How to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Mac

Have you accidentally closed Excel without saving your work on your Mac? Don't panic! This guide outlines simple methods to help you recover unsaved Excel files on your Mac.

Losing your Excel file accidentally either due to a power outage, system crash, or closing it without saving can create frustration as you might have spent a huge amount of time on it. Don’t worry, if you have also lost an unsaved Excel file because you are at the right place. In this guide, we would discuss various ways to recover unsaved Excel file on Mac by telling where are Excel autosave files stored.

How to recover unsaved excel file on Mac

How to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Mac

Losing an unsaved Excel file can be a nightmare, but the good news is that there are ways to recover it on a Mac. In this article, we’ll discuss some straightforward methods to help you recover your unsaved Excel file on Mac. So, read on to learn more.

Method 1: From Temporary Files

You can look for your unsaved Excel file in the temporary file folder on your Mac. To opt for this method, read the steps discussed below:

1. Navigate to the Finder app on your Mac and after that click on Applications -> Utilities.

click on utilities

2. Now, launch Terminal, enter open $TMPDIR in the terminal window, and press the Return key.

launch terminal | recover unsaved excel file on Mac

3. After this, the Temporary files folder will be visible to you, now choose the folder called Temporary Items.

4. Then, look for the unsaved Excel file manually under the Temporary Items folder.

5. After you locate the file, right-click on it and following that choose the Open With option and then click on TextEdit to launch the temporary (.tmp) file in a format that can be edited and saved to the desired location.

Method 2: From AutoRecover Folder

In case you are thinking, can I recover an Excel file I didn’t save on Mac? Then yes, you can do so by using the AutoRecover Folder. Now, you might be wondering where the AutoRecovery folder on Mac or AutoRecovery Excel Mac is. Well, this is a hidden folder that you can locate by using the Go to folder option and then by typing the full path. Follow the below-mentioned steps to retrieve the unsaved Excel files:

1. Launch Finder, then click on the Go > Go to Folder option.

go to folder option”>

2. Next, type the following command. /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft

3. Then, check the files that have been made recently and undergo the content of the AutoRecover folder.

Also Read: How to Split Excel File into Multiple Files by Row

Method 3: From Recent Workbooks

After using the Autorecovery folder on Mac to recover unsaved Excel file, you can also make use of the Recent Workbooks option if your system crashes. To do so, check out the given steps:

1. Navigate to Microsoft Excel, now launch the File tab located in the upper right corner of the screen, and then choose the Open option.

2. After that, a pop-up would appear on your screen to locate the Recent Workbooks option and click on it.

3. Now, a list would appear on your screen and the option to Recover Unsaved Workbooks is located at the last of the provided list. Choose to open it.

4. Following that, from the Recover Unsaved Workbooks folder find out the Excel file that was not saved.

5. Consequently, to launch the Excel file that was not saved you can either double-click on it or you can also right-click on it to open the drop-down menu. Now, click on the Open option.

6. Then, choose the Save As option to save the file and select the location to save the file.

How to Recover a Deleted Excel File on Mac

Now that you know if you can recover an Excel file that you didn’t save on Mac, let’s discuss how you can retrieve the deleted Excel files. To gain insights on this, read below.

Method 1: From Trash Bin

You can recover the Excel file that you might have accidentally deleted from the Trash Bin. The trash bin stores the deleted files temporarily for 30 days. To do so, adhere to the steps discussed below:

1. Navigate to the Trash bin located on the bottom right side of the Dock.

click on trash bin | recover unsaved excel file on Mac

2. Now, choose the Excel file that you wish to recover.

3. After that, right-click on the file and choose the Put Back option from the drop-down menu.

choose put back option

Also Read: How to Swap Columns or Rows in Excel

Method 2: Using Time Machine

Another option that you can opt for is this one. Using Time Machine, which is a data backup tool, you can retrieve the deleted Excel files on your Mac. Check out the below-mentioned steps to recover the files using Time Machine:

1. Start by connecting the Time Machine backup disk to your Mac.

2. Then, launch the folder that has the deleted Excel file, now click on the Time Machine icon located in the Menu Bar, and then click on the Enter Time Machine option.

3. After that, you will have to find the file you wish to recover by making use of the timeline.

4. Following that, click on the Restore option to retrieve the chosen Excel file.

How To Find Disappeared Excel File

To locate an Excel file that has disappeared, abide by the following steps:

1. Navigate to Finder on your Mac.

2. Then, click on the magnifier glass icon located in the upper-right corner of your Mac screen.

click on magnifier glass icon | recover unsaved excel file on Mac

3. After that, enter your file name and hit the Return key. You can also locate the files by using the .xls or .xlsx extension if you cannot recall the file name.

4. Now, click on This Mac option to search for the missing Excel file and then move it to another location that you consider safe.

Recommended: 10 Functions of MS Excel that Everyone Should Know

This brings us to the end of our article. We hope after reading our guide you were able to able to learn about how to recover unsaved Excel file on Mac. Let us know which method worked for you the best. You can reach out to us with your suggestions and queries via the comments section below. Also, let us know what topic you want to gain insights on in our next article.

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