re searching for. This query will most likely retrieve the document you seek; however, your most recent modifications might be lost. If you own a MacBook, the process is a tad easier. Click the spotlight icon, and see if you will find the document amongst the file list.

Search For Temporary Files

This procedure is quite similar to the first technique we highlighted. It’s the same process, actually, only this time, you’re searching for a different file format called temporary files and identified as “.tmp.” Open the search bar and click on “Documents.” To find temporary records,” Carefully scroll through the list (and date stamps) to search for your missing document. Alternatively, if you don’t find a .tmp, you can also search for “~” using the same steps described above.

Find Word Backup Files

The Microsoft Word software will backup a document without prompting the user in some cases. All Word backup files automatically end in “.wbk” or “WBK.” extensions. To search for a lost or deleted Word document using this method, open the folder where you last saved the document and input .wbk or WBK. in the search bar at the top right-hand side of your screen. A backup version of the document should pop up within seconds. However, you’ll only be able to use this technique if your software has been pre-configured to save backup.

Follow these steps to confirm or activate this option:

1. Select File
2. Click  Options
3. Click Advanced.
4. Scroll down to the Save section
5.  Click always create backup copy.

Search Your Recycle Bin

The recycle bin temporarily holds all the files (including Word documents) that you delete on your computer just in case you happen to want them back. If you ever mistakenly delete a Microsoft Word file, don’t panic. Scroll through your screen, locate the recycle bin and follow these guidelines:

1. Search for the name of the document
2. Right-click on it
3. Scroll down and select restore

Restart Microsoft Word To Activate Auto-recovery

Another method to recover word documents is to trigger auto-recovery with the task manager. To do this on Windows, follow the procedure below:

1. Press “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” on your keypad
2. Then select “Task Manager.”
3. Look out for Microsoft Word or Winword.exe in the processes tab and click on it.
4. Select “End Task,” ensure that you end all Word and Winword.exe processes in the tab.

5.  Restart Microsoft Word; the software will automatically scan for recovered files and display them as “document name [Original]” or “document name [Recovered].” If it finds any recovered documents, it will display them under the Document Recovery task pane.
6. Scroll through the pane to find the document
7. Double-click on it
8. Click on file
9. Select “save as” and choose .docx to save the file as Word.

For Mac users, follow these three steps to end the Microsoft Word process, then revert back to numbers 5-9 of the above list to complete the process.

1. Click on the Apple icon
2. Scroll to find “Force Quit…” Click on it, and select Microsoft Word.
3.  Finally, click “Force Quit.”

How To Recover Word Document With Recoverit

The procedures mentioned earlier are all effective; nevertheless, most of them require time and some level of technical knowledge to execute. For a more seamless data recovery process, we recommend using Wondershare Recoverit. There’s no gainsaying it’s one of the most efficient data recovery software you’ll find around. It works perfectly for Windows and Mac devices. Its user-friendly interface ensures that even non-technical computer users can recover their Word documents in three easy-to-follow steps. Let’s run through it together.

1. Select a Location

Scroll through your computer and select the folder where the missing Word document was saved.

2. Scan through the Location

Click on start to begin scanning the folder (this should take a few minutes). You can filter the search to focus more on a specific file format.

3. Preview and Recover the Files

Preview the recovered file. Premium users have unlimited preview access, while free version users can preview for 10 seconds)

Lastly, click the “Recover,” then choose your preferred storage path and size for the Word document

Tips To Avoid Word Document Loss

It’s best to avoid errors in Word documents because, in the end, there’s no absolute guarantee that you’ll be able to recover them. Below are six ways to avoid Word document loss:

1. Don’t store documents on your drive; save them on cloud instead.
2. Backup your document at regular intervals
3. Keep an extra copy of your Word files
4. Activate autosave feature on your Microsoft Word Software

Conclusion

When attempting to recover a Word document, the first step is to run a virus or malware scan to ensure the computer is not infected. You can do this by running a virus scan to check if any of your documents are corrupted. If you find a bad record, ensure you delete it before attempting to recover your lost files. As soon as this is done, you can proceed to try the data recovery methods mentioned in this article one after the other. However, if you’re looking for a more efficient option that will save you time, then our Wondershare Recoverit software is your best bet.