What to do right now
- For OneDrive or SharePoint files, open an earlier version from version history in the File menu.
- For local files, check the Previous Versions tab and Excel's Manage Workbook.
- If nothing works, copy the current file somewhere safe and scan the disk.
How to undo the save
Version history
For files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, open File, Info, Version History in Excel. Open the automatically saved earlier versions and restore the one you need, or save it under a new name.
Windows Previous Versions
Right-click the file and open the Previous Versions tab in Properties. If File History or System Protection (restore points) was on, earlier dates are listed. Copy the file to another location rather than restoring over the current one.
Excel AutoRecover files
In Excel, check File, Info, Manage Workbook, Recover Unsaved Workbooks. FileFix Ultimate's unsaved file finder also finds copies in the Office AutoRecover and UnsavedFiles folders.
Keep the current file
Before the next step, copy the file in its current state to another disk such as a USB stick, and keep new saves to that drive to a minimum.
Scan for old copies on the disk
Scan the drive with FileFix Ultimate and filter for XLSX. Open results with the same name, or nameless temporary files, whose modified time is older. If one will not open, repair it or salvage the cell values.
Why old content can remain on the disk
When Excel saves, it does not edit the original file in place. It writes the whole workbook to a new temporary file, deletes the original and renames the new file. On a hard drive, the content from before the save can therefore remain as a deleted file.
Such files may have a temporary name or no name, and several may appear if you saved many times. Use the modified time and size to pick the moment you want. On an SSD with TRIM this rarely works.
When it cannot be undone
- Version history, File History and restore points were all off.
- Drive C: is an SSD with TRIM, so the old content was cleared.
- Many files were saved to the same drive after the overwrite.
How FileFix Ultimate helps
- The unsaved file finder locates and copies Office AutoRecover and temporary files.
- Shadow copies (Previous Versions) can be opened as a recovery source.
- Finds old XLSX copies left on the disk and checks that they open.
- Salvages cell values from old copies that will not open into a new xlsx and CSV.
FileFix Ultimate is free, works offline and never writes to the drive you are recovering from. Check the signature before you run it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I undo an Excel save?
Yes, if version history or Previous Versions existed. Otherwise you can scan the hard drive for an old copy.
The Previous Versions tab is empty.
File History and System Protection were off. Try Excel's AutoRecover files and a disk scan.
Does Ctrl+Z work after saving?
Before you close the file, undo often still works after a save. Once the file is closed, the undo history is gone.