File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover an Excel File After Clicking Do Not Save on Mac

Olivia Miller Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to recover unsaved edits in an Excel workbook after accidentally selecting the 'Do Not Save' option upon closing the document.

Can You Recover an Excel File After Choosing 'Do Not Save' on Mac?

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Closing an active Excel file and accidentally choosing the prompt to not save the latest changes.
Observed behavior: Excel permanently discards the unsaved changes and clears the session's temporary recovery files, making the recent edits disappear.

Before you start

Locate the exact folder where your Excel file was originally saved and verify if your Mac's Time Machine or a cloud syncing service (like OneDrive or iCloud) is actively monitoring that directory.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore a Previous Version Using Mac Time Machine

Since Excel permanently drops unsaved changes when 'Do Not Save' is clicked, your best option is to restore the most recently saved backup of the file via Time Machine.

Clicking 'Do Not Save' intentionally instructs Excel to clear its AutoRecover cache for that session. Therefore, you cannot recover the exact unsaved state. However, you can retrieve the last automatically backed-up version of your workbook if Time Machine was running.

Locate the File Directory

Open Finder and navigate to the folder where your Excel file is currently saved (or where it was saved before closing).

Launch Time Machine

Click the Time Machine icon in your Mac's top menu bar and select 'Enter Time Machine' from the dropdown menu.

Find the Latest Backup

Use the timeline on the right edge of the screen or the up/down arrows to travel back to a time shortly before you closed the Excel file.

Restore the File

Select the Excel workbook in the Finder window and click the 'Restore' button to recover that version to your Mac.

Restore a Previous Version Using Mac Time Machine

Time Machine Requirement: This method requires that Time Machine was previously set up and actively backing up to an external drive or network volume before the data loss occurred.

Solution 2

Recover from Cloud Version History

If you save your files directly to OneDrive, SharePoint, or iCloud Drive, you may be able to download a version synced right before you closed the document.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Prevent Accidental Data Loss with WPS Office

While Microsoft Excel discards your changes entirely when you click 'Do Not Save', switching to WPS Office can help safeguard your work. WPS Office provides smart local auto-backups and seamless cloud synchronization, ensuring your important spreadsheets are protected against accidental closures.

1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for Mac for free and install it on your computer.
2. Open Existing Excel Files: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx files without losing any formatting.
3. Enable Smart Backup: Go to Settings > Backup Center to configure automatic backups and secure your future edits.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls, .csv) formatsRobust Auto-Backup features to prevent accidental data lossLightweight, fast, and completely free to use on MacFamiliar user interface requiring zero learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Excel AutoRecover work if I click 'Do Not Save'?

No. When you explicitly choose 'Do Not Save', Excel assumes you want to abandon the changes. As a result, it automatically deletes any temporary AutoRecover files generated during that editing session.

Can third-party Mac data recovery software retrieve my unsaved changes?

Generally, no. Data recovery software is designed to retrieve deleted files from your hard drive. Because unsaved changes exist only in your Mac's RAM and were never written to the disk as a saved file, recovery software cannot locate them.

Where are Excel temporary files stored on a Mac?

Excel AutoRecovery files are typically hidden deep in your Mac's Library folder, specifically at '~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery'. You can access this by using the 'Go to Folder' option in Finder, though these files are purged if you click 'Do Not Save'.

Document & File Issues