"Is there a way to recover an unsaved Word document on Mac?" This is a question you can see people post over the Internet. "Unsaved doc file" means you must work again to complete the content. Actually, there are ways for you to return unsaved ones; some methods can even recover deleted Word documents on Mac. With a little bit of effort, you will find the lost files or content. Let's take a look at the reasons why Word documents are lost and 12 methods to solve the problem in detail.
There are several reasons why Word documents are lost on a Mac. What are they? Knowing the reasons, you might avoid the losing Word docs problem bothering you in the future.
Why didn't you save Word documents? You might forget to press Command + S to save the changes. Or you can confirm the "do not save" action while you are quitting the Microsoft Word app. This is a fool action when you're in a hurry to go.
Who hasn't experienced the frustrating and annoying Microsoft Word crashes, especially when you do the Word processor quickly? When it simply stops working and goes flash white, your unsaved document bears the risk.
An unexpected power outage or abrupt shutdown are also two of the most common ways to lose a Word document. While it could be a simple flick of the switch, such shutdowns can also corrupt Word files.
Deletion happens when you sort out your files. Permanently deletion most happens when you empty your trash bin.
Although rare, Mac users sometimes experience data loss due to corrupt hard drives. If you have ever formatted a disk or experienced file system corruption, you know what it's like. It can lead to Word doc loss, too, and get you to look up "how to recover a Word document on Mac."
Nothing beats rogue applications, especially ones that carry Malware. They not only take your Word docs but also interfere with different features of your favorite applications. Please think of the file-saving features gone bad due to it.
It depends on how you lost the documents. The answer is yes for general issues, such as unsaving Word, emptying the Trash, deleting Word Docs/folders, inaccessible hard drives, RAW hard drives, or virus attacks. However, remember that the key is performing unsaved/deleted Word document recovery on Mac quickly. If the doc files are erased and deleted by a professional file shredder, then you can't get them back anymore because the software overwrites them.
Have you lost work in progress due to a program crash, sudden power outage, or other reasons? Don't be afraid; there are multiple solutions that can help you. They are:
In case Word crashes unexpectedly, what you can do is restart the application. The application has an auto recovery Word Mac option, especially the latest versions. Like the screenshots, all you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions, and the unsaved content will be back in your hands.
Microsoft Word for Mac has a built-in feature named "AutoRecover," which keeps saving documents at regular intervals to help you retrieve them in case of unexpected loss. Use these steps, and you'll be able to recover Word documents not saved on a Mac:
~Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/
This feature works in the background, so even if you weren't saving the document manually, a version of it might still be available in the specified directory.
There are temporary files to help Mac recover unsaved Word documents. It's a special feature of macOS, and to access it, here are the commands you need to follow:
Even though this method is a hit-or-miss most of the time, it's worth a try if the document you want to recover is very important.
Is your Word document not in the temporary folder? It may be useful to try using iBeesoft Fre Data Recovery for Mac to search for its previous traces on the hard disk.
The Word also keeps track of recently opened files; you may have noticed it on the "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" window with a list of doc names under the "Recent" tab. You can use it to recover lost documents. Go to File > Open Recent and you may find the missing document right there.
In case you've subscribed to Microsoft 365, your Word documents could be saved automatically to OneDrive or SharePoint. Here's a list of steps that will help you recover a unsaved Word document on Mac:
"Previous Versions" allows you to revert the current document to an earlier saved version of the document.
For a lot of people, it has been a lifesaver. However, some changes remain lost, and you might have to rework them.
You can solve the problem of "how to find a unsaved Word document on Mac" with the above-mentioned methods. How about accidentally deleted Word doc? That could be an even bigger problem because you may permanently lose the deleted Word doc. Actually, there are still some ways you can restore lost Word documents on a Mac. Check the details below.
The simplest - and sometimes, the most effective - method is to check the Trash. If you found it in Trash, right-click and choose "Put Back" to restore it (it will end up in its original location).
If your document disappears during cutting and copying, you likely placed it in the wrong location. Finding it using Spotlight may come as a surprise.
If you are using iCloud to sync your files on Mac, you can also use it to recover an accidentally deleted Word document.
Many users know what a Time Machine is. It's a simple backup utility for macOS. People always use it to back up data in case of data loss. If you backed up the file before deleting it, you can use Time Machine to recover Word doc on Mac. Here are the steps.
Tip: The above steps can also help you recover replaced files on a Mac.
Suppose you have tried the ways mentioned above, only to find that you still can't get the deleted Word docs back. In that case, the best option at this time is to use a professional data recovery software program, letting it recover deleted Word on Mac for you. Generally, this type of tool will scan the storage where the deleted Word documents were, looking for and showing them to you.
Tips: you should know that when a Word doc is deleted on Mac, it is not gone right away. The file index information is removed. You can't see it there in your sight. Actually, it is where it used to be, waiting to be replaced by new data. In this case, the deleted Word doc can be recovered with technical tools.
Among the data recovery software tools, I recommend iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac. It is a popular tool for users with its simple interface and great ability to scan and recover files. You can see that with simple clicks, you can retrieve deleted Word documents on a Mac.
Using this specialized software for iMac and MacBook Word document recovery is not only one of the easiest but also the simplest and hassle-free option. It's simple steps, and the results are often what save you hours upon hours of doing the same work in your Word doc. In addition, you can also click here to learn more about how to recover deleted files on Mac.
But if none of the above methods helped you, there's still a way - experienced professionals. Some Mac OS wizards have dealt with serious data loss issues, and finding accidentally deleted or unsaved docs is a simple job for them.
You can contact a professional file recovery service near you and use their specialized services to retrieve these lost items. They also offer Word document recovery for damaged hard drives.
Sometimes, the Word file can get damaged. Maybe it was due to the sudden power outage and shutdown or an unexpected malware attack. Regardless, there are a few tricks you can try to recover Word doc on Mac.
There's also a built-in feature that helps you open and repair damaged files. You can use the following steps as a guide:
There are text editors like Notepad and TextEdit that might help you open damaged documents on a Mac. They will help you recover parts of the text. You can open the file using the text editor and then copy any readable text it generates for you.
You can also use a few online tools to repair Word documents that were either corrupted or damaged. Some of the most popular ones we found include:
Now that we have discussed a few different ways to recover Word doc on Mac - and chances are you've already recovered it successfully - here are a few tips that will save you this trouble next time:
It's stressful to lose a Word document on a Mac. But you can prevent them from taking a toll on your mind - and your time - with the best recovery methods we discussed above. You'll likely have your files back if you attempt recovery promptly. Moreover, the best way to continue after an unsaved Word document recovery on Mac is to use a few helpful tips. These include setting up regular backups through Time Machine, enabling autosave features, and using backup to the cloud with version control features.
Microsoft Word autosaves files by default every 10 minutes. If you want to adjust this, please go to "Word > Preferences > Save" and enter the number in the "AutoSave/AutoRecover" box.
When the program or system's built-in methods fail, you can also try iBeesoft Free Data Recovery for Mac or Recoverit, which offers more advanced recovery options.
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