File Cannot Open

How to Recover a Word Document That Cannot Be Opened After Mac Restart

Ayan Masood Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to recover a recently saved Word document that became inaccessible and displays a path error after restarting their Mac.

How to Recover a Word Document That Cannot Be Opened After Mac Restart

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to reopen a successfully saved Word document (such as a thesis) after a system restart, only to find it missing or corrupted.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word reports that the document has been deleted, is inaccessible, or that the original file path is no longer available.

Before you start

Ensure that you are logged into the same Mac user profile as when you originally saved the document, and temporarily disable any third-party system optimization or cleanup software that might have moved or quarantined your files.

Solution 1Recommended

Check the Word AutoRecovery Folder on Mac

Locate unsaved or recovered versions of your Word document stored automatically by Microsoft Word's built-in AutoRecovery feature.

Microsoft Word for Mac automatically saves temporary backups of your working documents at regular intervals. If your computer restarts unexpectedly or Word crashes, you can often find the lost file in the dedicated AutoRecovery system folder.

Open the Go to Folder menu

Click on the Finder icon in your Mac's Dock. In the top menu bar, click on 'Go' and select 'Go to Folder...' (or press Shift + Command + G).

Navigate to the AutoRecovery path

Copy and paste the following path into the search box: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery and press Return.

Locate and recover the file

Look for files that start with 'AutoRecovery save of'. If you find your thesis or document, copy it to your Desktop, rename it, and try opening it again.

Check the Word AutoRecovery Folder on Mac

Hidden Library Folder: The Library folder is hidden by default on macOS. Using the 'Go to Folder' method ensures you bypass this restriction and access the correct directory directly.

Solution 2

Restore from OneDrive or SharePoint Online

Recover the document from cloud storage if you had AutoSave enabled or were saving directly to OneDrive.

Solution 3

Use Apple Time Machine Backup

Use your Mac's built-in Time Machine utility to revert the folder where your document was saved to a state before the restart.

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Prevent Document Loss with WPS Office's Built-in Auto-Backup

Tired of losing unsaved files or dealing with inaccessible documents after a system restart? WPS Office is a highly compatible, free alternative to Microsoft Office that features robust Auto-Backup and seamless cloud sync. Enjoy peace of mind knowing your hard work is continuously and safely stored.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office installer from the official website and follow the standard installation process for your operating system.
2. Enable Auto-Backup: Open WPS Office, go to Settings, and ensure Auto-Backup is enabled to continuously save your progress in the background.
3. Edit Seamlessly: Open your standard .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files directly in WPS Office without worrying about formatting loss or missing file paths.

Free and lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office for Mac and WindowsFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint formatsBuilt-in Local and Cloud Auto-Backup features to prevent accidental document lossFamiliar user interface ensuring a zero-learning-curve transition

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word say the document path is no longer available?

This error typically occurs if the file was saved to a temporary system folder that the OS cleared during the restart, if a cloud-sync client (like OneDrive) moved the file offline, or if the drive/volume containing the file became disconnected.

Can unsupported characters in a file name prevent Word from opening it?

Yes. If your document, folder, or Mac volume name contains unsupported characters (such as : ; ? / \ | { } [ ] * & ^ % $ # @ ~), Word may fail to recognize the file path. Rename the file or folder using standard alphanumeric characters and try again.

What should I do if the AutoRecovery folder is completely empty?

If the AutoRecovery folder is empty, it means Word either successfully closed the file before the restart (thus deleting the temp file) or the AutoRecovery interval hadn't triggered yet. In this case, you will need to rely on external backups like Time Machine, OneDrive Version History, or consult your IT administrator to check server-level backups.

Document & File Issues