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How to Recover Overwritten Excel file on Mac and Windows Effotlessly
Overwritten Excel files mean your file’s old version is replaced by the new one with modifications. This can happen to anyone if they make changes in the sheet and then save the new file by the same file name in the same location, resulting in overwritten Excel files. So it is commonly asked: can you recover overwritten files? Yes, it is possible to recover such files using various alternative solutions. Here we will discuss all those methods separately for Mac and Windows users to recover overwritten Excel files. So, let’s get into the details:
Part 1:How to Recover Overwritten Excel File with No Previous Version
Solution 1: Using Excel Built-in Tool to Recover Overwritten Excel File
If you wonder how to recover overwritten Excel files with no previous version, the Autosave feature in Microsoft Excel can be your saver. Here is how:
Step 1: Open Excel and then choose “File .” Select “Info” from the list. Navigate to the “Manage Workbook” option. Click “Recover Unsaved Workbooks” from the menu that drops down.
Step 2: Select the file that has not been saved and select the “Open” button.
Step 3: To recover the file, select “Save As” from the bar at the beginning of the file.
You may need backup copies or specialized data recovery software if the autosave feature doesn’t help recover your overwritten file.
Solution 2:Recover Overwritten Excel File via Reliable Software
People often think getting overwritten files is impossible in case of no precious versions. However, this is different. You can easily recover overwritten Excel files with 4DDiG Data Recovery software. This professional data recovery software can recover lost or deleted documents from various storage devices such as Windows, Mac, SD cards, external disks, and more. Whether your data loss was caused by overwriting, accidental deletion, system crashes, or virus attacks, Tenorshare 4DDiG can easily assist you in recovering important data. So, download it and recover overwritten Excel file with no previous version with just three simple steps.
Step 1: After running the tool, select the drive with your lost files. Then, click the scan button to find the files you want to recover.
Step 2: 4DDiG will thoroughly scan your drive for lost data. During this process, you can find your lost files through the file view or tree view on the left sidebar.
Step 3: After completing the scanning process, choose the files you want to access and press the “Recover “option. You should save the file to a safe location to prevent the data from being overwritten again.
Solution 3: Recover Overwritten Excel Files with Temporary Files
When dealing with Excel files, Microsoft automatically creates a temporary file. All these temporary files are stored at a designated location on your PC. Move toward the temporary files folder, and then you can easily check out the old versions of Excel sheets that were overwritten by mistake. Here are the guidelines for using the temporary files to get your overwritten Excel files:
Step 1: Navigate to that folder where Microsoft Office temporarily stores its files and find out the temporary file of the Excel that you wish to use again.
Step 2: Open those files and select “Save As” to recover the Excel or Word document overwritten by new data.
Now, you can say goodbye to any concerns about how to recover overwritten Excel files with no previous version.
Part 2: How to Recover Overwritten Excel Files with Previous Version
If you have previously enabled file history or system restore points on your system, you can recover an overwritten Excel file easily and quickly. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Open the folder where your Excel file was saved, or find out your current overwritten Excel file.
Step 2. Select “Properties” by right-clicking the Excel file.
Step 3. Navigate towards “Previous Versions,” choose the most recent version or the version you want to have, then click the “Restore” option.
Part 3:How to Recover Overwritten Excel Files on Mac
Method 1: Using Time Machine to recover overwritten Excel file
How to recover an Excel file that was overwritten on Mac? The first easy solution is using a Time Machine, a powerful backup tool for Mac systems. Here all the photos, videos, or documents are available that you can access. So, connect the time machine backup drive to your Mac and follow these steps:
Step 1: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine.”
Step 2: Scroll through the timeline on the right side to find the date and time when the file still needs to be overwritten. Then, locate the file version you want to restore.
Step 3:Once you’ve selected the correct version of the file, click the “Restore” button.
Method 2: Recover Previous Excel Files with AutoSave
Microsoft Office also has an AutoSave feature on Mac, saving your document after regular time intervals. So, you can restore your replaced Excel files by using AutoRecovery files with the help of the following steps:
Step 1. Navigate towards “Finder” and then select “Go.” Now choose “Go to Folder.”
Step2.Type~/Library/Containers/com. Microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery and click on the option “Go.”
Step 3. Locate the overwritten files, then choose “Save As” to recover them.
Method 3: Cloud Backups for Recovering Old Files
How to recover overwritten Excel files with no previous version on Mac? Cloud backups like iCloud and Dropbox are highly beneficial in returning your files’ previous versions. They keep on saving the history of the old files whenever you make a change in anyone. So, by using them, you can get back to the desired version of your Excel file with the following steps:
Step 1: Open your web browser and navigate to iCloud.com. Then, Sign in to your iCloud account.
Step 2: You can find your Excel files under the Drive section.
Step 3: Click on the one you need and download it to your Macbook.
How to avoid Overwritten Excel files in the Future?
One must take effective measures to avoid the issue of overwritten Excel in the first place. Here are some of these tips:
- Use read-only mode to check important files you don’t want to change.
- Keep the Autosave and Auto Recover features of your Microsoft Excel on.
- Use “save as” to have a new copy of the Excel sheet with the modifications.
- Make a review before saving any changes to your file.
Bottom Line
Can you recover overwritten files? There are multiple ways to recover such files. After reading this article, you can recover overwritten Excel files by yourself. Whether a Mac user or a Windows user, you can access all the original files with or without previous versions. If one method does not work for you, then try other options. If you fear losing your file or some part of it, try to recover it with 4DDiG Data Recovery software. This software has hundreds of positive reviews from all around the world in terms of effective results. So, give this tool a must-try.
FAQs about How to Recover Overwritten Excel Files
Q1: How to recover overwritten Excel files on Mac?
For Mac users, here are the alternative options to recover overwritten Excel files:
- Using Time Machine
- Accessing Cloud Storage backups
- Using AutoSave features
- Using Data Recovery Software
Q2: How to recover an Excel file that was overwritten on Windows?
You can recover overwritten Excel files on Windows with the following:
- Excel Built-in Tool
- Temporary Files
- File History
- Professional Data Recovery Software
Q3: Why are there no previous versions of my Excel file?
If your backup system is not appropriately configured or enabled, or if backup settings are not frequent enough, you might not be able to find the desired earlier versions.
