Accidentally closed Word without saving your document? Don't panic. Microsoft Word has a built-in AutoRecover feature that can help you get your unsaved work back in just a few clicks.
Launch Microsoft Word. Click on the File tab located in the top-left corner of the ribbon.
In the File menu, select the Info tab from the left-hand pane. Then, click the Manage Document button.
From the dropdown menu that appears, click on Recover Unsaved Documents. This will open a new window showing a list of recoverable files.
Browse the list of unsaved files, which are typically saved with an `.asd` extension. Select the document you want to recover and click Open.
Once the document opens, a yellow banner will appear at the top. Click the Save As button immediately to save the file to a secure location on your computer.
Tips for Document Recovery and Prevention
Go to File > Options > Save to change how often Word saves a recovery version. Lowering the time (e.g., to 5 minutes) can minimize potential data loss.
The best recovery method is prevention. Get in the habit of saving your document as soon as you create it and pressing Ctrl + S frequently.
The folder for unsaved files is temporary. These files can be deleted by the system, so try to recover your document as soon as you realize it's missing.
Unsaved files are stored as `.asd` files. You can typically find them in the `C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles` folder.
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