How to Locate an Unsaved Document in Windows

1. Ensure that all files are visible. Open 'My Documents' and then, from the top menu, choose 'Tools' then 'Folder Options.' Choose the 'View' tab and scroll down to 'Hidden files and folders.' Click the radio button 'Show hidden files and folders.' Uncheck the box 'Hide extensions for known file types' if it is checked. Viewing the hidden files with file extensions increases your chances of finding the unsaved document.
2. Search for WBK backup files. The Word AutoRecover option creates files with a .wbk extension. Look in your 'My Documents' folder for any file with this extension (for example, TravelList.wbk). If you find a matching file, right-click on the file and choose 'Rename,' give the file a properly formatted Word name (for example myfile.doc), and then double-click the file to open it.
3. Look for XAR backup files. The Excel AutoRecover option will have the extension *.xar. If you find a matching file, right-click on the file and choose 'Rename,' give the file a properly formatted Excel name (for example, spreadsheet.xls), and then double-click the file to open it.
4. Search for Office TMP files. Office programs have an autosave feature that creates a temporary copy of the file after a specified number of minutes. Search for files with a .tmp extension and a file size larger than 0KB. If you cannot see the file size, click 'View' from the top folder menu and change the view option to 'Details.' The filename will look similar to one of these: '~WRD0003.tmp,' 'ppt04.tmp' or '~$RD0002.tmp.' Depending upon the program you were using, give the file a properly formatted name. For a PowerPoint document, a proper name would be 'Presentation.ppt'; for Word you might call the file 'Study.doc'; and for Excel you could give the file the name 'Finances.xls.'
5. Expand your search for the file if it is not in 'My Documents.' Click the 'Start' button and use the 'Search' bar to look in the hard drive for files with a '*.wbk,' '*.xar' or '*.tmp' file name. Sort search results by 'date modified' to see if any of the files have the same date as the missing file. Note that this is particularly important when searching your hard drive for *.tmp files, as many programs create temporary files.