How to Recover Deleted Excel Document Free: 6 Effective and Free Solutions

Amy Dennis

Jan 15, 2024 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions

One of the most common ways to lose Excel documents is accidental deletion. You are done working on an Excel document and even remember to save it, but when you want to move it to a new location on your computer; you accidentally hit "Delete" and all your hard work is gone. If this happens, you may be looking for the best way to recover the deleted excel documents.

The truth is, there are numerous ways to recover deleted Excel documents free and in this article, we are going to share with you some of the most effective ones so you can get your Excel documents back quickly and easily.

Method 1: Undo Delete Excel Files from Computer by Clicking "Ctrl+Z"

If you have just deleted the Excel file on your computer, the quickest and perhaps the easiest way to get them back is to hit "Ctrl + Z" on your keyboard. This will undo the last action, restoring the deleted file on your computer. You can also right-click on the panel and select "Undo Delete" to get the file back.

It is important to note however that this method will only work if you do it immediately after deleting the file.

Method 2: Restore Deleted Excel Files from Recycle Bin/Trash

If the deleted excel file was on your computer's hard drive, you can recover the file from the recycle bin. Follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Open the Recycle bin on your computer

Step 2: Locate the deleted Excel file and right-click on it. In the options that appear, choose "Restore" and the file will be restored to its original location.

Please note that if the excel file was saved on an external storage device; you can't recover it from the recycle bin.

Method 3: Recover from Recent File Option

Excel has an in-built feature that allows users to easily recover unsaved workbooks. Follow these simple steps to recover an unsaved workbook;

Step 1: Open a new Excel document and then click on "File > Open"

Step 2: Under "Recent", click on "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" and Excel will show you all unsaved workbooks, hopefully including the one you've lost.

Method 4: Check Temporary Files

Microsoft Office also has a feature that allows you to save temporary files as backups. Therefore, you can try to find the deleted documents from these temporary files. Follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Open a Workbook new document if you haven't already and then click on "File > Info". In the options that appear, click on "Manage Workbook"

Step 2: Click on "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" and then select the deleted Workbook in the popup that appears to get it back.

Method 5: Restoring Deleted Files from Backup

If you are unable to recover the deleted file using one of the methods and you have a Windows backup, you might be able to get the files back by restoring the Windows backup. Follow these simple steps to do that;

Step 1: Open "Control Panel" on your computer and select "Backup and Restore" from the options.

Step 2: Click on "Restore my Files" and follow the on-screen instructions to restore the backup.

Please note that you must have a Windows backup for this process to work.

Video tutorial: Excel Document Recovery

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Method 6: Recover Excel Files via a Free File Recovery Tool

If all the solutions above don't work or you suspect that your excel document may be permanently deleted from your computer, we recommend using Recoverit Data Recovery. This data recovery tool allows users to recover up to 100MB of data for free and is, therefore, the most ideal solution for the recovery of deleted Excel files.

Recoverit Data Recovery - The Best File Recovery Software

• It can recover most types of data on your computer's hard drive and external storage including Excel documents.
• It will recover the files whether they were lost through accidental delete, virus attacks, a lost partition, or a system crash.
• All files are recovered completely, without losing the quality of the file.

Download | Win Download | Mac

To use Recoverit Data Recovery to recover the deleted Excel document easily, follow these simple steps;

Step 1: Download Recoverit Data Recovery and install it on your computer.

Step 2: In the main interface, select the location on your computer where the deleted Excel file was stored. Click on "Start" to continue.

Step 3: The program will scan the selected drive. When the scan is complete, you can preview the recovered files in the next window. Select the Excel file that you want to recover and click "Recover" to restore it on the drive.

Regardless of how you lost the Excel files, one or more of the solutions above should be able to help you recover them easily and quickly. Recoverit Data Recovery will recover the files even if you don't have a backup. Download and try it free today. Keep in mind that you can use it to recover up to 100MB for free using Recoverit.

People Also Ask;

Q1: Can I Recover an Excel file I Didn't Save?

You might be able to recover an unsaved Excel file from the temporary files. Use Solution 4 above to locate the file in the temporary files section.

Q2: Where are My Temporary Files Saved?

You can find the temporary files on your computer by following the path; C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles. If the file is there, you should save it before continuing to edit.

Q3: How Do I Recover an Unsaved Word Document 2007?

You can recover an unsaved Word document by checking the temporary files section as described above. If you are unable to find the document in the temporary files, you should consider using a recovery program like Recoverit Data Recovery to get it back.