Troubleshoot file recovery

When you restart a Microsoft Office program after a power failure or similar problem, the program automatically opens any recovered files. If for some reason the recovery file didn't open, you can open it yourself.

1. On the Standard toolbar, click Open .
2. In the folder list, locate and double-click the folder where recovered files are stored.

   The location is usually C:\documents and settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\<program name>.

3. In the Files of type box, click All Files.

   Each recovered file is named "AutoRecovery save of file name" and has the program file name extension.

4. Click the name of the file you want to recover, and then click Open.
5. On the Standard toolbar, click Save .
6. In the File name box, enter the name of the existing file.
7. When you see a message asking whether or not you want to replace the existing file, click Yes.

The amount of new information that the recovered file contains depends on how frequently a Microsoft Office program saves the recovery file. For example, if the recovery file is saved only every 15 minutes, your recovered file won't contain your last 14 minutes of work before the power failure or similar problem occurred. To change the AutoRecover save interval, enter a number in the minutes box on the Save tab in the Options dialog box (Tools menu).