Jan 27, 2024 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions
Data overwriting generally occurs in a computer when you have some lost files but keep storing new data on the computer. It can also occur if you store a new file on your computer when there is another existing file with the same name, and you "replace" the old with the new.
How do you then recover overwritten excel files on your Windows computer system? This is why this article has been written for you. You will learn how to recover overwritten Excel files from temporary files, previous versions of Excel, and finally, a professional recovery tool called Recoverit Excel File Recovery.
You can use any of the solutions below to recover overwritten excel files using Windows 10, 8, or 7. Some steps may vary for each version of Windows, but you will get its gist.
As you work on your Excel file, Office creates a temporary version of the file as a backup if you haven't saved it. Note that these temporary files will in no way overwrite your previous files, but if you save the Excel and overwrite some files, you can find them in the temporary files.
Step 1. Go to the File Explorer, copy and paste the following path in the search box, then press Enter:
(Tips: Replace the UserName with your computer username when copy and paste the path.)
Step 2. Find the temporary file you need.
Step 3. Open the file and click Save As to recover the overwritten Excel file.
If you didn't find the files you need in the temporary folder, then try using the Office feature to recover the overwritten Excel files.
The second solution you can try is to use the previous version of your file to recover the overwritten Excel file in your Windows OS. To use previous versions to recover your Excel file, follow the steps below:
That's it! Your overwritten file will be restored to you.
Read More:
How to Do Excel Password Recovery
How to Recover Previous Version of Excel
If there is no previous version to restore, you can try the autosave feature in Microsoft Excel, which will save the Excel file automatically at regular intervals. But you need to ensure that the AutoSave feature is enabled.
Follow this way to recover the overwritten Excel file using AutoSave:
If the Excel overwrite problem happens on a Cloud storage location, such as OneDrive or Google Drive, it is easy to access the previous version to recover the overwritten Excel files.
Here are the steps to recover overwritten Excel files on OneDrive:
The final solution you can try is professional data recovery software to recover your overwritten excel file. With a plethora of professional data recovery tools available online, you may be wondering which is the most reliable one to use. Wonder no more because the one tool you can trust for secure recovery of your overwritten Excel files is the Recoverit Data Recovery tool. Recoverit is an expert tool that supports data recovery in different formats such as Excel files, zipped files, images, videos, and audio.
Although it is a professional tool, Recoverit Data Recovery is easy to navigate, as its interface is quite friendly. You can use the tool in any of your Windows OS versions and Mac-based operating systems. If you have deleted files, formatted your system, or lost files through corrupted SD cards and external and internal hard drives that are damaged by crashed systems, Recoverit can help you retrieve such files.
Download Recoverit Data Recovery and install it on your computer, then recover your overwritten Excel files in the three-step method below:
Step 1: Specify a Location
Select the specific location where you had your Excel files before they were overwritten. After selecting the location on the main interface, click the "Start" tab to begin the scanning process.
Step 2: Scan the Location
Let Recoverit complete the scanning process it began when you clicked "Start" in the step above. The time it will take for the tool to scan for all your files will depend on how large or small they are.
Step 3: Preview and Save
Choose the option "Recover" to save the files that Recoverit has retrieved for you. Ensure you use the app's preview feature to go through all the recovered Excel files before saving them.
More Related: How To Restore an Overwritten File on Linux
From the information in this article, you now know that you can recover overwritten Excel files in your Windows system. This is more effective if you act early enough. However, in addition to the first two solutions provided, the most effective way of recovering your excel files is with the use of a third-party app like Recoverit Data Recovery. With this tool, you are assured of getting files that have been overwritten even for a long time.
How Can I Retrieve Overwritten Files?
How Do I Recover an Overwritten Excel File in Windows 10?
Does Excel Save Previous Versions?
How Do I Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files?
You may have permanently deleted your Excel files want to recover them. Visit the folder where you previously saved the file before deleting it. Here, right-click and select "Restore previous versions".
Choose the file you deleted and click to "Restore." This should do the trick.
Can overwritten files be recovered?
From a technical point of view, answer is NO. Well, you can get your files only if you have its backup. It should be in other locations. Also, there is a slim chance that your files survive an Overwriting operation. So, in these two cases, answer to your question is an optimistic YES.
And if your luck is on the brighter side, you might revive your lost data with Recovery Tools. Many operating systems, such as Windows, have built-in features for data recovery.
Can I recover an Excel file I didn't save?
Do not worry. You can always retrieve your unsaved files in many applications. And you are using a Microsoft Office software. So, you should activate your File tab. You will find it in the upper left corner of your MS Excel window.
Now, you need to click the ‘Info’ option. Then, you will see an option for Managed Versions.
So, hit the Recover commands. Let’s say you are in Excel. Hence, you have the option as Recover Unsaved Workbooks. And in the same manner, you can use Recover Unsaved Presentations in MS PowerPoint. Also, you can guess it for Word. That option becomes Recover Unsaved Documents in Microsoft Word.
Where does excel save AutoRecover files?
Good question. See, your Excel has this default setting. And this Auto-Recover option saves your workbook in the ‘Temp’ directory. So, your file copy goes there for each session of ten minutes.
Also, you can locate this folder. If you are on a Windows 7 device, go to your system drive. Then, you need to enter your User Name folder in ‘Users’ directory. Inside it, you can see a folder with name AppData. Enter it and find ‘Local’ folder. Thus, you will locate the ‘Temp’ folder in it.
If your machine has a recent Windows version, then the Temp folder is different. And your AutoRecover files are in the following directories:
C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\
C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\PowerPoint\
C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\
So, you can locate your AutoRecover files by finding ‘Roaming’ folder in AppData. And you will need to open ‘Microsoft’ folder for each program.
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Amy Dennis
staff Editor