can I go back to my word document (XP) before save?

  • Thread starter Thread starter R C
  • Start date Start date
R

R C

Hello everyone,

I accidentally saved my old document over my new document and all the
changes I made are gone. I have MS word xp.

Is there a chance that I can find them in some hidden files anywhere on
my computer?
Any ideas and help are very much appreciated.

Regards,
Regine
(e-mail address removed)
 
Hi Regine

If you look in Tools > Options > Save and there is a check mark next
to "Always create backup copy", then look in the same folder for a
file named "Backup of <your document>.wbk". That will be the version
of the document just before the most recent save.

If that option isn't checked, and you didn't make a backup any other
way, the old electronic version is GONE. Check the option now, and it
may save you from yourself the next time.

Don't bother looking for temp files -- they won't be there if Word
shut down normally. Even if they are there, they usually contain only
small bits of the document.

If you have a paper copy, you can scan it and use an optical character
recognition (OCR) program to turn it back into a Word file.

For the next time, if you realize your mistake immediately after the
save, just press Undo repeatedly until you get back to the previous
state. This won't work after you close Word, because the Undo memory
isn't saved anywhere.

For future reference, read this:
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/general/AutomaticSave.htm
 
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