Data loss is the worst nightmare in Excel, and it can occur anytime, just due to a sudden crash, or you accidentally click don’t save on Excel, or other hazards. It is a real pain as it takes a lot of time to recover lost data. Although I am here to help you out, there are various methods that help you recover unsaved, deleted, or accidentally clicked don’t save Excel files in no time.
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This software will prevent Excel workbook data such as BI data, financial reports & other analytical information from corruption and data loss. With this software you can rebuild corrupt Excel files and restore every single visual representation & dataset to its original, intact state in 3 easy steps:
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- Select the corrupt Excel file (XLS, XLSX) & click Repair to initiate the repair process.
- Preview the repaired files and click Save File to save the files at desired location.
So, go ahead, read the article and follow the given solutions one by one.
Can I Recover a File If I Clicked “Don’t Save”?
The answer to this question is “YES”.
Microsoft Excel autosaves your document every few minutes. Once you have accidentally hit the “don’t save” option in Excel, there’s an excellent chance this feature will help you to rescue your crucial spreadsheet data. Your unsaved Excel document has perhaps been turned into the AutoRecovered file automatically.
Besides, you can try the automatic solution mentioned in the next section.
Best Software To Recover an Accidentally Clicked Don’t Save Excel File
You can make use of the Excel Recovery Tool, which helps you to recover deleted, corrupted, or lost Excel files even without any backup. Not only this it is also capable of repairing corrupt, damaged Excel (XLS and XLSX) files and fixing Excel errors as well. With this, you can recover a chart, a chart sheet, a table, a cell comment, an image, cell comment a formula, and sort & filter, and all data components from a corrupt Excel file. It is easy to use and supports all Excel versions.
Why Choose Excel Recovery Tool?
- Quickly recover and repair both .xls and .xlsx files.
- Easily restore multiple corrupted Excel files simultaneously.
- Restore everything, including worksheets, cell comments, worksheet properties, charts, and other data.
- Too easy to use so that even a novice user can use it.
- Supports both Windows as well as Mac operating systems.
Steps To Utilize MS Excel Repair Tool:
Also Read: How to Recover Excel File from Temp Folder? – Works in 2025!
How To Recover Accidentally Clicked Don’t Save Excel Files?
Follow the given methods one by one carefully to recover accidentally deleted data in Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007.
1: Recover Data From Within Excel
Excel saves the work regularly on its own, as if in case Excel quits accidentally (system crash, sudden power cut, etc.) there is still a chance available for data recovery in Excel.
- Open Excel again, and you can see the Recovered heading > choose Show Recovered Files.
- Now Excel will open a new spreadsheet > with Document Recovery panel
- And click on any file listed to see most recent save.
Well, it is not always updated, as you can’t recover the most recent edits, but can recover other stored data.
2: Recover From Temp Files
Microsoft Office saves temporary files occasionally as backups, so this is also an option available to recover lost Excel workbook data due to in Excel accidentally clicked don’t save.
So, you can also look for temporary files and try recovering them.
Follow the steps to do so:
- Press Win key + R > and in the Run Window type the below-given address > hit Enter
- The Windows 8/10 users:
- C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles
- The Windows 7 users:
- C:\Users\name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\
- And find temporary Excel files that begin with “$” or “~” and end with “.TMP”
- Next, copy the files, save to another safe location, and change the extension from.TMP to .XLS/.XLSX.
In this way you can restore the accidentally clicked don’t save Excel files.
3: Make Use Of Excel AutoSave And AutoRecover Option
In Excel, two options are available the AutoSave and AutoRecover, this allows you to recover unsaved or accidentally deleted data only if it is enabled. Luckily, both the AutoSave and AutoRecover options are turned on by default in Excel.
Here learn about AutoSave and AutoRecover option and also how to use them.
Excel AutoSave: This tool automatically saves the recent document you have just created but haven’t saved yet.
Excel AutoRecover: It allows you to recover unsaved files lost due to a sudden closure or crash of the Excel file. With this, you can restore the last saved version displayed in Document Recovery pane when you open Excel next time.
Please Note: This feature only works on the saved Excel workbooks, if you never save the file then the Document Recover Panel won’t show in Excel.
* I had discussed the recovery process in the first step (Recover data from within Excel)
You can also configure the AutoSave (AutoRecover) settings in Excel; here are the steps to do so:
- Go to the File tab > choose Options > click Save on the left side
- And assure both Save AutoRecover information every X minutes, and also tick mark the Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving option
- Next click OK.
The AutoRecover feature is by default set to automatically save; you can change it to every 10 minutes. You can also change the time interval as you like.
You can also change the Excel AutoRecover file location and specify AutoRecover exceptions.
So, this is it, now you can easily restore an Excel file when something goes wrong. And follow the steps given in the article to recover lost, deleted or accidentally clicked don’t save Excel.
Well, there are many cases seen when the Excel AutoRecover is not working, so it is very important to back up your data regularly to avoid a data loss situation.
4: Recover From Previous Version Option
Excel allows users to recover the previous versions of their documents. So, if you accidentally clicked don’t save Excel workbook, then follow the given instructions to recover the Excel file.
In Excel,> open the File tab > click Info > Manage Versions button. You can see the entire autosaved versions of your file
Excel automatically saves the version of the workbook at specified intervals but if any changes were made to the spreadsheet between the intervals, then the name of every version has data and time plus autosave note on it.
When you click on any of them, it open with the most recent version of the workbook, you can compare and identify the changes.
However, if in case the program is closed incorrectly, then the last autosave is labeled with (when I closed without saving).
When you open this Excel file a message appears above your worksheet then in the yellow bar click on Restore button for reverting last unsaved workbook version.
Please Note: Entire previously Autosaved Excel versions are deleted as the document is closed so if you need to have a look at previous version again, then make sure to create a backup copy of your data.
Also Read: How to Recover Excel File Corrupted by Virus With 7 Easy Ways?
Frequently Asked Questions:
How To Recover Accidentally Saved Excel Files?
To recover accidentally saved Excel files, navigate to the File >> Info >> Manage Document. After this, click on Recover Unsaved Workbooks in Excel.
Where Are Unsaved Excel Files Stored?
Unsaved MS Excel files are generally stored in the location: C:Users(YourUsername)AppDataLocalMicrosoftOfficeUnsavedFiles
What If My Excel Froze and I Didn't Save?
If Excel froze or becomes unresponsive, then you can reopen the Excel to access the Document Recovery pane, and choosing the file you need to recover.
How Do I Restore a Previous Version of An Excel File on A Mac?
To restore a previous version of an Excel file on a Mac, follow the below steps:
- Open the Excel document >> choose File.
- After that, click on Revert To > Browse All Versions option.
- Click on tick marks along with the timeline to browse the versions.
- Display the version you need, click on Restore.
Can You Recover a Document After Clicking Don't Save On a Mac?
To recover a document after clicking don't save on a Mac, you can use the AutoRecovery. - Launch Finder > click Go then Go to Folder. Here, type the command to open the AutoRecovery folder on your Mac > Find the unsaved document you want and re-save it
Conclusion
Accidentally clicking “Don’t Save” in Excel doesn’t always mean the end. With the right steps mentioned in this post, you can often restore your data quickly. So, make sure to follow the given steps carefully, and if nothing works, use the Excel Recovery Software, as this offers maximum advantages and easy data recovery in Excel.
Moreover, configure AutoSave settings to guard against future losses.
Good Luck….
Priyanka Sahu
Priyanka is a content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.