How to recover word doc on mac?

​Recover from the Trash

The first and simplest place to look is the Trash. Sometimes, we accidentally delete files and they end up there. To access the Trash, you can click on the Trash icon on the Dock. It usually looks like a wastebasket.

Once the Trash window is open, you can use the search bar (if you remember part of the file name) to quickly locate the Word document. When you find it, simply drag it back to the folder where it was originally stored or to a new location on your Mac.

Use Word’s AutoRecover Feature

Microsoft Word has an AutoRecover function that can save your work at regular intervals. To access these recovered documents, open Microsoft Word.

Then, go to the “File” menu. In the File menu, look for an option like “Open” or “Recent”. In the “Open” section, there should be an option such as “Recover Unsaved Documents”. The exact wording might change depending on the version of Word you’re using.

When you click on this option, Word will display a list of documents that it has saved during its AutoRecover process. You can preview these documents to find the one you need. After identifying the correct document, you can click “Save As” to save it to a location of your choice, like your Documents folder or an external drive.

Restore from Time Machine Backups

If you have Time Machine enabled on your Mac, it can be a powerful tool for file recovery. Time Machine automatically backs up your Mac’s files at regular intervals, including Word documents.

To begin the recovery process, open the “Time Machine” application. It’s usually located in the Applications folder.

When Time Machine opens, you’ll see a timeline on the side that represents different backup points. You can use the arrows to navigate through these backup points or use the search bar to find a specific Word document.

As you browse through the backups, you’ll see the state of your files as they were at different times. When you find the version of the Word document you want to recover, select it and click the “Restore” button. Time Machine will then restore the file to its original location (or you can choose a different location if you prefer).

Check the Temporary Files Folder

Word sometimes stores temporary versions of your documents. The location of these temporary files can vary depending on your Mac’s settings and the version of Word.

One common location to check is the /Users/[Your Username]/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery folder. You’ll need to replace [Your Username] with your actual Mac user name.

In this folder, you might find temporary versions of your Word documents. However, these files might be in a format that’s not immediately recognizable. You may need to open Word first and then try to open these files from within Word by going to the “File” menu and choosing “Open”.