Contents

Method 1. Best Way to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files
Method 2. Use Excel AutoRecover for Unsaved Files
Method 3. Check the Recycle Bin or Trash
Method 4. Recover from Cloud Storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud)
Method 5. Restore via Windows File History or Mac Time Machine
Method 6. Recover Deleted Excel Files on Mobile (iPad/iPhone/Android)
Method 7. Check Temporary Folders (Hidden Files)
FAQs

How to Recover Deleted or Unsaved Excel Files in Windows 10/11

May 26, 2026Amanda Brown

Losing a critical Excel spreadsheet—whether it’s a complex financial report, a project tracker, or a personal database—can bring your productivity to a halt. In 2026, with data stored across local drives, cloud services, and mobile devices, Excel file recovery is more flexible than ever. Whether you accidentally emptied your Trash or experienced a system crash without saving, this guide offers the most effective solutions to get your deleted Excel workbooks back.

Method 1. Best Way to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files

Losing an important Excel file can be a very overwhelming experience, whether it's due to accidental deletion, sudden system failure, or file corruption. If you're looking for a reliable and easy solution, Aiseesoft Data Recovery is one of the best tools available. It can restore lost Excel files on both Windows and Mac, and recover all common file types (including .xls and .xlsx), as well as over 1,000 additional file types. With advanced recovery algorithms and AI-powered repair features, it can also recover corrupted documents and handle more complex data recovery scenarios. Always keep in mind that once the package begins, your files remain fully private. If you deleted a file or want to know how to recover unsaved Excel file, this is a great option to help you recover your data quickly.

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Step 1.

After downloading, install our tool on your Mac or Windows computer. Once the main interface appears, you will see different file types and available hard drives.

Step 2.

Select the Document category to ensure the software prioritizes recovering Excel files. Select the hard disk where your Excel file was originally stored, then click “Scan” to begin.

Step 3. A quick scan will automatically begin searching for recently deleted Excel files

Note: If the quick scan doesn't locate your file, switch to Deep Scan for a more thorough search.

Step 4.

Under the Type List, click “Document” to browse recovered Excel files. Use the “Search” or “Filter” feature to find your file by name, extension, or modified date.

Step 5.

Choose the Excel file(s) you want to restore, review the details, and click “Recover” to save them back to your computer.

Method 2. Use Excel AutoRecover for Unsaved Files

Excel has a built-in AutoRecover function that saves temporary versions of your workbook at set intervals. If you lose your file accidentally, if your system crashes, or if you forget to save your changes, you can use this tool to recover unsaved Excel file data quickly. It offers a simple and reliable way to restore work that wasn’t manually saved, making it a helpful option when unexpected issues occur.

Step 1.

Open Excel and go to “File” > “Open” > “Recent”. Here, you might see your document listed in recent files. At the bottom of the screen, click “Recover Unsaved Workbooks”.

Recover Unsaved Workbooks Excel Autorecover

Step 2.

A window will appear showing all available unsaved Excel files. Browse the list and select the file you want to restore.

Step 3.

Click the chosen file to open it in Excel. Then save it to a secure folder to avoid losing it again.

It is recommended to enable AutoRecover for better file protection. Go to “File“ > ”Options“ > ”Save“, then ensure “Save AutoRecover information every X minutes” is turned on. You can also adjust the time interval based on how often you want Excel to save backups.

Method 3. Check the Recycle Bin or Trash

If you accidentally deleted an Excel file, the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac) is the first place to look. These folders allow you to restore recently deleted files quickly without using any recovery tool.

Steps to Recover Excel Files from the Recycle Bin or Trash:

Step 1.

On Windows, open the Recycle Bin. On a Mac, open the Trash. To locate the deleted Excel file by name or date, look through the list or use the search bar.

Step 2.

Right-click the file and choose “Restore” (Windows) or “Put Back” (Mac).

Step 3.

Go to the file’s original folder and open the restored Excel document. Review the content to ensure all data has been recovered correctly.

Restore Deleted Excel File From Recycle Bin

Method 4. Recover from Cloud Storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud)

Your Excel files might have been automatically backed up and synced if you use cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or iCloud. When a file is deleted from your device, there’s a good chance the cloud still stores a copy you can recover.

Step 1.

Log in to your cloud provider (OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud.com) using your browser or app. Then, navigate to the folder where the Excel file was originally stored.

Step 2.

Go directly to the search bar to find the deleted Excel file by name or file type. When you locate the file, select it and hit “Download”.

Step 3.

Save the recovered Excel file to a secure location on your computer.

Restore Deleted Excel File From Onedrive Backup

Method 5. Restore via Windows File History or Mac Time Machine

If you have a local backup routine enabled, you can roll back an entire folder to a previous state to recover missing spreadsheets. This is one of the most effective methods for how to recover lost Excel files on Windows and Mac, especially when accidental deletion or overwriting occurs.

Windows: Restore Files with File History

File History allows you to recover earlier versions of files and folders backed up automatically.

Step 1.

Search for "Restore your files with File History" in the taskbar search bar.

Step 2.

Open the control panel result and navigate to the folder where your Excel file was stored.

Step 3.

Use the timeline arrows to browse previous versions of the folder.

Step 4.

Select the missing spreadsheet and click "Restore" to recover it to its original location.

Retrieve Deleted Excel Files Using File History

This method is highly effective for Windows file recovery when File History is enabled beforehand.

Mac: Recover with Time Machine

Time Machine is Apple’s built-in backup tool for restoring files from previous states.

Step 1.

Connect your backup drive to your Mac.

Step 2.

