File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document That Disappeared Overnight

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to recover a seven-page unsaved Word assignment that vanished after the computer was left in sleep mode overnight.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Leaving a completely unsaved Word document open while placing the computer into sleep mode overnight.
Observed behavior: The unsaved document disappeared entirely. It is missing from the Recover Unsaved Documents list, manual searches for .asd files yield no results, and an unrelated empty STARTUP file was found instead.

Before you start

Before attempting recovery, ensure you have not restarted your computer or used disk cleanup tools, as this can permanently erase temporary AutoRecover files stored on your system.

Solution 1Recommended

Check the Unsaved Documents Directory

Use Microsoft Word's built-in recovery feature to check if a temporary snapshot of the document was captured before it closed.

Open Recent Files

Launch Microsoft Word, click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, and select 'Open' followed by 'Recent'.

Access Unsaved Documents

Scroll to the very bottom of the Recent documents list and click the 'Recover Unsaved Documents' button.

Look for the Missing File

A File Explorer window will open pointing to the UnsavedFiles folder. Look for any files matching the time you lost the document, select it, and click 'Open'.

Solution 2

Manually Search for AutoRecover (.asd) Files

If the file isn't in the default unsaved folder, you can search your entire hard drive for the .asd extension, though these files only remain on disk for a limited time.

Solution 3

Adopt Safe Saving Practices

Prevent future data loss by establishing a habit of immediately saving files and avoiding over-reliance on sleep mode.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Prevent Data Loss with WPS Office's Smart Backup

If you frequently experience issues with disappearing files or crashes in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides robust auto-backup features and is fully compatible with all your existing Microsoft Office files.

1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office from the official website and follow the quick installation prompt.
2. Enable Smart Backup: Go to the settings menu in WPS Writer and enable the smart backup feature to auto-save at short intervals.
3. Open Existing Documents: Simply drag and drop your existing .docx files into WPS Office to continue your work seamlessly.

Smart local and cloud Auto-Backup to ensure your unsaved work is never lost overnight.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats, allowing seamless file editing.Lightweight architecture that reduces system strain and software crashes.Completely free to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my unsaved Word document disappear during sleep mode?

When a computer goes into sleep mode, it may wake up to perform automatic system updates or encounter a background error. If MS Word forcefully closes during this process, any temporary unsaved data in the RAM is cleared, leading to the document's disappearance.

Where are AutoRecover files usually stored on a PC?

By default, Microsoft Word stores AutoRecover (.asd) files in the hidden AppData folder, typically located at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\ or C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.

Does finding an empty STARTUP file mean my document was corrupted?

No. The STARTUP folder in Word is exclusively designed to load specific global templates and add-ins when the application boots. It has absolutely no relation to AutoRecover files or your unsaved documents.

What should I do if a search for .asd files finds nothing?

If neither the Unsaved Documents list nor a manual search for .asd files yields any results, the temporary file was likely purged by the system. Unfortunately, in these cases, an entirely unsaved document cannot be recovered, and the work must be recreated.

Document & File Issues