How to See Where Excel Autosave Files Are Stored (5 Easy Ways)

In this article, we will learn to see where Excel AutoSave files are stored. Microsoft Excel has AutoSave and AutoRecover systems that retrieve your work if power failure, system crash, or other error occurs. If these two features are enabled then we can recover our files easily. Today, we will show 5 easy methods. These methods will help you to see where Excel AutoSave files are stored. So, without further ado, let’s start the discussion.

How to See Where Excel Autosave Files Are Stored: 5 Ways

To explain the methods, we will use a workbook that contains some information about the projects of a company. Using the workbook, we will try to see where Excel AutoSave files are stored. Excel AutoSave feature saves a new document that you created but didn’t save. In case of power failure or program crash, this AutoSave feature stores the data and helps to retrieve the workbook later.

1. Go to OneDrive to See Autosaved Files in Excel

Generally, the autosaved files are stored in OneDrive – Personal account. It is Microsoft’s storage option. When you create a new sheet and turn on the AutoSave option, Excel uploads your file in OneDrive and saves if any changes are made. To see the autosaved files’ location, simply follow the steps below.

STEPS:

• In the first place, click on the File tab.

• After that, select Open.
• Then, double-click on OneDrive – Personal.

• Instantly, you will see where autosaved files are stored.
• You can find the file location and the saved file in the Open window.

2. Use Excel ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’ Option to See Stored Files

Another way to see the location of the unsaved files is to use the ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’ option. This works in case of power failure or sudden crash of the application. Let’s pay attention to the steps below to know more.

STEPS:

• First of all, create a new workbook.
• Secondly, go to the File tab.
• After that, select Open from the menu and select the Recent option.
• In the following step, click on the Recover Unsaved Workbooks folder.

• In the end, it will open a window that will contain the unsaved files. As we didn’t face any power failure or crash of the program, the folder is showing no items.
• Also, if you open the Excel application after a power failure or program crash, you will see the Document Recovery option on the left side of the screen.
• You can recover your file from the Document Recovery section.

3. See Stored Files in Excel with ‘Manage Workbook’ Feature

You can also use the ‘Manage Workbook’ feature to see stored files in Excel. This feature also recovers the recent unsaved Excel file. Kindly follow the steps below to see the location of the stored files.

STEPS:

• In the beginning, open Excel.
• Secondly, go to the ribbon and select the File tab.
• After that, click on Info from the menu and select Manage Workbook.
• Then, select Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

• Like the previous method, it will also open a window where you can find unsaved files.
• As we didn’t face any power failure or crash of the program, the folder is showing no items.
• Also, if you open the Excel application after a power failure or program crash, you will see the Document Recovery option on the left side of the screen.
• You can recover your file from the Document Recovery section.

4. Go to Excel Version History to Find Where Autosave Files Are Stored

The Version History option stores different versions of our Excel workbook. It allows us to access older copies of our files and retrieve them easily. This works if you save the file at the beginning. Let’s observe the steps below to see the stored files in Excel.

STEPS:

• Firstly, open the Excel application.
• In the second step, click on the File tab.
• After that, select Info and then, click on the Version History icon.

• As a result, you will see the Version History section on the right side of the sheet.
• You will have different versions of the same file.
• Select your desired one.

• In the end, the selected version will appear as a new workbook.
• You can click on the Restore button to copy content from this version or save this version as a separate file.

5. Discover Autosaved Excel Files Using Windows Search Bar

We can use the Windows Search Bar to discover the autosaved Excel files. Follow the steps below to see the technique.

STEPS:

• To begin with, go to the Search Bar on your PC.
• Then, type restore file.
• As a result, you will see Restore your files with File History option.
• Finally, click on that and discover the autosaved Excel files.

How to Disable AutoSave Option in Excel

Sometimes, users don’t want to apply the AutoSave option in Excel. Excel enables AutoSave by default, so we need to disable it before starting to type in our Excel sheet. To do so, follow the steps below.

STEPS:

• First of all, click on the File tab.

• After that, select Options from the bottom left side of the screen. It will open the Excel Options window.

• In the Excel Options window, click on Save and deselect the ‘Save AutoRecover information’ option.
• In the end, click OK to proceed.

How to Change AutoSave Location in Excel

We can also change the AutoSave location easily. To change the AutoSave location, follow the steps below.

STEPS:

• In the beginning, click on the File tab and select Options. It will open the Excel Options window.
• In the Excel Options window, select Save.
• Then, change the file location from the ‘AutoRecover file location’ section.
• Finally, click OK to close the Excel Options window.

Download Practice Book

Download the practice book here.

Conclusion

In this article, we have demonstrated 5 easy methods. Here, we have also discussed the way to disable the AutoSave option and change the AutoSave file location. I hope these methods will help you to perform your tasks easily. Furthermore, we have also added the practice book at the beginning of the article. To test your skills, you can download it to exercise. Last of all, if you have any suggestions or queries, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

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• How to Turn Off Autosave in Excel
• Why Does Excel Autosave Keep Turning Off

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