Recover replaced excel file

​Excel files are widely used in various aspects of work and daily life for data storage, analysis, and management. However, sometimes we may accidentally replace an existing Excel file with a new one, losing important data in the process. Fortunately, there are several ways to attempt to recover the replaced Excel file, depending on different situations. 

Types of Replacement and Their Implications

Accidental Saving Over the Original File: This is one of the most common scenarios. For example, you might have made some changes to an Excel file and then clicked “Save” without realizing that you were overwriting the previous version with the modified one. In this case, the previous data that you might want to recover is now seemingly lost within the replaced file.

Replacing a File During a Copy or Move Operation: When you are copying or moving files and accidentally choose to replace an existing Excel file with another one of the same name, the original content is replaced. This could happen when you are organizing files on your computer or transferring them between different storage devices.

Potential Recovery Methods

Using File Version History (Windows)

How It Works: If you are using a Windows operating system and have enabled File History (which is a feature that automatically backs up files in certain intervals), there is a chance to restore a previous version of the Excel file. File History keeps track of changes made to files over time and stores multiple versions of them.

Steps for Recovery:

Open the folder where the Excel file was located.

Right-click on the file and select “Restore previous versions” from the context menu.

A window will pop up showing the available previous versions of the file. You can select the version you want to restore (usually the one before it was replaced) and click “Restore”. The restored file will be placed back in its original location.

Using Time Machine (Mac)

How It Works: For Mac users, Time Machine is a built-in backup utility. If it has been set up and running, it continuously backs up your files, including Excel files. When a file is replaced, you can use Time Machine to go back to a previous point in time when the original file was intact.

Steps for Recovery:

Open the folder that contained the Excel file in the Finder.

Enter Time Machine by clicking on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and selecting “Enter Time Machine”.

Use the timeline on the right side of the screen to navigate to a time when the correct version of the file existed. Once you find it, click “Restore” to bring the file back to its current state.

Checking the Recycle Bin/Trash

How It Works: When you delete or replace a file, in some cases, the original file might be moved to the Recycle Bin (on Windows) or the Trash (on Mac) instead of being completely removed. So, it’s worth checking these locations first.

Steps for Recovery:

On Windows, open the Recycle Bin. Locate the Excel file among the deleted items. Right-click on it and select “Restore”. The file will be moved back to its original folder.

On Mac, open the Trash. Find the Excel file and drag it back to its original location or right-click and choose “Put Back”.

Using Excel’s AutoRecover Feature

How It Works: Excel has an AutoRecover feature that automatically saves temporary copies of your open workbooks at regular intervals. This can be useful when Excel crashes or if you accidentally replace a file. These temporary files are stored on your computer and can potentially be used to recover the previous state of the workbook.

Steps for Recovery:

Open Excel.

Go to the “File” tab and click on “Open”.

In the Open dialog box, look for the location where Excel stores AutoRecover files. The default location on Windows is usually something like “C:\Users[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel”. On Mac, it’s usually in a similar user-specific application data folder for Excel.

Look for files with names that match or are related to the replaced Excel file. They may have a different file extension like “.xar” or other temporary extensions. Try opening these files in Excel. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to access the content from before the file was replaced and save it as a new Excel file.

Third-Party Data Recovery Software

How It Works: There are numerous third-party data recovery tools available in the market, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, etc. These software programs are designed to scan your computer’s hard drive or storage device to find deleted or lost files, including Excel files that have been replaced. They use advanced algorithms to search for file signatures and remnants of data on the disk and attempt to reconstruct the files.

Things to Consider:

When choosing a third-party data recovery software, make sure it is from a reputable source to avoid any potential malware or security issues.

Some software may offer a free trial version, but to fully recover the files, you may need to purchase the full version.

Follow the software’s instructions carefully for the scanning and recovery process. Usually, you’ll need to select the drive or folder where the Excel file was located and then let the software do its job. It may take some time depending on the size of the drive and the complexity of the data recovery task.

Precautions to Avoid File Replacement in the Future

Regular Backups: Make it a habit to back up your important Excel files regularly. You can use external hard drives, cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Set a schedule for backups so that even if something goes wrong with a file, you always have a recent copy available.

Double-Check Before Saving or Replacing: When you are about to save an Excel file or perform an operation that might replace an existing file, take a moment to double-check the file name and the content. Make sure you really want to overwrite the previous version.

Use Version Control or File Naming Conventions: Implement a version control system if possible, especially in a team or project environment. For example, append a version number or date to the file name each time you make significant changes. This way, you can easily identify and revert to previous versions if needed.