How to Recover Files after Unexpected Shutdown (3 Ways)

The Issues: Recover Files after Unexpected Shutdown

Do you experience unexpected shutdown, but don’t save files, such as Word documents, Excel, PDF, DXG, etc., from the program you are working on? Sometimes you might find data loss after computer restart. It doesn’t matter as we’ll show you how to solve it easily and quickly.

You can attempt using the AutoSave feature, data recovery software, and Recycle Bin to recover files after unexpected shutdown.

How to Recover Files after Unexpected Shutdown

Recovering unsaved files like Word, Excel, PDF, DXG, etc., as well as lost data after unexpected shutdown are the two issues users care about most, and you can solve them easily and quickly by the provided methods.

Way 1: Recover Unsaved Files using the AutoSave feature

If there are any unsaved files, it will be triggered in these programs to search for files and display them in the next time you open it. You just need to open and save it as usual. If not, you need to open these programs and recover files after unexpected shutdown manually.

1️⃣For Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint:

Step 1. Open the program you were using before unexpected shutdown.

Step 2. Go to File > Open >Recent > Documents and select Recover Unsaved Documents.

Step 3. In the UnsavedFiles window, select the Word documents you want to recover and click Open. Note the AutoRecover files use the .asd extension.

Step 4. Check the file and select a new location to save your Word document.

2️⃣For PDF files:

Step 1. Go to the AutoSave path in the following.

• "C:\Users\%UserName%\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\1X.0\AutoSave\"
• “C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC”
• “C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\Adobe\Reader\11.0”

Step 2. Find files with the same name but in a different extension.

Step 3. Rename the extension to .pdf and open the file in Adobe.

3️⃣For AutoCAD files:

By default, the autosave files in AutoCAD is in the Temp folder and automatically save the changes every 10 minutes.

Step 1. Type %tmp% in the Start menu to open the Autosave folder.

Step 2. Find files with the same name and extension as SV$.

Step 3. Change the extension to .dwg and open the file in AutoCAD.

Way 2: Recover Lost Files using Data Recovery Software

If you find some files are missing after computer restarts, using powerful data recovery software to retrieve data will be the best method.

MyRecover, categorized into different zones based on scenarios and designed to reduce scanning time for fast recovery, will be a good choice. It also features a user-friendly interface, more flexible recovery options, and more.

Now, click the download button to get started.

Step 1. Scan the Drive with Data Loss

Launch this Windows data recovery software - MyRecover. By default, it will display the Deleted File Recovery window. Hover the mouse over the drive or partition containing lost files and click Scan. You can also select other options to recover lost data after unexpected shutdown.

Step 2. Search for Lost Data

MyRecover can automatically scan the selected drive to find deleted or lost files. You can use search & filter features to locate them quickly without waiting for the final result:

Step 3. Recover Lost Data after Unexpected Shut

Once found, double-click them to preview and select the desired files by ticking the checkboxes or leaving the unwanted files blank. Then, click the Recover button and select a new location to save the recovered files.

Way 3: Recover Lost Files from Recycle Bin

Sometimes, the files may be in the Recycle Bin instead of lost after unexpected shutdown. So if you can’t find files in the original location, it’s always worth checking the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin folder.

Step 2. Find the files you want to recover, right-click them, and select Restore. The files will be restored to the original location.

How to Prevent Unexpected Shutdown and Data Loss

Yeah, many reasons for unexpected shutdowns and data loss, whether unsaved or lost, are something you don't want. Well you can do some things for effective prevention:

Conclusion

This article describes 3 effective methods and guide you on how to recover files after unexpected shutdown step by step. The AutoSave feature does a major work in recovering unsaved Word, Excel, PDF, etc., while powerful data recovery software MyRecover can recover lost or missing data after unexpected shutdown.

Please be sure the AutoSave feature is activated to reduce data loss. In addition, creating backup copies can do more than just save changes; it can also backup all data at once instead of individual files. You can even set a daily, weekly, or monthly backup schedule.