Is there a way to recover a lost Word document? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

SwampYankee · #1 12-08-2010, 11:53 AM

This morning, like a dum bass, I did a "Save As" instead of a "Save" and lost the original file.

It's large enough to be a PITA to do over again. Is there any way to recover the original file or do I need to get typing?

LandYaghtLover · #2 12-08-2010, 12:02 PM

I don't follow. All that a "save as..." does is to create a second copy of the original plus any changes since the last save. It will not delete or modify the original. So it's still where it was less any changes. Or you can locate where the "save as..." version saved to and open that.

davidmash · #3 12-08-2010, 12:04 PM

No idea if this will work but if you have not shut word down you can try doing Ctrl + Z as often as you can. This is basically an undo format. If you did some cut and pastes it works great. If you just typed one word at a time, I think you might be screwed. I know word keeps temp files but if you did a same as and then saved the new doc in the same file name as the old file I think you might me SOL. Sry.

SwampYankee · #4 12-08-2010, 12:16 PM

The file which was "Save As"-d replaced the original file so it was a new, completely different file which replaced the old one (which I'm hoping somehow get back). I'm thinking I'm screwed.

I do have a PDF copy saved (it is a multiple-paged leaflet) that was scanned in. Can that be converted back to a Word file?

davidmash · #5 12-08-2010, 12:20 PM

Yes, you will need a Optical character reader (OCR) program. Not sure how expensive they are (might be free ware/share ware) but they take a text and 'read' it into a word processor so you can edit it.

LandYaghtLover · #6 12-08-2010, 12:51 PM

Oh, I see what you did now. I think. You saved a totally different new file onto an old by using the same name. Right?

As for PDF, you can just open and select the text and paste it into word. Done that many times. At least it works that way on a Mac.

SwampYankee · #7 12-08-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Oh, I see what you did now. I think. You saved a totally different new file onto an old by using the same name. Right?

As for PDF, you can just open and select the text and paste it into word. Done that many times. At least it works that way on a Mac.

Yep. I was a victim of my own force of habit.

I'll give that a shot. Therein lies the rub.

Stretch · #8 12-08-2010, 01:02 PM

There is a slim possibility that your original file is still somewhere on the disc - I'm not sure if Windows (Word) will have actually have been so smart that it would use the same space.

So I think it is worthwhile having a look for a freeware undelete program. I used one recently for pictures (called photorec) which was brilliant.

Otherwise you should indeed be able to just convert an unprotected pdf back into text - I think even acrobat reader does this... If this doesn't work have a look at Okular on the LINUX kde desktop - that has an export to text function

LandYaghtLover · #9 12-08-2010, 01:03 PM

Dang. Just re-read. The "PDF" you have is just a scan? Then no copy-paste.

I was thinking actual PDF.

Stretch · #10 12-08-2010, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Dang. Just re-read. The "PDF" you have is just a scan? Then no copy-paste.

I was thinking actual PDF.

Oh yes - I see now it is an image... OCR is the only way forward.

edcarls · #11 12-08-2010, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

This morning, like a dum bass, I did a "Save As" instead of a "Save" and lost the original file.

It's large enough to be a PITA to do over again. Is there any way to recover the original file or do I need to get typing?

If you used "Save As" it will ask you what title you want to save it and where you'd want to save it. If you named the file, the original remains unchanged. If you used "save", the original file will be overwritten by the new revised file. Using "Save" would make you loose the original, not when you use "save as."

...or I'm not understanding your problem correctly.

SwampYankee · #12 12-08-2010, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edcarls

If you used "Save As" it will ask you what title you want to save it and where you'd want to save it. If you named the file, the original remains unchanged. If you used "save", the original file will be overwritten by the new revised file. Using "Save" would make you loose the original, not when you use "save as."

...or I'm not understanding your problem correctly.

The problem was that I clicked before I thought. Had I slowed down and thought about what was open and what I was replacing this wouldn't have happened.

ramonajim · #13 12-08-2010, 03:23 PM

Depending on the version of Word you're using, settings, etc......

Word will create a series of temporary files when you have a file open. Sits in the same directory as the original file, is renamed by replacing the first couple characters of the file name with ~$, and is a hidden file.

If you have Explorer settings such that you can see hidden files, it'll show up. You MIGHT be able to pull an older version from one of these temp files (copy and paste the hidden file with a new file name).

Have had this work for me before, have had it not work. YMMV.

SwampYankee · #14 12-08-2010, 05:01 PM

That's the pisser. Since nothing on your computer ever really goes away, you'd think there'd be a way to bring something back from the depths of tmp files.

my83300cd · #15 12-08-2010, 05:16 PM

If you realize this within a few seconds after you started typing you could close it and it should ask if you want to save the changes. Just say no at it will save the original (or what ever it was up to the last autosave...)