Office Settings & Configuration

How to Stop Word and Excel from Creating Recovered File Backups

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 13, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to stop Microsoft Word and Excel from automatically generating recovered file backups after an interruption.

Product: Microsoft Word and Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: The user experiences unwanted recovered file prompts after application restarts and wants to permanently disable the auto-recovery behavior.
Observed behavior: Word and Excel automatically recover files after an unexpected interruption and prompt the user to choose which version to keep.

Before you start

Before turning off this feature, be aware that disabling AutoRecover removes your automatic protection against document data loss during unexpected system crashes or power failures.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable AutoRecover in Microsoft Office Options

Modify the save settings in Microsoft Word and Excel to prevent the applications from creating background recovery files.

By default, Microsoft Office saves temporary backup copies of your active documents at regular intervals. Disabling this function stops the Document Recovery pane from appearing, but it requires you to rely entirely on manual saves.

Open Office Settings

Launch Microsoft Word or Excel, click on the File tab located in the top-left corner of the ribbon, and select Options at the bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Save Options

In the Options dialog box that appears, click on Save in the left-hand navigation pane.

Turn Off AutoRecover

Locate and uncheck the box labeled 'Save AutoRecover information every [number] minutes'.

Apply and Repeat

Click OK at the bottom of the window to apply the changes. Note that this setting is application-specific, so you must repeat these steps separately in both Word and Excel.

Disable AutoRecover in Microsoft Office Options

Manual Saving Required: Once AutoRecover is disabled, any unsaved work will be permanently lost if the application unexpectedly closes. Remember to use the Ctrl + S shortcut frequently.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling AutoRecover delete my existing recovered files?

No, unchecking the AutoRecover option only prevents future background backups from being created. Any previously recovered files currently saved on your system will remain until you manually delete them or discard them from the Document Recovery pane.

Can I change how often AutoRecover saves instead of turning it completely off?

Yes. If you simply find the backups too frequent, you can leave the AutoRecover box checked and increase the time interval (e.g., from 10 minutes to 30 minutes) within the same Save Options menu.

Is AutoSave the same thing as AutoRecover in Word and Excel?

No. AutoSave is a feature that continually syncs your active file to cloud storage like OneDrive or SharePoint in real-time. AutoRecover is a separate function that periodically creates a local emergency backup copy of your file strictly for crash recovery purposes.

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