How To Recover Unsaved PowerPoint

Amy Dennis

Apr 10, 2023 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions

Many times you may find a file you were working on missing. This does not necessarily mean it is lost. If you left working on the file 10 minutes before it vanished, chances are you can get the file in its intact state. This is a very likely outcome only if you follow the right procedures to retrieve the document. So, what does all this mean? This means that you can very well recover PowerPoint file not saved. In this article today we will focus on unsaved PowerPoint. So, in case you were working on a PowerPoint and it is nowhere to be found now, then this guide will help you know how to recover unsaved PowerPoint.

Part 1: What Is Unsaved PowerPoint

Unsaved PowerPoint is a PowerPoint presentation, which disappeared. So, when you try finding the file on your PC, you may end up missing it. The term, "missing it" has been used because the file is still on your PC and you are not finding it because you are not looking in all the right places.

Well, there are certain causes for a PowerPoint Presentation being unsaved.

• The first and most definite reason is that you didn't save the file in a distinct location. As there are other sides to this as further discussed in this feature, there are other reasons too as to why the document wasn't saved.
• Another reason or cause for the document to appear missing is a system or program crash. This will instantly shut down your system or the program in use, rendering all the work done unsaved.
• Or probably you saved the presentation in some other folder by mistake.

In certain cases, you may be lucky enough to find the file on PowerPoint "Recent" option, but the folder will be missing some detail or will be a previous version of the file.

Well, as mentioned above, if it got lost roughly 10 minutes after you were working on it, or maybe by Jove, you will find the file still in the same condition seconds after it disappeared, detailed are some suggested techniques on how to recover PowerPoint file not saved.

Part 2: How to Recover PowerPoint Not Saved

1. Recover Unsaved PowerPoint from Auto-recover

While it's not all a bed of roses, you will need to work a bit to recover PowerPoint file not saved. With this method, you will need to have the Auto-Recover function enables. Again, as stated earlier, there are high chances of recovering a file that worked on 10 minutes before it disappeared due to the Auto-Recover function.

So, proceed as follows to enable the function if disabled and locate a copy of the Auto-Recovered file if one was created.

Step 1

Launch the PowerPoint Program and navigate through to "File" then "Option" and select the "Save" option.

Next

Check the Auto-Recover function and enable the functions as below.

Next

Step 2

An AutoRecover file location path is provided. Copy this path and launch the Windows Explorer. Paste the path in the search field and hit enter.

Step 3

A list of the auto-saved files will be shown and you can proceed to selectively pick out your required file.

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2. Recover PPT File Not Saved from AutoSave

This means that the AutoRecover process was not fruitful and your file wasn't saved. Here are 3 methods to help you on how to recover a PPT file not saved from AutoSave.

Method 1

This method makes use of Temp Files which stands for Temporary Files which are created as a backup of the file not saved. They are conventionally saved as pptxxx.temp where (xxx) is a number designation. These files are by default saved on a PC as follows. For Win 8 and 10

C:\ Documents and Settings<\\Local Settings\Temp>

For Win 7 and Vista

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp

Step 1

The first step is usually to locate these files. Once you have found the folder or the desired PPT file in the folder, right-click on it and select the option "Open With". Proceed to open with PowerPoint.

Step 2

You can then proceed to click on "File" then select the "Save as" option to restore and save the unsaved file.

Method 2

If you are using MS Office 2010 or a higher version, there is another way to recover the unsaved PPT file. Proceed as follows.

Step 1

Launch the PPT program and click on "File". Under the options provided, click on "Recent"

Step 2

A list of files worked on recently and at the bottom right corner of the window is a "Recover Unsaved Presentations" option. Click on this option.

Step 3

A new window opens, containing a saved draft folder. You can look through to find your file and click "Open".

Step 4

Move to "File" and select the "Save as" option to save the file on your PC.

Method 3

A third method similar to the second is also available. This works on PowerPoint and you will need to click on "File" navigate through some options which are "Info" then "Manage Versions" and finally "Recover Unsaved Presentations.

Part 3: How to Recover Corrupted PowerPoint Files

We discussed how to recover a PPT file not saved in detail above.

However, a corrupted file is a bit different from an unsaved file and while there may be some similarities in the way they behave, such as a missing file or PPT file, not opening, the causes and reason for each distinctively and respectively will be different.

This section will guide you through some ways of repairing the corrupted documents.

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Some of the avant-garde and futuristic features include

Generation of Log Files

The software generates log files that are all about the repair process. From the start of the repair or recovery process to its execution and the end of the process.

These details can further be gotten from the software.

Simultaneous Repair and Recovery of Multiple Files

Stellar Phoenix PowerPoint Repair can be used to simultaneously search for multiple files and even perform recovery and repair actions on them all at once.

Advanced Scan and Search Mechanism

The software is designed to perform extensive and heavy searches and scans on storage devices as well as PC's to locate the files and do a complete repair if any files were found to be corrupt.

Recover and Repair all PowerPoint File Information and Details

Whether comments, control, forms, footers and headers, graph, hyperlinks, modules, OLE objects, tables, slide numbers, or VBA code, Stellar Phoenix PowerPoint Repair will recover and restore all this information to help you get back your presentation.

Repair Different PowerPoint File Formats

With the software, you can recover .ppt or .pptx or .pptm files that are either corrupt or got lost. It does all this is the shortest time possible and ensures no data loss.

2. How To Repair and Recover Corrupted PPT Files.

Step 1: Inserting the Files

For PowerPoint document recovery, start by downloading and installing the software. Launch Stellar Phoenix PowerPoint Repair and add files. Use the "Add Files" function. You can opt to utilize the "Add File" option from the "File Menu".

Here, you will either need to add a single file-"Select Folder" option, a folder "Select Folder" option, or using the "Find Files" option scan through an entire drive to find files. When and after adding multiple files, you may need to selectively choose those you either wish to repair or recover by checking the checkboxes.

The "Scan" button activates once the files have been added and you can click on it to proceed.

Step 2: Previewing of the Files

After the files have been scanned, you can then preview the files. The main interface of the software will display the files as below.

Step 3: Repair and Save the Scanned Files

Once you have finished previewing the files and are satisfied. You can then proceed to select the files you wish to save. Saving the files will repair the recovered files and they can be stored in the desired location.

Part 4: PowerPoint Tips on PowerPoint Document Recovery and Repair

• While working with any MS Office program, you need some forehand knowledge of how it operates. With PowerPoint, there is the AutoRecover function which refreshes every 10 minutes to do a new save of the document you are working on. So, to be on the safe side it is recommended to enable this function to be able to recover your file in case of a mishap.
• Remember to also regularly save the file while working to have a back up of the file in case you run into issues such as a system or program crash. You will then have a backup and can continue working on a different PC.
• Also, if you have a corrupted file, you can create a backup copy of it and as you work on the original copy, you will not lose a chance of completely losing the file in case the efforts to repair and recover the file go south.

Conclusion

PowerPoint document recovery is not a complex thing to do. Following the right steps, you will be on the way to getting your file back. Listed above are some ways to get back a lost file or one that appears to be missing. Also, if your file gets corrupt, a detailed walkthrough on how to recover the PPT file has been provided.

So, you will no longer need to worry when you can't find an unsaved PPT file or if you have one that is corrupt, because Stellar Phoenix PowerPoint Repair is your number one solution, to get these issues resolved.

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