File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover Missing Changes from an Excel Workbook Embedded in OneNote

Olivia Miller Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to recover unsaved edits and missing worksheets from an Excel file that was embedded in OneNote before the computer unexpectedly restarted.

How to Recover Missing Changes from an Excel Workbook Embedded in OneNote

Product: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A computer restart caused recent edits to an embedded Excel workbook in OneNote to be lost, and the file is missing from Recent Files.
Observed behavior: Changes made to the embedded workbook are missing, and the file cannot be located in standard save directories or the recent files list.

Before you start

Ensure both Microsoft OneNote and Excel are completely closed before starting the recovery process to prevent further temporary file overwrites.

Solution 1Recommended

Search for Temporary Excel Files on the Local Drive

Locate the hidden temporary files created when OneNote extracts an embedded workbook to your local storage.

When you open an embedded Excel file from OneNote, it is temporarily saved to your local drive. If a restart occurs, the original temporary file might still exist even if OneNote fails to recognize the changes.

Open File Explorer

Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer on your computer.

Search the C: Drive

Navigate to 'This PC' and double-click your C: drive. In the top-right search bar, type '*.xlsx' and press Enter.

Sort and locate the file

Click the 'Date modified' column header to sort the search results. Look for files modified around the time of the computer restart.

Copy before opening

Right-click the suspected temporary file, select 'Copy', and paste it onto your Desktop or another safe folder before opening it to check for missing changes.

Search for Temporary Excel Files on the Local Drive

Prevent File Overwriting: Always copy the recovered file to a new folder before opening it to ensure the temporary file is safely isolated.

Solution 2

Check Excel AutoRecover and Unsaved Files Directory

Use Excel's built-in recovery tools to find automatically saved drafts of your workbook.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Reliable Spreadsheet Management

Stop worrying about lost temporary files from complex object embedding. WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office with built-in robust Auto Backup features to keep your data secure.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office installer.
2. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx files directly with full formatting support.
3. Enable Auto Backup: Go to Settings > Backup Settings to customize auto-save intervals and secure your ongoing work automatically.

Free and lightweight office suite for everyday tasksFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsReliable built-in Auto Backup to prevent data lossFamiliar user interface for seamless migration

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my embedded Excel file in OneNote lose its changes?

Opened embedded files are stored in a temporary folder. If Excel remains open without saving back to OneNote properly before a restart, OneNote may fail to sync or recognize those temporary changes.

Does AutoSave work for files embedded in OneNote?

No, Microsoft's AutoSave feature generally only works for files saved directly on cloud platforms like OneDrive or SharePoint, not for local temporary files created by OneNote embedding.

Where is the default Excel AutoRecover location?

By default, AutoRecover files in Windows are typically stored at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\. You can navigate there to manually look for recovered drafts.

Document & File Issues