How to find a previous version of a word document

When editing content with Microsoft Word, people are prone to meet unexpected errors and accidents even if they are prudent. Word document deletion, overwriting, crash before saving, etc.

Many users are bothered by the question of how to recover unsaved Word documents. In addition, file deletion and modification regrets are also common.

Some of them are in need of methods to find previous version of Word documents to discard the newly-modified contents.

       

       

Retrieve previous version of documents

       

I accidentally hit "save" instead of "save as" and need the earlier version of this document. Is there any way I can do that?

       

- Question from Wordbanter

   

If one wants to revert Word document to previous version, what to do?

How to find previous version of Word documents?

This section offers 2 feasible methods to recover previous version of Word document. If the old version of Word file was deleted already, please head over to the next part.

Solution 1. Restore previous version of Word document via Manage Documents

Microsoft Word offers an in-built feature to help users manage their file versions. With AutoSave enabled, it automatically stores the doc every 10 minutes by default.

Notes:✎...This method is pretty limited, only working when you have not closed the window yet. If you have clicked “Save” and closed the file, the versions folder would be empty.

Step 1. Click File > Info > Versions > choose a version you like.

Step 2. Click Compare to decide which version to keep. Or click Restore to get your wanted content back.

If you have closed the windows already, check the next solution.

Solution 2. Revert Word document to earlier date via Previous Versions

The Previous Versions feature would be of help as well. Users could restore previous version of file to get the saved over content back; also, it can help users revert a folder to its earlier status to recover deleted files.

Step 1. Click File Explorer > find and right-click the target Word document> Properties.

Step 2. Choose the latest or needed version > Restore.

Find previous version of Word document after deletion

The 2 methods above are to help you recover previous version of Word document when the doc is still available. If you have already removed the older version, how to recover previous version of Word document quickly?

To recover deleted Word files quickly and easily, using an efficient Windows data recovery tool will be a great idea due to its efficiency and convenience.

Among many eligible apps, MyRecover is your best choice since it is competent, convenient, comprehensive, and compatible.

Restore deleted and lost Word documents easier
  • Competent: designed and supported by a sophisticated team with over 10 years of experience.
  • Convenient: recover deleted and lost data in 3 steps and within several minutes.
  • Comprehensive: restore 200+ types of data, applying to comprehensive data loss situations from deletion, disk formatting, system crash, viruses, etc.
  • Compatible: support Windows 11/10/8/7/Server, and NTFS/exFAT/FAT32/ReFS, etc.

Follow the instruction to restore previous version of Word document after a deletion with ease.

Step 1. Run the software > select the source disk where the Word doc was saved > Start Scan.

Step 2. During the process, you could search the wanted Word doc by Type, Date modified, etc.

Step 3. Go and select the Word files you need > click Recover x files. 

This powerful tool could help restore deleted WordPad files as well.

To find previous version of Word document, check the tutorial in this post. The Manage Versions feature and the previous versions could help you. To make it easier, choose a reliable data rescue tool.

More related info is prepared in case you need it.

Why are there no previous versions of my Word document?

If you see the notice said that "There are no previous versions available", it might be because you haven't enabled the File History feature yet.

The previous versions of the files are from the File History and the restore points. To activate the File History, go to Control Panel > System and Security > File History > Turn on.

How do I restore an Excel File I saved over?

Similar to the methods to restore an overwritten Word file, you could utilize Undo, Manage Versions, temp folder, Windows backup, etc., to restore an Excel that was saved over.

How do I recover a permanently deleted PowerPoint?

After permanent deletion, Windows backups, File History, and previous versions could help you.

Also, you could choose professional tools like Windows File Recovery and much easier, MyRecover to recover permanently deleted PowerPoint files.

To prevent data loss from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other tools, it is recommended to enable AutoSave.

How do I find the version history in Word?

Open the document in the appropriate Microsoft Office application. In the Ribbon, click the File tab. Click the History section in the left navigation menu on the next screen. If you don't see a History option, click the Info option, then select the Version History option on the right side of the screen.

How can I recover a file I accidentally saved over?

Restore Previous Versions (PC) – In Windows, if you right-click on a file, and go to “Properties,” you will see an option titled “Previous Versions.” This option can help you revert to a version of your file before the overwrite occurred, allowing you to get your data back.

Why are there no previous versions of my Word document?

The AutoRecover option might be disabled, which is why you are unable to find a previous version of the document in Microsoft Word. You can check the status of this function in Word by following the steps here. To help you recover the document, refer to this page about recovering Office files.