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Free Image Format ConversionI can't find an Excel file on my computer. It might have been deleted during a recent restart. I've checked the Recently Used folder and the Recycling Bin, but it's not there. – Microsoft Community
Microsoft Excel files usually create spreadsheets that can automatically calculate numbers and statistics. They're great for organizing data for personal or work-related projects. You might lose an Excel file if you accidentally delete it or if the program crashes without saving your work. **How do I recover a deleted Excel file on Windows 10/11?** You can easily restore Excel files from backups on external hard drives or OneDrive.
Most users don't have the habit of backing up their Excel files, and data loss can happen all of a sudden. Don't worry! We'll provide you with four tested methods:
| Recovery Method | Editor's Rating |
| Using professional recovery tools, you can locate an Excel file that is no longer in the recycle bin. Additionally, these programs can recover other types of files as well. | |
| When you accidentally delete an Excel file on Windows, it is immediately moved to the Recycle Bin. | |
| MS Excel creates temporary files to help users recover unsaved Excel sheets. You can restore important Excel data from these temporary files. | |
| If all methods fail and your deleted Excel file is crucial, you can seek assistance from professional data recovery engineers. |
Method 1: Recover a Deleted Excel File in Windows with Data Recovery Software
Most users who need to recover deleted Excel files usually don't have backup copies and can't find anything in the Recycle Bin. Therefore, using a data recovery tool is the best solution.
How to find a reliable recovery tool? Data Recovery Wizard should be your first choice. This tool is 100% safe and its user-friendly interface makes it easy to use. Download it now!
After clicking the Download button, wait for the package to finish preparing. Double-click the .exe file to launch the installation tool and recover your files.
This software can help you locate lost Excel files, Word documents, PDFs, and even Adobe files from multiple devices, and it can even recover unsaved Excel files. Follow the step-by-step guide below to learn how to recover deleted Excel files in Windows 11 or 10.
Step 1. Launch the Excel recovery tool on your Windows 10 or 11. In the "PC Recovery" tab, choose the folder where your Excel file was saved. If you're unsure about the location, you can scan the entire disk to recover deleted files in Windows 11/10.
Step 2: Change “Path” to “Type,” and then select “Documents.” You'll see a lot of folders; choose the xlsx or xls folder to restore xlsx files.
Select Documents.
Step 3: Find the Excel file you want in the list and click on the “Preview” button to view the details.
Step 4. Preview the Excel sheets one by one using the arrows. Select the Excel file you want to recover and choose a new location to save it.
If you found this extensive tutorial useful, please share it on social media to let more readers know!
Method 2: Recover Deleted Excel Worksheets from the Recycling Bin If you accidentally delete an Excel worksheet, it might be moved to your computer's Recycling Bin. You can try to recover it from there: 1. **Open the Recycling Bin**: Click the "Start" button in the bottom-left corner of your desktop, then select "Recycling Bin." 2. **Search for the Excel File**: In the Recycling Bin window, use the search bar at the top to enter the file name or related keywords to locate the deleted worksheet. 3. **Restore the File**: Once you find the Excel file, right-click on it and choose "Restore." This will put the file back in its original location. Open the file to check if the worksheet is still there. Please note that if the file is not found in the Recycling Bin, it may have been permanently deleted. In this case, proceed with Method 3.
When you delete an Excel worksheet, does it go to the Recycle Bin? It depends. If you delete an Excel file from an external hard drive, SD card, or USB flash drive, it won't appear in the Recycle Bin. To recover a deleted file from an external hard drive, you'll need to rely on a backup or recovery software. The Recycle Bin only holds files you've deleted from your local disk.
Learn how to recover deleted Excel files from the Windows Recycle Bin. This guide will use Windows 11 as an example.
Step 1. Access and open the Recycle Bin to perform a Recycle Bin recovery in Windows.
