File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover Excel Changes Lost After a Windows Update

Natalie Taylor Oct 12, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to recover recent edits to an Excel spreadsheet that disappeared after a sudden Windows update restart.

Recover Excel Changes Lost After a Windows Update

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: A Windows 11 update forced the computer to restart while Excel was open, causing recent edits to be lost because cloud AutoSave was disabled and the user was not signed in to Microsoft 365.
Observed behavior: Local AutoRecover was enabled, but no recoverable copy exists upon reopening Excel, and the manually saved local file does not reflect the latest changes.

Before you start

Ensure you have 'Show hidden files, folders, and drives' enabled in your Windows File Explorer view settings, as the AppData folder required for this recovery method is hidden by default.

Solution 1Recommended

Recover from the Windows AppData Temp Folder

Excel occasionally leaves behind temporary cache files in your local user directory, which can be rescued if AutoRecover fails after a forced system restart.

This method searches the local Windows Temp folder for temporary Excel instances generated during your active session. It is highly time-sensitive; you should attempt this immediately before temporary files are overwritten or cleared by the system.

Open Windows File Explorer

Press the Windows Key + E on your keyboard to launch File Explorer.

Navigate to the Temp directory

In the address bar at the top, type 'C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\Local\Temp' (replace [YourUserName] with your actual Windows username) and press Enter.

Locate Excel temporary files

Look for files or folders named 'Excel8.0', 'Excel9.0', or files with the '.tmp' extension that match the date and time of your unexpected Windows update.

Open and restore the data

Right-click the promising temporary files, select 'Open with', and choose Excel. If your lost data is present, go to File > Save As and save the document as a standard .xlsx file in a safe location.

Recover from the Windows AppData Temp Folder

Temporary file formats: Temporary files may not look like standard Excel files and might lack proper formatting. You may need to copy the recovered raw data into a new spreadsheet.

Solution 2

Restore Using Windows Previous Versions

If you had File History or System Protection enabled on your PC prior to the Windows update, you can roll the folder back to an earlier state.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Prevent Data Loss with WPS Office's Built-in Backup Center

If unexpected system updates frequently interrupt your workflow and cause data loss, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, featuring an intelligent Backup Center that ensures your local files are safely stored even during sudden power losses or system restarts.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installer and quickly install it on your Windows PC.
2. Open Your Existing Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your .xlsx files directly. WPS Office retains all your original formatting and formulas.
3. Configure Smart Backup: Go to Menu > Settings > Backup Settings to enable local intelligent backups, ensuring you never lose data to forced Windows updates again.

Robust built-in Document Backup Center to automatically protect unsaved changes during system crashes.Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls), Word (.docx), and PowerPoint.Free, lightweight, and consumes minimal system resources on Windows 11 devices.Familiar tabbed interface allows for an easy, zero-learning-curve migration from Microsoft Office.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't AutoRecover save my file during the Windows update restart?

AutoRecover is primarily designed to protect against unexpected application crashes or power failures. If the Windows update gracefully forced Excel to close during the restart sequence and a recoverable copy was either overwritten or discarded, the AutoRecover history may not be retained.

Where is the default AutoRecover file location in Windows 11?

By default, Microsoft Excel saves AutoRecover files to 'C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\'. You can check this folder for unsaved versions in the .xlsb format.

How can I stop Windows updates from automatically restarting my PC while I work in Excel?

You can prevent unexpected restarts by configuring 'Active Hours'. Go to Windows Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options, and adjust your active hours so Windows knows when you are typically using the device and restricts automatic restarts during that timeframe.

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