Office Apps Crashing

How to Recover Disappeared Comments After Microsoft Word Crashes

Steve K Oct 20, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to recover document comments that disappeared after Microsoft Word crashed unexpectedly during editing.

How to Recover Disappeared Comments After Microsoft Word Crashes

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to recover lost document data and comments following an application crash.
Observed behavior: After reopening the document following a crash, the comments are no longer visible or appear to have been removed.

Before you start

Before attempting any recovery steps, immediately save a backup copy of your current document under a new name to prevent overwriting any remaining recoverable data.

Solution 1Recommended

Unhide Comments and Check Document Recovery

Verify that the comments are not merely hidden by default view settings, then utilize Word's built-in Document Recovery features.

A software crash can sometimes reset your display preferences, making comments invisible rather than deleting them. If they are truly lost, Word's built-in Autosave may have captured a temporary backup.

Confirm Comments Are Not Hidden

Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the ribbon and click 'Show Comments' to ensure they aren't just hidden from your current document view.

Check the Document Recovery Pane

If the comments are still missing, close and restart Microsoft Word. Look for the Document Recovery pane on the left side of the screen and open any versions labeled '[Autosaved]'.

Manage Document Versions

Go to 'File' > 'Info' > 'Manage Document' and click 'Recover Unsaved Documents' to browse for any recent temporary backups of your file.

Unhide Comments and Check Document Recovery

License Changes: A recent change in your Office license (such as enterprise subscriptions on Mac) may alter the comment interface from 'Classic' to 'Modern', but it will not permanently delete existing comments.

Solution 2

Restore from Version History or Cloud Backups

If local recovery fails, retrieve a previous version of the document from OneDrive, SharePoint, or the AutoRecover folder.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Stable and Reliable Document Editing

If you frequently experience unexpected crashes and data loss in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly stable, lightweight, and free alternative that offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word formats, including full support for document comments and track changes.

1. Download and Install: Go to the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and seamlessly open your existing .docx files without conversion.
3. Manage Comments Safely: Use the Review tab to view, add, or edit comments with industry-leading stability.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats, ensuring comments and revisions remain intact.Lightweight design prevents unexpected crashes and lagging on both Windows and Mac systems.Built-in smart Auto-Backup feature to protect your hard work against data loss.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my comments disappear after Word crashed?

When Word crashes, unsaved edits—including newly added or modified comments—may not be written to the disk in time. Additionally, an unexpected shutdown can reset your view preferences, temporarily hiding comments from the default layout.

Does changing my Microsoft Office license delete my document comments?

No. A license change might alter how the comment interface looks (such as updating to modern comments instead of classic comments), but it does not permanently delete existing comments stored within the document's code.

Where is the AutoRecover folder located in Word?

On Windows, it is typically located at C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\. On Mac, you can usually find it in the hidden Library folder under Containers > com.microsoft.Word > Data > Library > Preferences > AutoRecovery.

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