Click the Time Machine icon and select "Enter Time Machine".

Step 3.

Navigate to the original folder location of the Excel file.

Step 4.

Scroll through the timeline on the right side to find an earlier version.

Step 5.

Select the file and click "Restore".

Time Machine is a reliable solution for Mac file recovery, especially for restoring deleted or overwritten spreadsheets.

Method 6. Recover Deleted Excel Files on Mobile (iPad/iPhone/Android)

If you use Excel on your phone or tablet, deleted files don’t vanish immediately. Follow these recovery steps on iOS or Android.

For iPhone or iPad (iOS)

Step 1.

Open the “Files” app on your device.

Step 2.

Tap “Recently Deleted” at the bottom of the browse menu.

Step 3.

Look for your .xlsx or .xls file.

Step 4.

Tap the file once to preview it, then tap “Recover” to send it back to its original folder.

Step 5.

If not there, open “Microsoft Excel” app > go to “Open” > “Recent” > scroll down to “Recently Deleted” (if visible).

For Android

Step 1.

Open “Google Files” or the default “My Files” app.

Step 2.

Tap “Trash” or “Bin” (sometimes under “Storage” or “Internal storage”).

Step 3.

Search for your Excel file by name or filter by “.xlsx”.

Step 4.

Tap the three dots next to the file > select “Restore” or “Recover”.

Step 5.

You can also open “Microsoft Excel” for Android > “Open” > “Recent” > “**Trash**** folder if available.

Enable “AutoSave” and “OneDrive sync” inside Excel’s settings to make future recovery easier. No backup? Try checking “On My iPad/iPhone” or “Internal storage/Downloads” folders manually.

Method 7. Check Temporary Folders (Hidden Files)

When Excel crashes or you close without saving, the program often keeps a hidden temporary copy. Here’s how to find it.

Enable “Show hidden files” Before Searching

Windows: Open “Control Panel” > “File Explorer Options” > “View” > select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”.

Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + . (dot) in any Finder window.

Find Hidden Files On Windows 10/11

Step 1.

Open “File Explorer” and paste this into the address bar:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Excel\

Step 2.

Look for files with “.tmp”, “.xar”, or “~$” at the start of the name.

Step 3.

Copy any likely file to your desktop and rename the extension to “.xlsx” or “.xls”.

Step 4.

Alternatively, paste this path: %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles

Step 5.

In the “UnsavedFiles” folder, select any file and click “Open” then “Save As”.

Discover Hidden Excel Files On Mac (macOS Ventura/Sonoma)

Step 1.

Open “Finder” → click “Go” in the top menu → “Go to Folder”

Step 2.

Type:

~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/

Step 3.

Look for files named “AutoRecovery saved of ... .xlsx”.

Step 4.

Double‑click to open in Excel, then immediately use “Save As”.

Step 5.

Also check ~/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ for any Excel‑named “.tmp” files.

FAQs

How can I recover an Excel file I accidentally deleted?

You can quickly recover an accidentally deleted Excel file by following the seven methods above. For instance, you can first open the Recycle Bin or Trash from your computer and search for the deleted Excel file. If you find it, right-click it and choose to restore the Excel file. You can also check AutoRecover for recent documents. If the deleted Excel file was stored in OneDrive, Google Drive, or another cloud service, check its recycle bin, trash, or recently deleted section to restore it. Moreover, you can choose to recover previous versions of your Excel file. Select your preferred way to find the Excel file that was deleted by mistake.

What is the best recovery software for deleted Excel files?

Many data recovery tools claim to be able to handle various data loss cases and recover deleted Excel files with ease. You can select a reputable one and start with its free trial version. Test its recovery function to determine if it can locate your deleted documents. Select the best software based on your specific recovery needs, system, and budget. As mentioned above, some popular options include Aiseesoft Data Recovery, Disk Drill, Recuva, Stellar Data Recovery, PhotoRec, and R-Studio. They support the recovery of Excel files and other document types.

How do you retrieve an unsaved Excel file?

When you need to recover an unsaved Excel file, you can open Excel on your computer and go to Recent. If there is one version of the document saved, you may see it under the Recent section. Click the Excel file to access the Document Recovery option. Please select the right one and restore it. You can also go to the File menu in Excel, click Info, and then choose Manage Workbook or Manage Versions. Click the option to select Recover Unsaved Workbooks from the dropdown menu. A dialog box on your screen displays a list of unsaved Excel files. Pick the file you want to retrieve and click the Open button. This Excel file will be opened and recovered.

Why is my deleted Excel file not in the Recycle Bin or Trash?

If you can’t find your deleted Excel file in the Recycle Bin or Trash, it may have been permanently deleted or bypassed the place. Avoid using these keyboard shortcuts like Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Delete (Mac) to delete files on your computer. That will cause a permanent deletion. If the Recycle Bin or Trash was emptied, your deleted Excel file is no longer recoverable. In some cases, if a file exceeds the Recycle Bin or Trash storage limit, it may have been permanently deleted.

Conclusion

This guide shares seven effective methods to rescue your lost data. Under most circumstances, recovering deleted Excel files is often possible with the right tools and solutions. If you are also curious about how to recover unsaved Excel file, the methods above offer several reliable options. If all the above methods fail to recover deleted Excel files, you should consider consulting a professional data recovery service. When dealing with critically essential files, it’s best to turn directly to professionals.

How to Recover Deleted or Unsaved Excel Files in Windows 10/11

Method 1. Best Way to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files

Method 2. Use Excel AutoRecover for Unsaved Files

Method 3. Check the Recycle Bin or Trash

Method 4. Recover from Cloud Storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud)