help finding lost documents on microsoft word

ithinkyourcrazy

Can anyone help me?
Am doing essays for uni due in monday! half way throught all three, been saving about every 20 mins to make sure nothing lost. But now they have gone. Can't find them anywhere, they aren't under any folder in microsoft word. I have done a test save on something else and that has saved fine. I know i pressed save and went into save as to change the name if the document. Does any1 have any idea of where they could be? I have tried everything i can think off. And sorry if this is in the wrong section

hells_2

1. Can you remember the name of your documents? If so go to start>search>type in name of doc...you may have done a 'save as' to another directory on your PC
2. Are you sure you haven't just over-written something, i.e. just pressed 'save' instead of 'save as'

KeithP

Have you tried using the search facility?

In XP, click 'start' the click 'search' then enter part of the filename.

angelavdavis

You don't mention what version of Word you are using, so I will assume it is 2003 and you are saving in that format.

You can go into File Explorer, and use the search option to open the search companion (you might need to select the "click here to use search companion" option at the bottom left hand side of the search frame if it automatically selects).

Select the Advanced option and complete the fields as follows:



If you are using version 2007 of Word, enter *.docx instead of *.doc.

See if this brings up any files.

Is it possible that you could have opened the file from email to begin with? This could mean it was saving to a temporary file instead of to a word directory. If this initial search fails, might be worth trying again, this time removing the *.doc/*.docx from the filename and instead just leaving the "within the last week" option selected. This will bring up all files you have updated within the last week - hopefully including the one you are after.

ithinkyourcrazy

Yeah i have tried the search facility with no luck, yeah i can remember what i saved them as, this happened once before a while ago and i got it back. I really don't know where they have gone, oh well back to the start i guess, thanks for the help though

angelavdavis

ithinkyourcrazy wrote: »

Yeah i have tried the search facility with no luck, yeah i can remember what i saved them as, this happened once before a while ago and i got it back. I really don't know where they have gone, oh well back to the start i guess, thanks for the help though

Hi, did you search just selecting the date option instead of the filename or file extension?

ithinkyourcrazy

thaks where is File Explorer? sorry for being so thick where computers are concerned. One was off an email, i opened a new word doc copied and pasted it on to a new page and saved it like that. The others were just new documents. Yeah it's 2003. thank you

edit sorry it is word 2007

angelavdavis

In XP:
- Start, Search
- Or you can press the Windows key (usually to the left of the spacebar on your keyboard) + E then choose the search button on the toolbar.

As previously mentioned, it might take you into the (not very user friendly imho) Windows Desktop Search, so you might have to select the option to the bottom left of this screen to "click to use Search Companion".

Use both the *.doc and *.docx options when searching, if one fails - try the other. You may have the option set in Word to save in Word 2003 format selected so could be saving in either format.

Let us know how you get on.

scottishblondie

Do you have a thing called "Recent Documents" on your start menu? Might be in there, it usually lists the last few word/excel etc things you've had open, unless something has gone wrong.

libra10

Would doing a 'restore' help?

Perhaps one of the experts could advise.

Good luck

BillScarab

libra10 wrote: »

Would doing a 'restore' help?

Perhaps one of the experts could advise.

Good luck

If you mean a System restore it wouldn't help as it only restores system settings not user data.