Where Word stores documents you haven't saved yet

When you close Word without saving, the document does not vanish completely. Word keeps a temporary copy in a hidden folder on your computer, and you can often recover it. The location depends on whether you named the file before closing it, and whether Word crashed or you straightforward closed the window.

If you gave the document a name and started working on it, Word's AutoRecover feature saves a backup copy every 10 minutes by default. If the document never had a name — you opened a blank template and typed without saving — Word still keeps a temporary version, but it is harder to find because it has no recognizable name.

Key Takeaways

  • Word's AutoRecover folder holds temporary copies of documents you were working on, even if you closed without saving.
  • The AutoRecover folder location differs between Windows and Mac, and between Office versions.
  • If AutoRecover is turned off or the file was never named, you may still recover it from the Recent Documents list or by searching your hard drive.
  • Once you find the recovered document, save it with a real filename when ready so you do not lose it again.

Finding AutoRecover files on Windows

On Windows, Word stores AutoRecover files in a folder that is hidden by default. The path is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles. You need to show hidden folders first, because Windows hides the AppData folder to prevent accidental deletion.

Open File Explorer and navigate to your user folder (usually shown as your username in the left sidebar). At the top of the window, click the View tab, then check the box next to Hidden items. Now you can see the AppData folder. Double-click it, then Local, then Microsoft, then Office. The UnsavedFiles folder holds your AutoRecover documents.

Files in this folder have names like Document1_0A1B2C3D.asd — the numbers and letters are a code Word assigns. Open the file by double-clicking it, and Word will ask whether you want to recover it. Click Yes. Once it opens, save it when ready with a real filename using File > Save As.

Finding AutoRecover files on Mac

On Mac, the AutoRecover folder is in a different location: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Autosave Information. The tilde (~) means your home folder. You can reach it by opening Finder, clicking Go in the menu bar, then Go to Folder, and pasting the path above.

Files here also have cryptic names with codes instead of the original title. Look for files with a .asd extension — that is Word's AutoRecover format. Double-click the file to open it in Word. If Word asks whether you want to recover the document, click Recover. Then save it with a real name right away.

Checking the Recent Documents list

Before you dig into hidden folders, try the simplest route: Word's Recent Documents list. Open Word and look at the start screen. On the left side, you will see Recent — click it to see files you have opened or worked on recently, including unsaved ones that Word recovered automatically.

If you see the document you lost, click it to open it. Word may show a banner at the top saying "This document was not saved. Do you want to keep these changes?" Click Keep, then when ready save the file with File > Save As so the changes stick.

Turning AutoRecover on if it is off

AutoRecover is on by default in modern versions of Word, but it can be turned off. If you have turned it off and lost a document, you will not be able to recover it from the AutoRecover folder. To check whether it is on, open Word, click File, then Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac).

Look for Save in the left menu. Under "Save options," you should see a checkbox next to Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving. Make sure it is checked. You can also set how often Word saves — the default is every 10 minutes, but you can change it to every 1 minute if you work on important documents and want more frequent backups.

Searching your hard drive if AutoRecover did not work

If the AutoRecover folder is empty or you cannot find the file there, try searching your entire hard drive. On Windows, open File Explorer, click in the search box at the top right, and search for *.asd — this finds all AutoRecover files anywhere on your computer. You can also search by the document name if you remember any words from it.

On Mac, open Finder and click the search box in the top right. Type kind:document followed by a word you remember from the document. You can also search for .asd files directly. Once you find a file that looks like yours, double-click it to open it in Word.

What to do once you recover the document

The moment you open a recovered document, Word is showing you a temporary file, not a saved one. If you close Word without saving again, you will lose it. Use File > Save As (not just Save) to give it a real filename and location. Choose a folder you use regularly, like Documents, so you can find it again.

After you save it, close the document and reopen it from the location where you saved it. This confirms that the save worked and that you are no longer working from a temporary file. If something goes wrong during the save, you want to know right away, not after you close Word.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Word keep AutoRecover files?

Word keeps AutoRecover files for a limited time — usually until you restart your computer or until the file is older than a few days. If you lost a document more than a week ago, the AutoRecover copy may no longer exist. This is another reason to save important work when ready after recovery.

Can I recover a document if I never named it?

Yes, but it is harder. Unnamed documents are stored in the AutoRecover folder with generic names like Document1_0A1B2C3D.asd. You may have to open several files to find the right one. Once you find it, save it with a real name when ready.

What if Word crashed instead of me closing it?

When Word crashes, it usually saves an AutoRecover copy automatically. The next time you open Word, it will show a recovery pane asking which documents you want to recover. Click the checkbox next to the document and click Recover. Then save it with a real filename.

Does AutoRecover work if I am using OneDrive or SharePoint?

Yes, but cloud storage also has its own version history. If you are saving to OneDrive, you can recover older versions through OneDrive's web interface even if AutoRecover does not help. Log into OneDrive.com, right-click the file, and look for Version history to see previous saves.

Should I turn AutoRecover on for all my documents?

Yes. The only reason to turn it off is if you are working on a very old computer with limited storage space. For most people, keeping AutoRecover on costs almost nothing and has saved countless documents. The 10-minute default interval is reasonable — you lose at most 10 minutes of work if something goes wrong.