Crashed Word document - help!!!

[aquilotta]

I know there's some simple way in which one can find the document one was working on before Word froze and crashed. But I can't for the life of me REMEMBER how to do it - please HELP!!!!!

[TheWinner]

I am not sure, but I think.....that when you next start up, the document should be in the task pane that says something like "Document Recovery".

[PortlandBill]

Conduct a file search for files modified today, you should unearth your original at its last autosave or a temprary recovery file. Either way you shoul be able to recover it. Right Click Start Box, select explore etc

[confused79]

or go frmo start menu then documents, the most recent ones normally come up including the one you was wokring on when it crashed.

[ACtheTROLL]

If you have auto recovery options ticked ... just restart word .... and you should get something back

if not
It's not quite that simple
If the document is an existing one or one you've actually saved earlier

the temp file will be in the folder the real file is stored in with the same filename preceeded by ~$
so mydoc.doc and ~$mydoc.doc will be in the same folder
if word locks the ~$ file will still be there and will contain some of your new work

so rename it without the ~$ mydocrecovered.doc
and you'll be able to open it in word


if the file hasn't been saved ... your
c:\Documents and Settings\<yourname>\Local Settings\Temp folder will contain a file called ~WRF0000.tmp (or ~wrf0xxx)
and also 4 ~dxxxxxx.tmp files
(unfortunately windows also used this naming .... so after a crash .... there could be hundreds

it's almost impossible to recover a file if it hasn't been saved


if it's too late now

goto tools | options | saves .... and tick some boxes (they should be obvious) so that word will create recovery and backup