How to Recover Word Changes Lost When AutoSave Reverted a Document

Navigate to the OneDrive or SharePoint website in your web browser and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Browse to the folder containing your affected Word document.

Right-click the document and select 'Version history' from the context menu.

Review the list of timestamps. If you find a version created during the hours your edits were made, click the three vertical dots next to it and select 'Restore' or 'Open File'.

Launch the Word application and click on the 'File' tab located in the top-left corner.

Click on 'Info' in the left-hand menu, then locate and click the 'Manage Document' button.

Select 'Recover Unsaved Documents' from the drop-down menu. A file explorer window will open showing any temporary unsaved drafts.

If your file is listed, double-click to open it, then immediately use 'Save As' to securely save it to a new location.

Always check that the AutoSave toggle at the top-left of the Word window remains turned on while working.

Periodically go to File > Save a Copy (or Save As) and save the document with a distinct filename (e.g., adding a date or version number like v1, v2).

Ensure the save status at the top of the window says 'Saved' rather than 'Saving...' before closing your document.