File Sharing Problems

How to Prevent Excel Data from Disappearing During Coauthoring

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience missing entries or data failing to save when multiple people simultaneously edit separate worksheets within a shared Excel file.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Multiple users coauthoring a shared Excel workbook simultaneously.
Observed behavior: Excel data disappears, fails to save, or gets overwritten due to synchronization delays, simultaneous editing conflicts, or disabled AutoSave features.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection so changes can sync in real-time, and verify that everyone editing the document is using a supported, up-to-date version of Excel.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable AutoSave and Host on Cloud Storage

Coauthoring requires the workbook to be stored on supported cloud platforms with AutoSave enabled to synchronize changes constantly.

The most common reason for data loss during coauthoring is that the file is saved locally or AutoSave is turned off. For real-time collaboration to work flawlessly, the file must be hosted on Microsoft's cloud servers.

Upload to OneDrive or SharePoint

Click 'File' > 'Save As', select your OneDrive or SharePoint account, and save the workbook there.

Turn on AutoSave

Open the workbook in the Excel desktop app or web browser and toggle the 'AutoSave' switch in the top-left corner to 'On'.

Wait for Synchronization

After making edits, pause briefly before closing the file to ensure the status bar indicates that all changes have been saved to the cloud.

File Format Requirement: AutoSave and coauthoring only work with modern Excel formats (.xlsx, .xlsm, or .xlsb). Older .xls files do not support these features.

Solution 2

Manage Coauthoring Limits and Permissions

Exceeding the maximum number of simultaneous users or having restricted folder permissions can prevent data from saving correctly.

Seamless Coauthoring with WPS Office

Collaborate in Real-Time without Data Loss Using WPS Office

WPS Office offers a robust and stable real-time collaboration environment through WPS Cloud. You can easily share spreadsheets with your team, edit simultaneously without conflicts, and ensure every keystroke is safely auto-saved.

1. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the spreadsheet you want to collaborate on.
2. Save to WPS Cloud: Click 'Save As' and choose your WPS Cloud drive to enable cloud synchronization.
3. Share with your team: Click the 'Share' button in the top right corner to generate an editing link and send it to your collaborators.
4. Co-edit in real time: Team members can open the link and edit the document simultaneously, with all changes auto-saved to the cloud instantly.

Real-time synchronization to prevent coauthoring conflicts and data lossFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) formatsBuilt-in WPS Cloud storage for seamless sharing and AutoSaveLightweight application with a highly intuitive user interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is AutoSave greyed out when I try to coauthor in Excel?

AutoSave may be greyed out if the workbook is saved locally on your hard drive instead of OneDrive or SharePoint, if it contains unsupported features, or if it is saved in an older format like .xls.

How many users can edit a shared Excel file at the same time?

A shared Excel workbook supports up to 256 simultaneous users. However, to maintain optimal performance and prevent synchronization delays, it is recommended to keep the number of simultaneous editors much lower.

Can I recover data that disappeared during an Excel coauthoring session?

Yes, if the file is hosted on OneDrive or SharePoint, you can access the 'Version History' under the 'File' > 'Info' menu to view and restore previous iterations of the document before the data was lost.

Document & File Issues