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How to Recover Missing Changes in a Coauthored Excel Workbook
Question details
The user needs to recover lost data in a shared Excel workbook after the application froze during synchronization.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to recover lost work after an Excel freeze during a sign-in and merge process in a coauthored file.
- Observed behavior
- Recent changes disappeared from the shared Excel workbook after the application became unresponsive.
Ensure you have a stable internet connection and are signed into the correct Microsoft account used for coauthoring before attempting recovery.
Restore from OneDrive or SharePoint Version History
Use the built-in version history feature to find and restore the workbook state before the freeze occurred.
When coauthoring is enabled, files are stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. These cloud services automatically save historical versions of your document, making it the most reliable place to look for missing changes.
Navigate to the OneDrive or SharePoint web portal where the shared workbook is stored.
Right-click the specific Excel workbook and select 'Version history' from the context menu.
Review the list of saved versions based on their timestamps, identifying the one saved right before the freeze or missing changes occurred.
Select 'Restore' to replace the current version, or click 'Open file' to view it and manually copy the missing data into your current working document.
Check Excel Document Recovery
Check if Excel created a local backup when the application crashed or froze.
Contact Microsoft 365 Administrator
If standard recovery fails, escalate the issue to your IT admin for a potential backend restoration.
Try WPS Office for Stable and Secure Spreadsheet Collaboration
If you frequently experience crashes or sync issues with Microsoft Excel during coauthoring, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with reliable cloud saving and version history to prevent data loss.
- 1. Download and Install: Go to the official WPS website, download the free version, and install it on your computer.
- 2. Activate WPS Cloud: Sign in to your account to activate WPS Cloud for seamless auto-saving and real-time collaboration.
- 3. Open your files: Open your existing .xlsx workbooks and enjoy stable, crash-free editing with comprehensive version history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Excel changes disappear during coauthoring?
Changes can disappear if Excel loses connection to the server, experiences a sync conflict, or freezes during the merge process. When this happens, local changes might fail to upload to OneDrive or SharePoint before the application closes.
How long does Microsoft keep version history for Excel files?
By default, SharePoint and OneDrive store up to 500 versions of a document. However, if you need a backend recovery performed by Microsoft support, the window is much shorter and typically must be requested within 14 days of the incident.
Can I recover unsaved Excel files without OneDrive?
Yes, you can check the local AutoRecover folder by going to File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks in Excel. Note that this only works for locally cached recovery files on the specific device where the crash occurred.
How do I prevent Excel from freezing during a merge?
Ensure your Office application is updated to the latest version, maintain a stable internet connection, and avoid having multiple users edit the exact same cell simultaneously, which can trigger complex merge conflicts that cause the application to freeze.
