Restore Previous Version of Excel File

If you have a previous version of your Excel file and it gets deleted, you might not be able to access previous version. In addition, if your computer crashes or an unexpected power outage occurs, there is a possibility that you will lose all your data as well and you would need to recover previous version of excel.

In this article, we'll explore how to recover saved or unsaved previous version of Excel files from Windows and Mac.

Part 1. How to Recover Previous Version of Excel File in Windows

In Windows, there are several ways to get back and recover the last saved version of an Excel file if something goes wrong. Here you can find solutions to restore previous version of excel file no matter you have ever saved it or not in Windows.

Scenario 1. Recover Excel files have been saved to previous version

Version History is a feature that allows you to restore the previous version of your Excel files quickly. However, recovery by this method requires your Autosave feature to be enabled. Please follow the below steps to help you achieve this:

Step 1: Open the Excel file you would like to restore to a previous version, and right click.

Step 2: Select Restore previous version.

Step 3: Once the properties dialog box opens, please follow this track to restore the version you desire: click on Previous Versions > select the previous version you need > click Restore

Scenario 2. Recover Excel files are not saved to previous version

In cases where you have not saved your excel file but need to restore it to a previous version, you could use Manage Workbook, a feature built into Microsoft Excel that allows you to restore previous versions. Here is how you can do this:

Step 1: Click on File and choose Info.

Step 2: Locate the Manage Workbook option from the down-drop arrow.

Step 3: Select Recover Unsaved Workbooks; this brings up an Open dialog box.

Step 4: To cause the File to open in Excel, locate the File and choose Open.

Step 5: Then, select the Save As command in the File tab to save your Excel file to the directory you prefer.

Part 2. How to Recover Previous Version of the Excel File on a Mac

In Mac, there are several ways to get back and recover the last saved version of an Excel file if something goes wrong. Here, we will explain two ways you can recover previous versions of excel files on Mac:

Scenario 1. Recover Excel files have been saved to previous version- through Temporary Items

Not so different from the AutoSave feature, the TemporaryItems folder allows you to save Excel files that you are still editing on your Mac. In cases where you accidentally deleted a file, lost a file, or closed it without saving it, you could try to find it in the Temporary Items folder. Here is how the process works:

Step 1: On Finder, head to 'Applications' from there, click 'Utilities' then 'Terminal'.

Step 2: Once you are in 'Terminal' input: 'open $TMPDIR' and then choose 'Return'.

Step 3: Locate the TemporaryItems folder and open it.

Step 4: Search for the Excel files that you want to recover with the '.tmp' extension

Step 5: Rename the extension to '.xls'

Step 6: Open the File with your Microsoft excel to read the content of the File

Scenario 2. Recover Excel files are not saved through AutoRecover

If you didn't save your Excel file, please don’t panic. You can use AutoRecover feature to help you recover the previous version of Excel on Mac. Please follow the below steps to use this feature:

Step 1: Select 'Finder,' hit 'Go,' then choose 'Go to Folder'.

Step 2: Type in the right path (please replace ~ with your username).

Note: The main thing to remember is that AutoRecover files in Office 2011 and 2008 differ greatly from those in Office 2016. To recover the unsaved Excel file on a Mac and find more useful solutions, adhere to the steps listed below.

Step 3: Hit 'Go' again to access missing Excel files.

Step 4: Search through for the previous version of the Excel file you want to restore

Step 5: Open it to confirm it is the exact File you need.

Step 6: If you are sure, it is, choose 'File' and click 'Save,' then place the File in the directory you prefer on your Mac.

Part 3. How to Recover the Previous Version of the Excel File in SharePoint

Step 1: To begin, Open the library using the quick launch Bar. If your library's name does not appear, click View All Site Content. Afterward, choose the name of your library.

Step 2: There will be a space between the document name and the date. And from the menu, right-click on that space. Scroll down a bit if required, but ensure you choose Version History.

Step 3: If you can't find the Version History, click on the ...; you should discover Version History there. Click on it.

Step 4: After clicking the Version History, you will see a list of the versions of your Excel file.

Step 5: When you find the version you want to restore, choose the down arrow and click on Restore.

Part 4. Easy and Safe Way to Recover your Excel with Wondershare Recoverit

You can try the last-ditch effort of finding a professional data recovery program to recover your overwritten Excel file. With so many professional recovery tools available online, it's hard to know which is best.

Recoverit is one tool you can trust to secure the recovery of your overwritten Excel files. The software supports data recovery in different formats such as Excel files, zipped files, images, videos, and audio.

Video Tutorial about How to Recover the Previous Version of an Excel File?

Recoverit is the solution for your Excel file recovery dilemma. Download Recoverit and install it on your computer, then follow these three simple steps to recover your overwritten Excel files:

Step 1: Select the directory where you stored your Excel files before they were accidentally overwritten. Once you've selected the location, click "Start" to begin scanning for data on your disk.

Step 2: Recoverit will continue working on your computer until it completes the scanning process you started above. The duration depends on how big or small your files are.

Step 3: Once Recoverit has retrieved the files you need, choose "Recover" to save them. You want to check through the files before saving them.

Conclusion

Now you know that you can recover overwritten Excel files in your Windows system, provided that you act early enough. However, for even better results, try Recoverit Data Recovery. This third-party tool has a lot to offer – not only can it restore previous versions of Excel files, but it also provides some extra features like scanning your entire hard drive for traces of data loss.