How to retrieve deleted excel file not in recycle bin

Answer

To retrieve a deleted Excel file that is not in the Recycle Bin, follow the methods below in order of simplicity and likelihood of success; use the method appropriate for your operating system and storage setup.

Quick checklist before proceeding

1. Confirm the file name, folder path, and approximate deletion date.

2. Stop writing large files to the same drive to avoid overwriting recoverable data.

3. Note whether the file was stored on a local drive, network share, OneDrive, or SharePoint.

Method 1 — Recover using Excel AutoRecover / Recent Versions (Excel built-in)

Use this when Excel crashes, closes unexpectedly, or you were working on the file recently.

1. Open Excel.

2. Select File > Open > Recent.

3. Scroll to the bottom and choose Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

4. Browse the unsaved file list, open the file, then immediately save it to a safe location.

Applicable platforms: Windows and Mac.
Notes: This recovers files from unsaved sessions or crashes; it does not recover a file permanently deleted days earlier.

Method 2 — Restore Previous Versions / File History (Windows)

Use this when Windows File History or System Restore / Shadow Copies were enabled.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder that contains the file.

2. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.

3. Select the Previous Versions tab.

4. Select a version dated before deletion and click Open to check contents.

5. Click Restore or copy the Excel file to a safe folder.

Applicable platform: Windows only.
Notes: Shadow Copies must be enabled or File History must have been running before deletion.

Method 3 — OneDrive or SharePoint version history (cloud-stored files)

Use this when the file lived on cloud storage synced to OneDrive or stored in SharePoint.

1. Sign into OneDrive or SharePoint in a web browser.

2. Navigate to the folder that held the file.

3. Use Version history on the file or check the OneDrive Recycle bin on the web.

4. Restore the desired version or restore the deleted file.

Applicable platforms: Any (web-based).
Notes: Cloud Recycle Bin differs from local Recycle Bin; files removed locally while syncing may still be recoverable online.

Method 4 — Temporary and unsaved file locations

Use this for recovering files that were open or recently edited but then deleted.

1. Open File Explorer or Finder.

2. On Windows, check these locations (use Explorer address bar):

   1. %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles

   2. %temp% and look for ~excel or files with .tmp extensions.

3. On Mac, check ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery.

4. Copy any candidate file to a new folder and rename to .xlsx before opening.

Applicable platforms: Windows and Mac.
Notes: Temporary files have unpredictable names; sort by Date Modified to find recent items.

Method 5 — Windows File Recovery / third-party recovery tools

Use this when the file was permanently deleted, and no backups exist.

1. Stop writing to the drive containing the file.

2. Choose recovery software or built-in tool:

   1. On Windows, consider Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery command-line utility or reputable GUI tools (for example, commercial recovery software).

   2. On Mac, consider recovery tools that support APFS/HFS+ recovery.

3. Run the recovery tool, target the drive and specify file type filters (e.g., .xlsx).

4. Recover found files to a different drive to avoid overwriting.

Applicable platforms: Windows and Mac.
Notes: Success depends on whether the deleted file’s sectors were overwritten. Use reputable software and follow vendor instructions.

Method 6 — Restore from backup (system-level or third-party backup)

Use this when you have backups configured.

1. Identify the backup system used (Windows Backup, Time Machine, enterprise backup, or third-party backup).

2. Open the backup application or Time Machine.

3. Navigate to the folder and date before deletion.

4. Restore the Excel file to its original or a new location.

Applicable platforms: Windows (Backup and Restore, third-party), Mac (Time Machine).
Notes: Regular backups provide the most reliable recovery.

Method 7 — Network share or server restore

Use this when the file was on a shared drive or company server.

1. Contact the network administrator or IT helpdesk.

2. Request restore of the file from server snapshots, shadow copies, or backups.

3. Verify restored file integrity once received.

Applicable platforms: Any (networked storage).
Notes: Administrators can often recover files not visible to end users.

Method 8 — Time Machine (Mac-specific)

Use this when Time Machine backups exist.

1. Open Finder and go to the folder where the file was saved.

2. Open Time Machine from the menu bar or Launchpad.

3. Navigate to a backup snapshot dated before deletion.

4. Select the file and click Restore.

Applicable platform: Mac.

Which method should I try first?

1. Use Excel AutoRecover and Recent files for crash-related loss.

2. Check OneDrive or SharePoint if the file synced to cloud storage.

3. Use Previous Versions or File History on Windows when backups were enabled.

4. Use Time Machine on Mac when it exists.

5. Contact IT for server share restores.

6. Use recovery software only after verifying no backup exists and after minimizing disk writes.

Important cautions and best practices

1. Stop saving to the affected drive to reduce overwrite risk.

2. Recover files to a different drive or external storage.

3. Verify recovered files open correctly before deleting other copies.

4. Use trusted recovery software from reputable vendors.

5. Enable routine backups: File History, Time Machine, or cloud sync.

Differences between Windows and Mac

1. Previous Versions and Shadow Copies are a Windows feature; Time Machine is a Mac feature.

2. AutoRecovery file locations differ: Windows uses %localappdata% and %temp%; Mac uses ~/Library/.../AutoRecovery.

3. Windows has Microsoft Windows File Recovery; Mac requires APFS/HFS+ compatible recovery tools.

4. Network/server restores depend on server OS and admin tools, not local OS.

When recovery is unlikely

1. The file was on an SSD with TRIM enabled, and the sectors have been erased.

2. Significant disk writes occurred after deletion.

3. No backups and no shadow copies existed.

If none of these methods work

1. Note what you tried and when the file was deleted.

2. Consider professional data recovery services for critical data, especially when hardware failure is suspected.

3. Improve future resilience by enabling backups and cloud versioning.

Example recovery order (recommended practical sequence)

1. Check Excel Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

2. Check OneDrive/SharePoint web Recycle Bin and Version History.

3. Use Windows Previous Versions or Mac Time Machine.

4. Inspect temporary file folders.

5. Ask IT for server-side restore.

6. Run reputable recovery software and recover to a separate drive.

7. Contact professional recovery services as last resort.

Yes · 0 No · 0 Add Comment · 0

Add ·

Report