How to Retrieve Deleted Word Document From Desktop | Full Guide

Can I Recover Permanently Deleted Files From My Desktop?

Learning how to retrieve deleted Word documents from desktop is a lot more feasible than you might think, and this guide will walk you through every possible method and provide a step-by-step guide for you to recover deleted Word documents easily and quickly.

When You Delete A Word Document, Where Does It Go?

When you delete a Word document, where it goes depends entirely on how you delete it:

• If you press the Delete key: It goes to the Recycle Bin on your desktop, where it stays until you empty the bin.
• If you use Shift + Delete: It is permanently deleted. It bypasses the Recycle Bin, and the space it occupied on your hard drive is marked as available to be overwritten by new data. The file is gone from a standard view but may be recoverable with special software until that space is used again.
• If you delete it from a USB drive, an external device, or a network location: It is almost always permanently deleted and does not go to your computer's Recycle Bin.

How to Retrieve Deleted Word Documents from Desktop?

How to find lost Word documents on a computer? You can try the following ways to find:

Way 1. Check the Recycle Bin

This is the place you should check: the Recycle Bin.

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop to open it.

2. Inside, you can sort files by name, deletion date, or original location. Scroll through or use the search bar in the top-right corner to look for your document’s name.

3. Right-click on the file and select "Restore" if you find it. Then the file goes back to its original desktop folder.

If you can't find them, try the following solutions.

Way 2. Check Files in OneDrive

Many Windows users have enabled the OneDrive backup option by default. If you have saved the files to OneDrive, you can check them on OneDrive, then download the Word documents if necessary. This is the easiest way to recover deleted Word documents on any Windows 11 or 10 PC.

Way 3. Restore Documents by File History

File History must have been set up and turned on before the file was deleted. It is not enabled by default. If you never set this up, this method will not work; try data recovery software instead.

Here is a step-by-step guide to restoring a Word document using Windows File History.

1. Plug the external hard drive or USB drive you used for your File History backups into your computer. If you used a network location, please make sure you are connected to it.

2. Open the Windows Start Menu and type "Restore your files with File History", and select it from the list.

3. Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate to the folder that contained your deleted Word document. Click on the Desktop folder to open it.

4. Find your missing Word document and preview it, and ensure it's the correct version before restoring it.

5. Select the Word document, and click the green "Restore" button at the bottom center of the window.

Way 4. Windows File Recovery

To recover a deleted Word document from your desktop using Windows File Recovery:

1. Install: Download "Windows File Recovery" from the Microsoft Store.

2. Launch: Open the tool from the Start Menu (a command prompt window will appear).

3. Run Command: Type a command based on what you know:

Specific File: winfr C: G: /regular /n \Users\[YourUserName]\Desktop\YourFile.docx

All Word Files: winfr C: G: /regular /n \Users\[YourUserName]\Desktop\*.docx

• Replace [YourUserName] with your actual username. Ensure G: is a different drive.

4. Confirm: Type y to start the scan. This will take time.

5. Find Files: Check the new Recovery_[date] folder on your G: drive for your files. They may have new names.

Way 5. Retrieve Deleted Word Documents from the Desktop via MyRecover

How to recover deleted Word documents in Windows 11 and 10 computers? How to recover deleted Word documents not in the recycle bin? Here comes the best way to recover missing files from the Desktop, MyRecover. MyRecover is an exclusive data recovery software that allows you to do the following things:

Recover files from any complex situation. You can recover files from a formatted hard drive, a virus-attacked computer, an emptied recycle bin, a RAW partition, etc.

Highest recovery rate. The highest recovery rate in the market, up to 99%, which allows you to recover files easily.

500+ devices. You can recover files from SD card, USB flash drive, external hard drive, local disk, HDD, SSD, media player, PS4/5, camera devices, etc.

Unlimited data. If you lost a large number of files, MyRecover is able to help.

Easy preview. You can preview the files before recovery to ensure they’re intact after recovery.

Thus, how to retrieve deleted Word documents from the desktop with MyRecover? Check the full guide:

1. Please download MyRecover and install it, then launch it. Please do not install it on the drive you’re trying to recover from.

