How To Find A Lost Word Document

“How do I find WordPad doc I was typing but was not saved using Win 8.1; the power button was pressed; the system went down. Is there an autosave, or can I go into history somewhere and find it? Kids are just great when they push 'shiny buttons' Yikes Help!'

- by Brandy Monroe posted in Microsoft community

One thing that is very important while working on WordPad editor is to press “Crtl + s” to save your work continuously. Because if you have completed your work on WordPad but didn’t save it, then all your efforts will go vain if you face sudden power failure. There is another case is in which you properly saved WordPad documents, but deleted it by mistake.

If you have ever faced any of the situations described above, don’t worry, we will show you how to recover unsaved/deleted WordPad documents in this article.

• Part 1: What is WordPad and What It Can Do?

• Part 2: How to Recover Unsaved WordPad Document

• Part 3: How to Extract Lost WordPad Document

• Part 4: How to Recover Deleted WordPad Document

• Part 5: Frequently Asked Questions on WordPad

Part 1. What is WordPad and What It Can Do?

Sometimes it happens that a person permanently deletes the word document then it becomes too difficult to retrieve that file back. So in this article I am going to discuss the various causes of losing a word file and the various methods through which you can easily find and restore lost word document. How to recover unsaved Word documents with Word tools. This method is effective when a computer is suddenly rebooted, if there is a power loss, and so on. All you need is to re-open the Word document and on the left side you will see the Document Recovery tab. Unsaved documents can be restored by double-clicking the left mouse button. If a document ever goes missing, open your default document location. Browse or search for files that start with the name Backup of and have the extension wbk. If you find the appropriate backup of.

WordPad is a default program when we install Windows operating system on our computer, so it’s free to use. Basically, it's a rich text editor that can help users create, edit, format, print, and save documents simply, its key features are as below:

• It has a similar User Interface as MS Word, but with simpler functions.

• You can insert pictures, style text with limited fonts.

• Basic editing is very easy such as increasing and decreasing indent, line spacing, etc.

• You can add date and time and insert content from other files in the form of object.

• WordPad is capable of saving and opening documents in different formats, including the file extension of .rtf (Rich Text Format), .docx (MS Word latest versions), .odt (Open Document Text), .txt (Plain Text), and .doc (Old MS formats). Note that not all the versions support these formats.

1.1 How to Open Microsoft WordPad

You can access the WordPad document editor by following the steps: Click “Start” button and type WordPad or press Windows + R, a text box will appear and write WordPad and hit enter.

1.2 Where Does WordPad Be Saved in Windows?

The default saving directory for WordPad documents is the Documents folder in Windows, but you can change it. It doesn't provide functionalities as MS word, but it's better than using Notepad.

Part 2. How to Recover Unsaved WordPad Documents

We will try to recover unsaved WordPad documents using 'previous version feature' and “temporary files” in this part. Let's see how it can be done.

How To Find A Lost Word Document

2.1 Restore Previous Version of an Unsaved WordPad File

In Microsoft Windows, if System Protection is enabled, recovery points are created by the system automatically, therefore you can recover the unsaved Word files or others. So if you are running Microsoft Windows and recently lost your unsaved WordPad document, this method might be helpful.

Step 1. Find the Folder where the WordPad documents were saved.

Step 2. Right-click on the Folder and then click on Properties.

Step 3. A menu with different tabs will appear, from the tabs click on the Previous Versions tab.

Step 4. All versions will be listed there, select the version you need and click on Restore.

2.2 Recover Unsaved WordPad File via Temp Files

In this method, we will look into the temporary files. All our unsaved, incomplete and improperly closed files get stored on a specific location for a while. Let's get started.

Step 1. Press Windows + R keys from the keyboard.

Step 2. In the search box, write %AppData% and click “Ok”.

Step 3. A folder that contains all temporary files will open up, in the search bar type the name of your lost WordPad file and matching files will start showing the results.

Step 4. Sort the results by “Date Modified” and select the latest ones.

Step 5. Copy the document and paste it to desktop or other location where they are safe.