Right-click to open the Recycle Bin tool 
Step 2: Your recently deleted files will be listed here. Select the Excel file you want to recover, then right-click on it. Choose “Restore,” and the Excel worksheet will go back to where it was.
Note: If you need to recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin, you might want to go back to Method 1.
Method 3: Recover Deleted Excel File from Temp Folder
Since Microsoft introduced the AutoRecover option, it's easier to restore unsaved Excel files from temporary ones. You can check if there are any remaining useful Excel files at the Excel temporary file location: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel. Alternatively, you can recover deleted Excel files from the Temp folder as shown in this tutorial.
Run the Microsoft Excel program, or open an xlsx file to launch the Excel application.
Step 2: Choose File > Open > Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
A temporary Excel folder will appear, and you can double-click the Excel file inside to see the details.
The same method will work to recover an unsaved PowerPoint or Word file.
Method 4: Recover a Deleted Excel File on Windows with Data Recovery Services If you accidentally deleted an Excel file and can't find it in the Recycle Bin or have emptied it, you can try using professional data recovery services to retrieve the file. Here's a general process: 1. **Select a Data Recovery Tool**: There are numerous reliable data recovery tools available, such as tools Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Stellar Data Recovery. Make sure to choose one that is reputable and compatible with your system. 2. **Download and Install**: Visit the official website of the chosen software, download it, and install it on your Windows computer. 3. **Run the Software**: Open the data recovery program, and you'll typically see a main interface offering scanning options. 4. **Choose the Scan Location**: Select the location where the file was originally stored, such as the C drive, D drive, or a specific hard disk partition. 5. **Deep Scan**: Initiate a thorough scan of the selected location. This may take some time, especially for large hard drives. 6. **Preview and Recover**: Once the scan is complete, the software will display recoverable files. You can preview certain file types, including Excel workbooks, to confirm if it's the file you're looking for. Then, select the file you want to recover and click the "Recover" button to save it to a secure location. Please note that data recovery isn't always 100% successful, especially when the file has been overwritten or the hard drive has physical damage. Therefore, it's best to regularly back up important files to prevent data loss.
This is your last resort, to be tried only when all else fails – and you may have seen them advertised: data-recovery labs, which specialize in repairing damaged hard drives without losing the information they contain.
If there isn't a suitable data recovery center nearby, you can reach out to our Data Recovery Service for assistance. Our engineers are available around the clock to help with data loss and hard drive issues. Click on the following link to start a chat with us.
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Consult with our Data Recovery Specialist for personalized manual recovery services. After a free diagnosis, we offer the following services:
- Repair of damaged RAID structures, unbootable Windows OS, and corrupted virtual disk files
- Recovery/repartition of lost partitions and reformatted drives
- Unformat hard drives and repair original drives (including BitLocker encrypted drives)
- Fix disks turned into GPT protected partitions
The bottom line?
Remember to set your Recycle Bin to keep files for 30 days so you can easily restore deleted data from the trash. If you don't have a backup and the file isn't in the Recycle Bin, download the tool Data Recovery Wizard to recover lost Excel files on Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions about Recovering Deleted Excel Files in Windows
Here are some frequently asked questions, and you'll find more information in the answers below:
1. Can I recover permanently deleted Excel files in Windows 10?
Essentially, you can't recover a permanently deleted Excel file in Windows 10. However, you won't know if the data has actually been overwritten. If it has, your only option is to restore the file from a recent backup.
2. What is the best Excel recovery software?
We recommend using Data Recovery Wizard, a tool compatible with both Windows and macOS. Upon the first launch, it provides a wizard to guide you through the necessary steps. It's a completely secure and user-friendly data recovery solution.
How do I recover an accidentally deleted Excel file?
The best way to recover an accidentally deleted Excel file is by checking the Recycling Bin. Windows keeps files in the Recycling Bin folder for up to 30 days, so you can look for the file there after deleting it. In most cases, you'll find the deleted file there.