/ How to recover Excel file

How to recover Excel file

I think one of my excel files has been deleted. The short cut is still on my desktop but the file will not open. I get an error message that says the file has been changed or moved. I have looked in every folder I have for this file. I even tried to do a system restore but the system says it cannot restore to that date and to try another date. I have tried every date going back to the beginning of February. I have a back up drive and the short cut icon is there but still no file opens. Please help me find my file.

Celeste Stewart Finding Lost Excel Files

It is possible that your Excel file has gone missing or has become corrupt. In addition, the file may be just fine, but the shortcut could be bad. Let’s explore the options and see if we can’t find the file in question. Also, System Restore won’t help as it only restores system files, not data files.

Recycle Bin

First, let’s check the Recycle Bin on the off chance that the file was accidentally deleted. The Recycle Bin has a “sort” feature where you can view your contents by type. Click on the label marked “type” and then scroll down to view all of the recycled Excel files. Is your missing file listed? If so, right-click it and choose Restore. If entire folders are listed in the Recycle Bin, look in each folder as well in case the Excel file was deleted because its folder was deleted.

Using Windows Search

If you have Windows Vista, you can use the Search bar to quickly find files. What’s neat about this Search bar is that you can enter the beginning of the file name and it will list all files that are potential matches. For example, if your Excel file is named SalesReport2009.xls, enter “sales” in the Search bar. This is useful if you can’t remember the exact name.

Using Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer also has a Search box. Go to the Start button and right-click it. Choose Explore. Now, find your hard drive in the list and select it. Enter the name of the file in the Search bar and wait for the results to be listed. Is your file listed? You can also enter *.xls in the Search bar to list all files on your hard drive ending with the Excel file extension .xls (note that Excel 2007 uses the file extension .xlsx).

Broken Shortcuts

Since you’ve already looked in your folders for the file, your shortcut is probably fine. However, shortcuts can become corrupt, so it’s not always safe to assume that if a shortcut doesn’t work that the file is gone. If you do find your Excel file but the shortcut doesn’t work, delete the shortcut and create a new one.

Another option is to right-click the shortcut and choose Properties followed by Details. This will show us the exact location of the file along with other information. Write down the path and open Excel. Now, choose File > Open and browse to the exact path. Make sure that All Files (*.*) is selected in the drop down box next to File Name.

Restoring Excel Files from Backups

Since you mention that you have a backup drive, use Windows Explorer to search for a backup of the missing Excel file.

Using Data Recovery Software

If you still cannot find your Excel file, download the ParetoLogic Data Recovery scan tool and scan your system for this lost Excel file. The free scanner tool will let you know if the missing file is recoverable or not so that you don’t have to pay only to find out the file is not there. This data recovery software is amazing and you may be pleasantly surprised to find your deleted Excel file. If so, you can decide whether purchasing the full product makes sense for you.