Step 6. After pasting, change the filename extension from .tmp or .asd to .odt; that's the default extension of WordPad documents.

Part 3. How to Extract Lost WordPad Document

System image can back up your PC data in time and prevent data loss. You can selectively restore an individual file from backup file of system image.

Step 1. Click Windows Search Bar, enter diskmgmt.msc in the box, click on it. Then Action will appear. Choose Attach VHD. Click Browse and choose a backup disk, click Open. Please note that the box of Read-only can not be checked, or the individual files will be unable to be extracted.

Step 2. Select the disk, right-click to change the paths and drive letter.

Step 3. Then you can open the disk you want and extract lost wordpad document from it.

Part 4. How to Recover Deleted WordPad Documents

Locally stored data is not safe until you create a backup daily. The WordPad files can be lost due to hardware crashes, security breaches, malware, accidental deletion, and many other reasons. If you have faced any of the situations mentioned above and lost your essential WordPad files, you don't need to worry anymore, because there is a way to recover your deleted WordPad files, which is using a powerful data recovery tool. There are thousands of data recovery tools available worldwide, but the tool that I am going to mention is iMyFone AnyRecover.

AnyRecover is an advanced and professional data recovery tool that is very efficient when it comes to recovering data, no matter how it got deleted. What’s more, you will enjoy free technical support and regular updates.

Amazing Features of AnyRecover

Recover deleted WordPad document from XD/CF Card, SD Card, HDD/SDD, Digital Camera, USB Drive, PC, Laptops, and many other storage devices.

Support recovery of photos, audios, videos, emails, documents, etc.

Recover data lost because of emptied recycle bin, lost partition, formatted device, damaged hard drive, and so on.

100% secure and reliable to use, quickly recover the data by yourself.

It is compatible with Mac OS above X 10.9 (including Mac OS X 11.0) and Windows 10/8/8.1/7/XP.

You're able to recover 3 WordPad documents for free.

Restore WordPad Document using iMyFone AnyRecover

Step 1. Download AnyRecover installation setup from the official AnyRecover website and install it properly according to the instructions. After launching AnyRecover, select a location from where you want to recover deleted data.

Step 2. Once the location is selected, click on the Start button to begin scanning. Here you need to have some patience because the scan can take some time.

Step 3. Finally, when the scanning is complete all your deleted files will be arranged into folders according to their categories.

Step 4. You can double click a file to preview it and recover them by clicking on the Recover button.

Part 5. Frequently Asked Questions on WordPad

This part is all about answering the questions that people usually ask about WordPad. I have selected some of the frequently asked questions and provided answers below.

Q. Is it possible to save WordPad documents in other formats instead of .txt?

A. Yes, it is possible to save WordPad documents in other formats as well beside .txt, like .doc and .docx.

Q. How can I insert pictures or charts into a WordPad document?

A. It is very easy, follow the steps:

• Click on Menu in the upper-left corner of WordPad.

• Then, click on Picture and select the picture from any location and click Open.

• The picture will be in your WordPad document.

Q. If my WordPad file gets corrupted, can I still recover it?

A. Yes, there are still chances that you will be able to recover corrupted WordPad files, depends on the data recovery tool being used.

Note

Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this blog post.

Note

This article describes how you can recover a lost, unsaved, or corrupted Microsoft Word document.
If you're looking for information about how to recover recent Office documents, see the following articles:

• Recover your Office files (for Word versions through Office 2019)

Note

For more information about earlier versions of Word, see the following Knowledge Base article:

Quick resolution

Try the following options to help recover your lost, unsaved, or corrupted Word document. Select the image at the left or the option heading to see more detailed instructions about that option.

Additional resources

If you experience specific issues when you use Word, go to the following website to search for more information about your program version:

Detailed view of the options

The following section provides more detailed descriptions of these options.

Option 1: Search for the original document

1. Select Start, enter the document name in Windows 10 or enter the document name in the Search box in earlier versions of Windows, and then press Enter.
2. Take the following action, as appropriate:
   • If the File list contains the document, double-click the document to open it in Word.
   • If the File list doesn't contain the file, go to Option 2.

