How to Recover a Temp File in Word

1. Click the “Start” button. In Windows XP, click “Search,” “For Files or Folders” and type “*.tmp” in the search field. In Vista, type “.tmp” in the search field on the main “Start” menu and click “Other” in the “Show Only” toolbar. In Windows 7, type “.tmp” in the search field on the main “Start” menu and click “See More Results.”
2. Search the list of results for the Word temp file. The temporary file may have the same name or similar name as the original file, or the name may be an alpha-numeric series with the .tmp extension. If the name is not the same as the original file, search for a file with a date and time similar to the original document.
3. Write down the name of the document, or make note of the file location. Close out of the search results.
4. Launch Microsoft Word. In 2007 click on the “Office Button” and click “Open.” In earlier versions of Word, click on “File” and “Open.”
5. Select “All Files” in the “Files of Type” drop down. Navigate to the location of the temp file.
6. Select the temp file and click on the down arrow next to the “Open” button. Select “Open and Repair” then review and save your document.