How to Retrieve a Permanently Deleted Excel File on Windows 10, Mac, iPhone, and Android

When you delete Excel files from your computer and empty the Recycling Bin or Trash Bin, they vanish from your computer's view. However, the Excel content is not immediately erased. Windows or Mac simply marks the Excel files for deletion and removes them from the file system database upon deletion. This does not signify permanent loss, and you still have an opportunity to recover deleted Excel files.

This tutorial provides step-by-step guidance on efficiently recovering deleted Excel files on Windows 10, Mac, iPhones, and Android devices. Additionally, it teaches how to swiftly retrieve unsaved Excel files.

Part 1. How to Recover a Deleted Excel File Not in the Recycling Bin on Windows 10

Important: After deleting an Excel file, it's crucial not to perform any further actions on your computer and avoid saving new data to the location where the Excel files were stored, as this can prevent new data from overwriting the deleted file. To recover the deleted Excel files, follow the instructions below.

1. Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files with Data Recovery Software

When you delete Excel files from your PC, you should first attempt to restore them from the Recycle Bin. Alternatively, you can immediately undo the deletion by using the Ctrl+Z keys. However, if you perform a permanent deletion or empty the Recycle Bin without backups, the most effective way to recover deleted files in Windows 10 is by using a professional data recovery tool.

Data Recovery Wizard Pro is a powerful disk data recovery software that can restore deleted files, even if you've emptied the Recycle Bin or formatted the drive.

Simple steps for recovering a deleted Excel file using file recovery software: 1. Choose a reliable File Recovery Tool: First, select a reputable and trustworthy file recovery software such as tools Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery. 2. Download and Install: Download the chosen software on your computer and install it following the on-screen instructions. 3. Launch the Software: Open the file recovery program after installation is complete. 4. Select the Location: In the software interface, choose the drive or location where the Excel file was originally saved before deletion. If you're unsure, select the entire hard disk. 5. Scan the Drive: Click on the "Scan" or "Start Scan" button to initiate the scanning process. The software will search for deleted files, including Excel sheets. 6. Preview Files: Once the scan is finished, the software will display a list of recoverable files. Look for your Excel file by using the search bar, filtering options, or browsing through the listed files. 7. Check the File: Preview the recovered Excel file to ensure it's the correct one and that its content is intact. Some software may offer this feature. 8. Recover the File: Select the desired Excel file and click on "Recover" or "Save." Choose a safe location on your computer to save the restored file, ideally a different folder from where it was originally deleted. 9. Verify the Recovery: After the recovery process is complete, open the restored Excel file to confirm that it has been successfully recovered and is functioning properly. Remember, prevention is key. Regularly back up important files to avoid losing data in the future.

Step 1. Choose the location and click "Scan"

Select the drive or a specific folder on your Desktop or any other location where you lost the Excel files, and click the "Scan" button.

Step 2. Locate your Excel files

To swiftly locate Excel files from the scan results, click the "Documents" option in the left panel. Proceed by selecting "Excel," and then click "Preview" to verify if the Excel files are the desired ones.

Step 3. Recover Excel Files

Lastly, choose the desired Excel files and click the "Recover" button. Next, select a folder to save the recovered Excel files to a different location.

2. Recover Deleted Excel Without Software from Previous Versions

If you prefer not to use a third-party program, here's a way to restore deleted Excel files without software by leveraging previous backup versions. This method will work only if the Windows Backup feature is activated.

Step 1. Locate the folder where the file previously existed. Right-click on it and select "Properties."

Step 2. Click on the "Previous Version" tab to display a list of all the previously saved versions of the Excel file.

Step 3. Select the appropriate version and click "Restore" to recover the document.

Bonus Tips: Recover Unsaved Excel in Windows 10/8/7

If you accidentally forget to save your Excel file and end up losing it, you can follow the solution below to recover unsaved Excel files in Windows 10/8/7.

Step 1. Open a new Excel file. Click "File" > "Info" > "Manage Workbook."

Step 2. Select "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" from the menu. In the pop-up window, choose the unsaved Excel workbook and then click "Open" to load the file.

Step 3. Click the "Save As" button on the yellow bar to recover the unsaved worksheet.

Don't miss: The complete guide to recovered unsaved Excel files 2016/2013/2010/2007

Part 2. How to Effortlessly Recover Deleted Excel Files on Mac

How to recover deleted Excel files on Mac? If you haven't emptied the Trash, you can easily retrieve deleted files on your Mac from the Trash bin. However, if your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files have been permanently lost due to accidental deletion, disk formatting, virus attacks, or partition loss, you can utilize a tool like tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover your files. Check out its notable features below:

• Retrieve lost photos, videos, documents, and emails, etc. in just three steps.
• Supports recovery on Mac-based hard drives, fusion drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, digital cameras, and more.
• Covers over 1000 file types for data recovery, including DOC/XLS, XLSX/PPT/PPTX, JPG/JPEG, TIFF/TIF, PNG, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, etc.

Note: You can first create a backup by clicking "Disk Backup" on the left. The software will recover the document from the backup image, which helps prevent further damage to your disk and data, making the process safer and more reliable.

Step 1. Search for missing documents

Choose the location where your crucial Word/Excel/PPT/Numbers/Pages documents went missing and click on "Search for lost files."

Step 2. Recover Lost Documents on Mac

Upon launching the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, it will promptly initiate a scan on the chosen disk volume. Concurrently, the scanning outcomes will be displayed in the left pane. By selecting "Documents," you can swiftly filter and locate the lost DOC/PDF/PPT/XLS files.

