Recover unsaved word document mac terminal​

Accidentally losing an unsaved Word document can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re working on an important project. For Mac users, this is a common problem. Whether it’s due to a power failure, an app crash, or closing the document without saving, the loss of your hard work can feel devastating.

Part 1: Word’s AutoSave Feature

Microsoft Word for Mac has a built-in AutoSave and AutoRecover feature, which is a lifesaver in situations where you might lose your unsaved work. Here’s how it works:

AutoSave: This feature automatically saves your document every few minutes, ensuring that your work is backed up in case of unexpected application crashes.

AutoRecover: AutoRecover is another safety net. It stores temporary copies of documents you’re working on, even if you forget to manually save the file.

Both features are enabled by default, and they play a significant role in helping you recover unsaved documents. However, if the application crashes or the system unexpectedly shuts down, these auto-saved or recovered versions can sometimes be found in specific folders within your system.

While Word usually recovers documents automatically, knowing how to manually access these recovery files through the macOS Terminal can give you more control over your document recovery process.

Part 2: Locating AutoRecover Files on macOS

macOS saves temporary and auto-recovered Word files in hidden folders on your system. If you lose an unsaved document, the first step is to check these folders for auto-recovery files.

Step 1: Open Terminal

Press Command + Space to open Spotlight.

Type “Terminal” and press Enter.

Step 2: Navigate to the AutoRecover Folder

In the Terminal window, you will use a command to navigate to the AutoRecover folder, which stores temporary files of unsaved Word documents.

Type the following command to navigate to the folder where Word typically stores its AutoRecover files:

bash

cd ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/

Press Enter.

This folder contains AutoRecover files created by Word. If your document was auto-saved or recovered after a crash, you may find it here.

Step 3: List Available Files

To check if any auto-recovery files are available, list the contents of the folder by typing:

bash

ls -al

This command will display all the files in the folder, including any unsaved Word documents that may have been saved temporarily.

Step 4: Recover Your Document

If you see a file that matches your unsaved Word document, you can copy it to a more accessible location by typing the following command:

bash

cp filename ~/Desktop/

Replace “filename” with the actual name of the file you found in the AutoRecover folder.

Once the file has been copied to your Desktop, open it in Microsoft Word to see if it contains the unsaved content you’re looking for.

Part 3: Checking the Temporary Folder for Unsaved Documents

Sometimes, Word’s AutoSave feature might save documents in a different location, such as the temporary files folder. Here’s how you can check for such files:

Step 1: Navigate to the Temporary Files Folder

In Terminal, use the following command to navigate to the temporary files directory:

bash

cd /private/var/folders

From here, you need to look for a folder with a randomly generated name, which could contain your Word files.

You can list all subfolders by typing:

bash

ls -al

Step 2: Search for Word Files

If you want to look specifically for Word files in the temporary folder, you can search the folder by typing:

bash

find . -name “*.docx”

This command will search for any Word document files (with the .docx extension) within the current directory and its subdirectories.

Step 3: Recover the Document

If you find a Word document that seems like it could be the unsaved file, copy it to your Desktop with the following command:

bash

cp filename ~/Desktop/

Replace “filename” with the name of the document you found. After copying it to your Desktop, try opening the file in Word.

Part 4: Checking Microsoft Word’s “Recent Documents” List

If your document isn’t in the AutoRecover or temporary folders, it’s worth checking Word’s Recent Documents list to see if it’s still accessible.

Step 1: Open Word

Open Microsoft Word on your Mac.

Step 2: View Recent Documents

Go to the File menu.

Select Open Recent from the dropdown.

If your unsaved document appears in the list, simply click on it to open it. In many cases, Word will have automatically saved a version of the document that is available here.

Part 5: Using Time Machine to Recover Unsaved Documents

If you’re using Time Machine, the automatic backup system on macOS, you can restore a previous version of your document. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open Time Machine

Connect your Time Machine drive (if not already connected).

Click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Enter Time Machine.

Step 2: Navigate to the Word File Location

Once inside Time Machine, navigate to the folder where your Word file was originally located. If you’re unsure, you can use Finder to search for it.

Scroll through previous backups to find the last version of the file before it was lost.

Step 3: Restore the File

Once you’ve found the correct version of the document, select it.

Click Restore to bring it back to your original location.

If Time Machine has a backup of your Word document, this method can be one of the most effective ways to recover it.

Part 6: Third-Party Data Recovery Tools

Panda Data Recovery is a powerful tool designed to help users recover lost or deleted files, including unsaved Word documents. While Panda Data Recovery doesn’t directly recover unsaved documents from Microsoft Word’s AutoSave or AutoRecover features, it can help you retrieve files that were accidentally deleted or lost due to system crashes, software errors, or other unexpected issues.

To recover an unsaved Word document with Panda Data Recovery, follow these steps:

Install Panda Data Recovery: Download and install Panda Data Recovery on your Mac or PC.

Select the Drive: Open the application and select the drive where your unsaved document might have been located. This could be your primary hard drive or any external storage device you were working from.

Scan the Drive: Start a deep scan of the selected drive to search for lost files. Panda Data Recovery will scan the drive sector by sector, looking for any recoverable data, including Word files.

Filter Results: Once the scan is complete, filter the results to search specifically for Word documents. Panda Data Recovery will show you a list of recoverable files.

Recover the Document: Look for your unsaved Word document, select it, and click Recover to restore it to a safe location.

Part 7: Preventing Future Document Loss

While recovering unsaved Word documents can be done through various methods, it’s always best to be proactive and take steps to avoid data loss in the future. Here are a few tips:

Enable AutoSave and AutoRecover – Ensure these features are turned on in Word’s settings.

Use Cloud Storage – Save your documents on cloud services like OneDrive or iCloud. These services automatically save versions of your document, making it easier to recover them if something goes wrong.

Back Up Regularly with Time Machine – Set up Time Machine to back up your Mac regularly, ensuring that you have access to previous versions of your documents.

Save Your Work Frequently – Even with AutoSave, it’s a good habit to manually save your work every few minutes.