Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word

16-09-2021
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When undoing changes in Git, first decide what type of changes you are looking to undo. These changes fall into three categories: Discard uncommitted changes to a file, bringing the file back to the version in the last commit. Reset your local branch to a previous commit. Revert changes pushed to a remote branch and shared with others. In Windows 7 you can right click on the Word document (.docx) and click on the tab previous versions. There you will see all the changes you made to your document. Check if this works also on Mac OS too. Hold the pointer to the right of the document title, click the arrow, and then choose Browse All Versions.

Questions and answers

1643
How can I recover a Word document I was working on when my computer crashed?

If you are part-way through working on a document when due to circumstances outside your control (such as the computer crashing or a network problem), you are unable to continue, there is a danger that the changes you have made will have been lost. This can be very frustrating and lead to a lot of extra work.

Of course, the best way to guard against this risk is to be in the habit of regularly saving your files while you are working (every 10 minutes is recommended).

Fortunately many programs, such as Microsoft Word, have an in-built 'auto-save' function that automatically backs up a copy of your work every few minutes. But AutoRecover does not replace regularly saving your files, you must still do this.

In Word 2016, you can see how this is set up in the Options.

  1. Click on the File tab
  2. UnderOptions, click Save.
  3. Tick the Save AutoRecover information every check box.
  4. In the minutes box, type or select a number to determine how often you want to save files eg every 10 minutes
  5. Tick 'Keep the last saved autoversion if I close without saving' check box

Shown below this is the AutoRecover file location which in this example is 'N:' - ie the individual N:drive for the user. These are the standard settings for users on IT Services computers. They mean that every 10 minutes, a copy of the work in progress will be automatically saved to the user's N:drive.

If Word is closed normally these auto recovery files are not saved.

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word Document

If the computer you are using crashes while you are working on a document, you will probably have lost some information, but you should be able to recover the last saved autoversion. In this example, that means that at most you will have lost 10 minutes worth of work.

There are two ways to recover information. Firstly, if you are at the same computer you were using when the problem occurred and nobody else has used it in the meantime, then once you have been able to restart or log back on to the computer, open Word again. When you open it, Word will automatically check for any auto-saved files on the left-hand side of the screen. You can then click through them and choose any that you want to keep, using 'Save As' to save a copy of the file.

If you are not using the same computer, then you have to go to the file location where Word auto-saved the file. So in the example above, this would mean going to the 'N:' drive.

  1. Click on Windows Explorer icon on the task bar
  2. Locate the'N:' drive
  3. Any automatically saved files will then be listed as .asd files

Automatic versions of files do not end with '.docx' or '.doc' like normal Word documents - they end with '.asd' which stands for 'auto-saved document'. The file name will be the same as the name of the file you were working on but with 'AutoRecovery save of' at the start. So if the file you were working on was called 'My New Word File.docx', then the last auto-saved version would be called 'AutoRecovery of My New Word File.asd'. You can open it simply by double-clicking on it - the file will open in Word as usual and you can then use 'Save As' to save it to the right location.

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word Tutorial

If no file is found you need to find the Autosave file and copy it to the location shown when Recover is used.

These can be found via File, Open and clicking the Recover Unsaved Documents button found at the very bottom of the Recent File List.

  1. Open Word and select File, Options.
  2. In the Options dialog box select Save from the left hand menu.
  3. Note the AutoRecover files location.
  4. Open Windows Explorer/My Computer
  5. Click on the Organise dropdown.
  6. Select Folder and Search Options.
  7. Select the View tab.
  8. Remove the tick next to Hide Extensions for known file types.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Select the Show hidden files, folders and drives radio button.
  11. Move to the location found in step 3 above.
  12. Open the folder which has your document name (with %20 representing spaces).
  13. Copy the .asd file.
  14. Return to Word and click on File, Open
  15. Scroll down until you can see the Recover Unsaved Documents button and click it.
  16. Paste the copied file into the folder
  17. Open the file

Microsoft have a useful article How to Recover a lost document http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316951/en-us

See aslo our FAQ 1648 I emailed my work to myself, opened it from the email, made some changes and then saved it but can now no longer find the updated copy - what has happened to it?

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This is question number 1643, which appears in the following categories:

  • Software > Microsoft Office
Accidentally hit discard changes microsoft word youtube

Created by David Guest on 17 February 2010 and last updated by Adrian Chorlton on 1 August 2016

Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur

Every time you download or install a new game, application, or software update, you make changes to your computer. Sometimes that change may make your system unstable. Have you ever wanted to go back to the way it was? With System Restore, you can.

System Restore works a lot like the Undo command in Microsoft Word. You can use System Restore to remove any system changes that were made since the last time you remember your computer working correctly. System Restore does not affect your personal data files (such as Microsoft Word documents, browsing history, drawings, favorites, or e–mail) so you won't lose changes made to these files.

To undo changes you’ve made to your computer

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word For Mac

Before you open the System Restore console, you may want to save your work and close all programs since System Restore requires you to restart your computer.

  1. Click Start.
  2. Point to All Programs.
  3. Point to Accessories.
  4. Point to System Tools.
  5. Click System Restore.
  6. From the Welcome to System Restore screen of the System Restore Wizard select Restore my computer to an earlier time. Then select the date you created the restore point from the calendar in the Select a Restore Point screen. All of the restore points you created and you computer created on the selected date are listed by name in the list box to the right of the calendar.

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word Download

Note: System Restore does not replace the process of uninstalling a program. To completely remove the files installed by a program, you must remove the program using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or the program's own uninstall program. To open Add or Remove Programs, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.

Visual aid

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word

How to create a System Restore point manually?

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word Youtube

Though System Restore checkpoints are created every 24 hrs, there are certain criteria which is discussed here. Due to these limitations, one should depend on these two methods:

Accidentally Hit Discard Changes Microsoft Word 2010

Accidentally hit discard changes microsoft word youtube

1. Manually create a System Restore point. More Info.....

2. Backup the whole registry using ERUNT before you install a software. I run the ERUNT Autobackup which backups up the registry daily / automatically during the first startup for the day.