Excel Tutorial: How To Recover Unsaved Excel File Mac 2017

Introduction

Recovering unsaved Excel files can be a lifesaver, especially when you've put in hours of work only to have it disappear due to a technical glitch or accidental closure.

Today, we're going to focus on the Mac 2017 version of Excel and explore the various methods to recover unsaved files, ensuring that you never lose your hard work again.

Key Takeaways

• Always be aware of the importance of recovering unsaved Excel files, especially after putting in hours of work.
• Understanding how the AutoRecover feature works in Excel for Mac 2017 is crucial for preventing data loss.
• Knowing where to locate unsaved Excel files on Mac 2017 and how to utilize Time Machine for file recovery can be a lifesaver.
• Consider using reputable third-party data recovery software for Mac as a backup option for recovering unsaved Excel files.
• Implement best practices such as regularly saving work in progress and setting up automatic backups to prevent data loss in Excel.

Understanding AutoRecover feature in Excel

Microsoft Excel comes with a useful feature called AutoRecover, which automatically saves your work at regular intervals to prevent data loss in the event of a system crash or power outage.

AutoRecover creates a backup copy of your Excel file at a user-specified interval. If Excel crashes or your computer unexpectedly shuts down, the AutoRecover feature allows you to recover unsaved or previously saved versions of your file.

For Mac users running Excel 2017, it's important to ensure that the AutoRecover feature is enabled and set to your preferred intervals. Here's how to check your AutoRecover settings:

• 1. Open Excel

  
  

  Launch Microsoft Excel on your Mac and open a blank workbook or an existing file that you'd like to work with.

• 2. Access Excel Preferences

  
  

  Click on the "Excel" menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and then select "Preferences" from the drop-down menu.

• 3. Navigate to Save options

  
  

  In the Preferences window, click on the "Save" icon to access the AutoRecover settings.

• 4. Check AutoRecover settings

  
  

  Ensure that the "Save AutoRecover info every X minutes" option is checked, and set your desired time interval for AutoRecover backups. You can also specify the location where AutoRecover files will be saved.

• 5. Save your changes

  
  

  Once you've configured your AutoRecover settings, click "OK" to apply the changes and close the Preferences window.

Locating unsaved Excel files on Mac 2017

When working on an important Excel file on your Mac, it can be extremely frustrating to have the file crash or close unexpectedly, causing you to lose all your unsaved work. Fortunately, there are a few methods you can use to try to recover these unsaved files.

If your Excel file closes unexpectedly, you can try to locate the unsaved version of the file in the temporary folder on your Mac. Follow these steps to explore the temporary folder:

• Step 1: Open a new Finder window on your Mac.
• Step 2: In the Finder window, click on "Go" in the top menu and select "Go to Folder."
• Step 3: In the pop-up window, type "~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery" and click "Go."
• Step 4: Look for a file with a name similar to "AutoRecovery save of Document1."
• Step 5: Once you locate the file, copy it to a safe location and rename it with the correct file extension for Excel (e.g., .xlsx).

Excel 2017 for Mac also has a built-in feature called "Manage Workbook" that allows you to recover unsaved files. Here's how you can use this feature:

• Step 1: Open Excel on your Mac and go to the "File" menu.
• Step 2: Select "Open" and then click on "Recent."
• Step 3: At the bottom of the list of recent files, click on "Recover Unsaved Workbooks."
• Step 4: Look for the unsaved file in the list that appears and click on it to open and recover your work.

Utilizing Time Machine for file recovery

Accidentally losing an unsaved Excel file can be frustrating, but with the help of Time Machine on Mac, you can easily recover your work. This feature allows you to go back in time and retrieve previous versions of files, including unsaved ones.

Time Machine is a built-in backup feature on Mac that automatically saves copies of your files, including documents, photos, music, and system files. It allows you to restore individual files or your entire system to a previous state.

Follow these steps to recover unsaved Excel files using Time Machine:

1. Check if Time Machine is enabled

Before you can use Time Machine to recover unsaved Excel files, ensure that the feature is enabled on your Mac. You can do this by going to System Preferences > Time Machine and checking the status.

2. Open Time Machine

To open Time Machine, click on the Apple menu, select "System Preferences," and then click on "Time Machine." Alternatively, you can also click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select "Enter Time Machine."

3. Navigate to the Excel file location

Once in Time Machine, navigate to the location where the unsaved Excel file was last located. You can use the timeline on the right side of the screen to go back to a specific date and time when the file may have been available.

4. Select and restore the file

Once you've located the unsaved Excel file, select it and click on the "Restore" button. Time Machine will then restore the file to its original location on your Mac, allowing you to access and continue working on it.

By following these steps, you can easily recover unsaved Excel files using Time Machine on your Mac, ensuring that you never lose important work again.

Using third-party data recovery software

When it comes to recovering unsaved Excel files on a Mac from 2017, third-party data recovery software can be a lifesaver. These tools are designed to help you retrieve lost or unsaved files with ease, and there are several reputable options available for Mac users.

There are several reputable data recovery tools for Mac that are specifically designed to help you retrieve unsaved Excel files. Some of the most popular options include Disk Drill, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and Stellar Data Recovery. These tools are known for their reliability and effectiveness in recovering lost or unsaved files on Mac computers.

Once you have chosen a data recovery tool for Mac, the process of recovering unsaved Excel files is relatively straightforward. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the software to retrieve your lost data:

• 1. Install the data recovery software: Begin by downloading and installing the chosen data recovery tool on your Mac.
• 2. Launch the software: Open the data recovery tool and select the option to recover unsaved files.
• 3. Choose the Excel file location: Specify the location where the unsaved Excel file was last located, such as the specific folder or directory on your Mac.
• 4. Scan for lost files: Initiate a scanning process to search for the unsaved Excel file within the specified location.
• 5. Preview and recover the file: Once the scanning process is complete, you will be able to preview the recovered unsaved Excel file and select it for recovery.
• 6. Save the recovered file: After confirming the file for recovery, choose a safe location on your Mac to save the retrieved Excel file.

Best practices for preventing data loss in Excel

When working on important Excel files, it is crucial to take steps to prevent data loss. Here are some best practices to follow:

One of the best ways to prevent data loss in Excel is to save your work frequently. By regularly saving your work, you can ensure that even if your computer crashes or the program unexpectedly closes, you won't lose too much progress. It's a good idea to get into the habit of saving your work every few minutes, especially when working on important documents.

Another important step in preventing data loss is to set up automatic backups for your Excel files on Mac. This can be done by enabling the AutoRecover feature in Excel, which automatically saves a backup of your file at regular intervals. In the event of a crash or unexpected closure, you can easily recover the unsaved file from the backup. To do this, go to Excel > Preferences > Save and check the box for "Save AutoRecover info every X minutes" and "Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving".

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is crucial to highlight the significance of recovering unsaved Excel files, as it can save you from losing valuable data and time. As Mac users, we understand the frustration of losing a file due to unexpected circumstances. However, with the methods outlined in this tutorial, there is hope for file recovery. We encourage all Mac users to utilize the outlined methods for file recovery to ensure that your hard work is never lost.