Many people reported a problem that their Excel files disappeared after saving even if people saved them repeatedly. Are you troubled by this problem as well? If yes, you can read this MiniTool post to find the missing Excel files with multiple tools.
Have you ever experienced this situation: the Excel file disappeared from the Desktop when you needed it? Although you are sure that the Excel file is successfully saved, you cannot find it anywhere. Don’t panic when you find Excel files disappeared after saving. You have 4 ways to get the missing files back.
Way 1: Show Hidden Files
Sometimes, your files are not actually lost. They might be hidden due to virus attacks or hidden attributes. You can use File Explorer to display the hidden files to check if the missing Excel files are hidden.
Step 1: Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the View tab on the top toolbar, then double-click on the Options choice.
Step 3: Switch to the View tab. You should look through the list to tick the Show hidden files, folders, and drives option in the Advanced settings section.
Step 4: Click Apply to save the change.
Afterward, go to see if the missing Excel files appear. If not, your files might be deleted by mistake or lost due to other reasons. You can try the following methods to do a missing Excel file recovery.
Way 2: Recover from the Recycle Bin
To find deleted Excel files, you should first check the Recycle Bin. Typically, deleted files will be sent to the Recycle Bin unless they are too large for the Recycle Bin or lost due to other reasons. You must be familiar with Recycle Bin recovery; thus, I will briefly explain it to you.
Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin. Then, you can type .xlsx into the search box on the top right and hit Enter to filter all the Excel files in the Recycle Bin.
Step 2: Select and right-click on the Excel files you need. Choose Restore from the context menu. Or, you can directly drag and drop the files to the destination.
Way 3: Recover from Previous Backups
What if Excel files are not in the Recycle Bin? They are probably permanently deleted. If you develop a good habit of backing up files periodically, you can easily get missing Excel files back with backups.
If you back up files using File History, a Windows built-in tool, you can recover files with the following steps.
Step 1: Type Control Panel into the Windows search bar and press Enter to open it.
Step 2: Navigate to System and Security > File History, then click Restore personal files on the left sidebar.
Step 3: Look through the latest backup list to find the wanted Excel file. You can verify the file by double-clicking to check the content, then click the green restore button to recover the file.
Way 4: Recover Using MiniTool Power Data Recovery
People may ask how to recover disappeared Excel files if they don’t have backups. Professional data recovery software can help you find the aimed files. MiniTool Power Data Recovery, one of the top secure data recovery services, allows you to recover various types of files, including documents, pictures, videos, and more.
Additionally, this tool is equipped with multiple functional features, like Filter, Search, Preview, and Type, to help you filter and locate files. You can download and install MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free to scan the location where the lost Excel file is stored and recover it. The free edition provides 1GB of free file recovery capacity. If you need to break the limitation, you can go to this page to learn more about different editions.
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Bottom Line
When the saved Excel files disappeared, you need to recover them in time to avoid data overwriting. But you are highly suggested to develop a backup habit to avoid unexpected data loss. You can use Windows built-in tools or third-party software, like MiniTool ShadowMaker, to back up important files to different devices.
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Hope this post sheds some light on what you are experiencing.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Andrea graduated in English and has a keen interest in the IT industry and questions that arise when computers are used. She is passionate about new things and challenging things and has a wide range of interests like playing guitar, gaming, and crafting.