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2. Tap Deleted Files Recovery, hit Scan on the drive while pointing to the primary drive (typically C:).

3. Wait for the scan to complete, and hit OK.

4. Select the Word documents, and hit Recover.

5. Choose a location to save these recovered Word documents right now.

Tips:✎...

You can also recover files from an unbootable computer easily after creating a Windows 11 bootable USB.

If you would like to recover files from unlimited computers, MyRecover Technician is your best choice.

Thus, you retrieve deleted Word documents from the destination location and manage them easily.

MyRecover  

• Recover Deleted Files Easily with Simple Clicks   
• 1000+ File Formats Supported   
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How to Recover Unsaved Word Documents in Windows 11/10?

How to find lost Word documents on a computer if they're unsaved? Here are the best solutions with a step-by-step guide for recovering an unsaved Word document in Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Method 1: Use Built-In "Recover Unsaved Documents" Feature (Most Common)

This is the first and most effective place to look. Word automatically saves drafts of unsaved documents.

1. Open Microsoft Word, click on File in the top-left corner.

2. Select Open from the left-hand menu.

4. Click on the Recover Unsaved Documents button at the very bottom of the screen.

5. This will open a File Explorer window pointing to Word's hidden folder for unsaved drafts.

6. Browse the files. They will have cryptic names, but you can sort by "Date modified" to find the most recent one or open them to check.

7. Double-click the correct file to open it in Word.

8. IMPORTANT: Immediately click File > Save As and permanently save the document to a location of your choice.

Method 2: Search for AutoRecover Files Manually

If the above doesn't work, you can manually go to the folder where Word stores its automatic backups.

1. In Word, go to File > Options > Save.

2. Copy the path listed in the "AutoRecover file location" box.

3. Open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar at the top. Press Enter.

4. This will take you to a folder containing automatically saved files. Look for files with the .asd extension or Word documents (.docx) that match your time frame.

5. Open any likely files. If you find the right one, save it immediately via File > Save As.

Method 3: Check Windows Temp Files

Windows creates temporary files while you work. Sometimes your lost data can be found in the temp folder.

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type %temp% and press Enter.

3. This will open your Temp folder. The files here have random names.

4. To find Word files easily, click in the search bar in the top-right corner of the window and type .asd or .docx or even part of your document's name.

5. Sort by "Date modified" to see the most recent files first.

6. Open any promising files. If you find your document, use File > Save As to save it permanently.

Best Practices to Prevent Future Data Loss

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. Making a few simple habits second nature can save you from this headache down the road.

Configuring Automatic Backups in Windows

• Enable File History (as mentioned earlier) to regularly back up your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and other key folders to an external drive.
• For a more comprehensive solution, use a cloud service like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. These services usually keep track of past versions of files, so you can go back and change something about a file. They also sync automatically, so your files are stored in multiple places.

Good File Management Habits for Your Desktop

• Try to avoid using your desktop as a dumping ground for important files.
• Instead, create a logical folder structure within your Documents library.
• Get into the habit of hitting Ctrl + S compulsively every few minutes while working.

FAQs About Retrieving Deleted Word Documents

Can I recover a Word document I deleted a long time ago?

A: Maybe, but it's less likely over time. When deleted, a file's space becomes available for new data. Heavy computer use since deletion lowers the chance of recovery. If the drive was rarely used, recovery software might still find it. It's worth a try, but don't get your hopes up.

Why would a deleted file not be in the Recycle Bin?

A: The most common reason is using Shift + Delete, which skips the Recycle Bin. Files deleted from USB drives or network locations also usually bypass it. If the Recycle Bin is full, older files are automatically removed to make space. Rarely, the Recycle Bin itself could be corrupted.

Can I recover a Word document if my computer crashed and I never saved it?

A: Yes, very likely! Word's AutoRecover feature automatically saves temporary backups. When you reopen Word after a crash, look for the "Document Recovery" pane. You can also go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents to search for it.

I saved a Word document and can't find it. What should I do?

Use the Windows search bar—type the document's name or part of it. Use the search filters to narrow results by date or file type. You might have accidentally saved it to a different folder, like "Documents" or "Downloads".