Option 2: Search for Word Backup files

Word backup file names have a '.wbk' extension. If you have the 'backup copy' option selected in Word, there might be a backup copy of the file.

Note

To locate this option:

• Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013:Select File > Options > Advanced, scroll down to the Save section, and then select Always create backup copy.
• Word 2010:Select File > Options, open the Save tab, and then select Always create backup copy.

To find the backup copy of the file, follow these steps:

1. Locate the folder in which you last saved the missing file.
2. Search for files that have the .wbk file name extension.
3. If you find the backup file, right-click the file name, and then select Open.

If there are no .wbk files in the original folder, search the computer for any .wbk files. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Select Start, enter .wbk in Windows 10 or enter .wbk in the Search box in earlier versions of Windows. Then, press Enter.
2. Take the following action, as appropriate:
   • If the File list contains the backup file, repeat the steps in Option 2 to open the file.
   • If the File list does not contain the backup file, go to Option 4.

If you find any files that have the name 'Backup of' followed by the name of the missing file, use one of the following methods, as appropriate for the version of Word that you're running.

Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013

1. File > Open > Browse. (In some versions of Word, select Computer > Browse.)
2. In the 'files of type' list to the right of File name, select All Files.
3. Right-click the backup file that you found, and then select Open.

Word 2010

1. On the File menu, select Open.
2. In the 'files of type' list to the right of File name, select All Files.
3. Right-click the backup file that you found, and then select Open.

Option 3: Check the Recycle Bin

Recovering deleted Word documents from the Recycle Bin

If you deleted a Word document without emptying the Recycle Bin, you might be able to restore the document.

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin on the Desktop.

2. Search through the list of documents to see whether the deleted word file is still there. If you don't know the name, look for file types such as .doc, .docx, and .dot.

3. If you find the desired Word file, right-click the file name, and then select Restore to recover the file.

If you saved files to a SharePoint site, see the Restore a SharePoint item from the Microsoft 365 site collection Recycle Bin section.

If you saved files to OneDrive, check the OneDrive recycle bin. For more information, see Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive.

If you emptied the Windows Recycle Bin after you deleted files, the deleted Word file might have been permanently removed. If you are running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, you can try the Windows File Recovery tool, available from the Microsoft Store. For more information about the tool, see Recover lost files on Windows 10.

If you canot find the file by using any of these methods, go to Option 4.

Restore a SharePoint item from the Microsoft 365 site collection Recycle Bin

1. Open the Recycle Bin, and take one of the following actions, depending on the type of site that you are using:

   1. Modern Team and Classic sites (or subsites): In the left pane, select Recycle Bin.

   2. Modern Communication sites: Select Site contents, and then select Recycle Bin in the top navigation bar.

      Note

      If you don't see the Recycle Bin, follow these steps:

      1. Select Settings > Site settings. (If you don't see Site settings, select Site information > View all site settings. Some pages might require you to select Site contents > Site settings.)
      2. On Site settings, under Site Collection Administration, select Recycle bin.

2. At the bottom of the Recycle Bin page, select Second-stage recycle bin.

   Note

   You must have administrator or owner permissions to use the site collection Recycle Bin. If you don't see the Recycle Bin, then either you don't have permission to access it or it may have been disabled.

3. Select the check icon to the right of each document that you want to recover, and then select Restore.

If you restore an item that was originally located in a deleted folder, the folder is re-created in its original location, and the item is restored to that folder.

Option 4: Search for AutoRecover unsaved or corrupted files

AutoRecover file names have the .asd extension. By default, Word searches for AutoRecover files every time that it starts, and then it displays any files that are found in the Document Recovery task pane.

1. Use Word to automatically find the AutoRecover files. To do this, follow these steps:

   1. Right-click the taskbar, and select Task Manager.

   2. On the Processes tab, select any instance of Winword.exe or Microsoft Word, and then select End Task or End Process. Repeat this step until you have exited all instances of Winword.exe and Word.