Step 3. Recover Lost/Deleted Documents

Select the target files and preview them by double-clicking. Then, click "Recover" to retrieve lost documents immediately.

See More: Restore Unsaved Excel File on Mac from AutoSave

AutoSave automatically preserves a newly created Excel document that hasn't been saved yet. On the other hand, AutoRecover aids users in recovering unsaved Excel files on a Mac. When both features are activated, you can recover unsaved documents in Excel 2010-2016 on your Mac.

Step 1. Go to "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Terminal".

Enter the command "defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true" in the Terminal and press "Return" to display all files.

Step 2. Click "Finder" and then press "Return" on your Mac.

Type /Users/username/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery and click "Go" to access the Excel AutoRecovery folder.

Step 3. Locate the unsaved Excel files. Then recover them to another secure location on your Mac.

Also read: How to recover unsaved Word document on Mac

Part 3. How to Recover Deleted Files on iPhone/iPad

If you accidentally deleted a file that you need from your iPhone or iPad, is there a possibility to retrieve the lost file? You can utilize tools like iPhone Data Recovery Software to recover deleted photos, videos, messages, and various other files from your iOS devices.

Step 1. Select the Recovery Mode

Connect your iPhone to the PC and launch the MobiSaver tool. Choose the recovery mode - "Recover from iOS Device" on the left side of the interface, and then click "Start".

Step 2. Scan iPhone and Recover Lost Data

MobiSaver will automatically scan your iPhone 13/12/11/X/XR/XS/8/7/6/5/4 and find both existing and even some lost data for you.

Step 3. Preview and Restore iPhone Data

You can select the lost data, such as photos, videos, contacts, SMS, notes, voice mails, or other files from your iPhone 13/12/11/X/XR/XS/8/7/6/5/4. Then, click "Recover" to save those data to another location.

Part 4. How to Recover Deleted Excel Files on Android

For users who need to recover deleted Excel files or other documents on Android devices, you can resort to professional Android Data Recovery software - MobiSaver for Android for assistance.

To recover data using this method, you'll need to root your phone before proceeding with the process.

Step 1. Connect your Android phone to the computer. Install and run the MobilSaver for Android tool.

Step 2. Scan your Android phone to find deleted Excel files.

Step 3. Preview and recover deleted Excel files from the Android phone.

Wrap Things Up 的英文翻译为 "把事情收尾" 或者 "总结一下"。

Upon completing this guide, you should now be aware of how to recover deleted Excel files in various scenarios and on different devices. Additionally, if you forget to save your Excel files, you can utilize the methods mentioned above to retrieve unsaved Excel files. By the way, make it a habit to regularly back up your Excel files so that you can easily restore them, even in the face of a system crash or permanent deletion of the files.

"Tools Data Recovery Tool for Windows and Mac provides the most comprehensive solutions to retrieve deleted or lost files resulting from accidental deletion, hard drive formatting, emptying the Recycling Bin, operating system crashes, or virus attacks. Download this software for free to easily recover and protect your data."

"Recovering Deleted Excel File Frequently Asked Questions"

Continue reading the last section for more details on recovering deleted Excel files:

1. How to recover unsaved Excel files on Windows? To recover unsaved Excel files on Windows, follow these steps: 1. **Using AutoRecover feature:** - Open Microsoft Excel. - Go to the "File" tab and select "Info." - Click on "Manage Versions" and then choose "Recover Unsaved Workbooks." - A new window will open showing a list of unsaved Excel files. Select the one you need and click "Open." 2. **Through Temporary Files:** - Close Excel if it's open. - Press `Win + E` to open File Explorer. - In the address bar, type `%temp%` and press Enter. - Look for files with the extension `.xl??` (e.g., `.xltx`, `.xlsb`) which were created around the time you were working on your Excel file. - Copy the files to a safe location and rename them with the `.xlsx` extension. - Open the copied file in Excel. 3. **Third-party recovery tools:** - You can also use third-party software designed for data recovery, such as tools Data Recovery Wizard or Recuva. These tools scan your system for deleted or unsaved files and allow you to recover them. Remember that the chances of successful recovery depend on whether the file was autosaved by Excel or not, and whether the data hasn't been overwritten by new files since the loss.

If you're wondering how to recover unsaved Excel files, you can utilize the Excel Recent option to restore the Excel documents.

1. Create a new Excel sheet or open an existing Excel document on your computer. 2. Click on the "File" tab and select the "Open" option within the Excel window. 3. Click on the "Recent" option, which is represented by a clock icon. 4. At the bottom, you will find the "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" option.

2. Is it possible to recover permanently deleted Excel files?

You can only restore deleted Excel files if they haven't been overwritten by new data. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid using the hard drive after data loss occurs. The fastest method to recover deleted Excel files is by using a tool like Data Recovery Wizard. This allows you to scan, filter, preview, and restore all lost Excel files efficiently.

3. How can I recover a deleted Excel file without using software?

When you accidentally delete some important Excel files, your first step should be to check the Recycling Bin. In many cases, you'll find the desired Excel files there. Right-click on the targeted Excel file and select "Restore" to place it back in its original location.

4. Where are Excel recovery files stored on Windows? Excel recovery files, also known as AutoRecover files, are typically stored in the following location on Windows: ``` C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles ``` Please replace `` with your actual user account name. These files are automatically saved by Microsoft Excel at regular intervals to help recover your work in case of a sudden shutdown or crash. Additionally, if you have manually saved a recovery file, it might be located in the same folder as the original file or in a custom location that you specified.

If Excel crashes and you lose important files, you can still retrieve them by recovering unsaved workbooks. Alternatively, you can navigate to the unsaved files folder C:\Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles.