How to Recover a Lost Workbook or a Lost Version of a Workbook (827298)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
For a Microsoft Excel 2002 version of this article, see 324521.

SUMMARY

If you delete, lose, save over, or do not save an Excel 2003 workbook, you may be able to recover it. Excel 2003 has an AutoRecover feature that automatically saves workbooks when you have an accidental loss of power or similar problems.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the AutoRecover feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

289273 Description of the AutoRecover functions in Excel 2002 and in Excel 2003

To see if the missing workbook exists, search for .xls files on your computer. To do this, follow the steps for your operating system.

Windows XP

  1. Click Start, and then click Search.
  2. In the Search Results window, click All files and folders.
  3. In the All or part of the file name dialog box, type:

    *.xls

    .
  4. Under Type of file, expand More advanced options, and then click All Files and Folders.
  5. Click to select the Search system folders and the Search hidden files and folders check boxes, and then click Search.

Windows 2000

  1. Click Start, click Search, and then click Find Files or Folders.
  2. In the Search for files or folders named dialog box, type:

    *.xls

  3. Make sure that your primary hard disk, typically disk C, appears in the Look in dialog box, click to select the Include subfolders check box, and then click Search Now.
After the search, follow these steps:
  1. Double-click a file in the Results list to open it in Excel and see if it is the version that you are missing.

    Note If none of the .xls files in the Results list is the version that you are missing, go to the next step.
  2. Repeat the search, but this time type:

    *.xar

  3. Double-click a file in the Results list to open it in Excel and see if it is the version that you are missing.

    Note If none of the .xar files in the Results list is the version that you are missing, go to the next step.
  4. On the desktop, double-click Recycle Bin to see if the workbook that you want is there. If the missing workbook is not located in any of these areas, the workbook is lost. To recover it, you must re-create it.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/11/2006
Keywords:kbhowto KB827298 kbAudEndUser
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