   3. Close the Windows Task Manager dialog box, and then start Word.

If Word finds any automatically recovered file, the Document Recovery task pane opens on the left side of the screen, and the missing document is listed as 'document name [Original]' or as 'document name [Recovered].' If this occurs, double-click the file in the Document Recovery pane, select File > Save As, and then save the document as a .docx file. To manually change the extension to .docx, right-click the file, and select Rename.

Manually search for AutoRecover files

If the Document Recovery pane does not open, manually search for automatically recovered files. To do this, use one of the following procedures, as appropriate for the version of Word that you're using.

Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013

1. On the File menu, select Open > Browse. (In Word 2013, select File > Open > Computer > Browse.)
2. Browse to the folder where you last saved your document, and look for files that end in .asd.
3. If you don't see your document listed, select File > Info > Manage Documents (or Manage Versions) > Recover Unsaved Documents.

Word 2010

1. On the File menu, select Recent.
2. If you don't see your document listed, select Recover Unsaved Documents.

Search for .asd files

If you don't find an AutoRecover file in the location that is identified in the Folder name list, search your whole drive for any .asd files. To do this, follow these steps:

Enter .asd in Windows 10 or enter .asd in the Start Search box in earlier versions of Windows, and then press Enter.

• If the File list does not contain AutoRecover files, go to Option 5.

• If you find any files that have the .asd extension, use one of the following procedures, as appropriate for the version of Word that you're using:

  Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013

  1. Select File > Open > Browse. (In some versions, you may have to select Computer and then Browse.)
  2. In the 'files of type' list to the right of File name, select All Files.
  3. Select the .asd file that you found, and then select Open.

  Word 2010

  1. On the File menu, select Open.
  2. In the 'files of type' list to the right of File name, select All Files.
  3. Select the .asd file that you found, and then select Open.

Note

In the Recovery pane, if you find an automatically recovered file that does not open correctly, go to Option 6 for more information about how to open damaged files.

How To Find A Lost Word Document On Your Pc

Option 5: Search for temporary files

Temporary file names have a .tmp extension. To find these files, follow these steps:

1. Select Start, enter .tmp in Windows 10 or enter .tmp in the Start Search box in earlier versions of Windows, and then press Enter.
2. On the Show only toolbar, select Other.
3. Scroll through the files, and search for file names that match the last few dates and times that you edited the document. If you find the document that you're looking for, go to Option 7 to find out how to recover information from the file.

Option 6: Search for '~' files

Some temporary file names start in a tilde (~) character. To find these files, follow these steps:

1. Select Start, enter the tilde character (~) in Windows 10 or enter the tilde character (~) in the Start Search box in earlier versions of Windows), and then press Enter.

2. Select See more results.

3. Scroll through the files, and look for any that match the last few dates and times that you edited the document.

If you find the document that you're looking for, go to Option 7 to find out how to recover information from the file.

For more information about how Word creates and uses temporary files, see Description of how Word creates temporary files.

Option 7: How to troubleshoot damaged documents

For information about how to troubleshoot damaged Word documents, see How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word.

More information

In certain situations, it's possible to completely lose a Word document. For example:

• An error occurs that forces Word to close.
• You experience a power interruption while editing.
• You close the document without saving your changes.

Note

The whole document may be lost if you have not recently saved the document. If you have saved your document, you may lose only the changes that you made since the last save. Paint microsoft for mac. Be aware that some lost documents may not be recoverable.

If a file that was saved to OneDrive becomes corrupted or isn't found in the recycle bin, it is possible to roll back changes that were made to your OneDrive files. For more information, see Restore your OneDrive.

The AutoRecover feature in Word makes an emergency backup of open documents when an error occurs. Some errors can interfere with AutoRecover functionality. The AutoRecover feature is not a substitute for saving your files.

We do not provide any additional tools to recover deleted documents. However, some third-party utilities to recover deleted documents might be available from the internet.

For more information about AutoRecover, see the following articles:

How To Find A Lost Word Document Windows 10

Third-party information disclaimer

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

How To Find A Lost Word Document On Mac

Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.