How to Recover a Microsoft Excel File
- George Apostolov
How to Recover a Microsoft Excel File: step-by-step guide
Inside your Microsoft Excel worksheet, head over to the top menu bar and click 'File'.
Choose 'Open' from the list of options.
After that, click 'Recover Unsaved Workbooks' under the Recent Workbooks tab.
Finally, select the missing Microsoft Excel file and then tap 'Open' to recover it.
Quick answer: To recover a Microsoft Excel file, open Microsoft Excel and click 'File' in the top menu bar. Choose 'Open', click 'Recover Unsaved Workbooks' under the Recent Workbooks tab, select the missing file, and tap 'Open'.
About this Microsoft tutorial
Restore lost Microsoft Excel files easily. Access your file menu, find unsaved workbooks, and select the missing document to recover it. This guide shows how to recover a Microsoft Excel File in 4 steps, starting with "Inside your Microsoft Excel worksheet, head over to the top menu bar and click 'File'" and finishing with "Finally, select the missing Microsoft Excel file and then tap 'Open' to recover it". The interactive demo above is a click-through copy of the real Microsoft interface, so you can rehearse each step before doing it in your own account.
Frequently asked questions
How many steps does it take to recover a Microsoft Excel File?
4 steps. Each one is listed in order above, and the demo highlights exactly where to click.
Can I try it without changing my own account?
Yes. Clicking through the demo doesn't touch your Microsoft data or settings. Once you know the flow, repeat it in your own workspace.
This tutorial is filed under Microsoft and Excel. Related guides: How to Reference a Cell From Another Sheet in Microsoft Excel, How to Remove All the Hyperlinks in Microsoft Excel and How to Remove Blank Rows Microsoft Excel. Last reviewed 05 Oct 2026.
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