How to Recover Your Lost Word Document

Your Word document isn’t meant to crash, but unfortunately sometimes it does. Firstly, we would recommend saving your work often to keep it safe. However, this habit is only properly learnt after losing your work!

If only there was a way to get your word document back after it crashes….

Well, luckily, there is!

Here’s how you do it.

Word Crashed? Restart it

1. Open Windows Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choosing ‘Task Manager’.
2. Select the processes tab
3. Scroll down until you find Microsoft office word
4. Click on the Microsoft word process and then click ‘End task’
5. Reopen word, the lost file should now be displayed in the document recovery task pane.
6. Double click the auto recovery file

Check if there is an Auto-recovered version

The recovery pane sometimes does not open when you restart. On this instant you should:

1. Click open
2. Click recent
3. At the bottom of the window, there will be a box that says “recover unsaved documents”. Click this.
4. Open your lost document

Auto Save

You can set up Auto-Save to make sure you won’t lose your work again.

1. Open Word
2. Click File
3. Click Options, then Save
4. Tick the checkbox that says “Save Auto-Recover Information”.
5. You can set how often word will automatically save the document. Bear in mind the longer you choose, the more work you are at risk of losing.
6. Tick the box that says ‘Keep the last saved auto version if I close without saving.

And there you have it. 2 Ways to recover your lost word document and 1 way to prevent it from happening in the first place.