I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
"saved as" over it?

Hi!

I'm using Excel 10 (XP)......WinXP.......

If I have an existing file and open it, make some changes, then do a SAVE AS
and give it a different name, the newly "saved as" file is a completely
*NEW* file and the original is still in tact with the previous file name.

Try looking for the previous file name.

Biff

"JCC" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:9CAD1748-1D5C-4CC6-92F7-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
> "saved as" over it?

Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous versions.

Jerry

JCC wrote:

> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
> "saved as" over it?

Mine does!

And they're not backup files: *.xlk

Biff

"Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
> Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous versions.
>
> Jerry
>
> JCC wrote:
>
>> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
>> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
>> "saved as" over it?
>

Biff,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, what I somehow managed to do was to
"save as" over an existing file name. It is the prior version of this "saved
as" file that I would love to find -- the one that existed before I "saved
as" into that same file name. I suspect that Jerry Lewis may be right on
this, though I wish he wasn't!

JCC

"Biff" wrote:

> Mine does!
>
> And they're not backup files: *.xlk
>
> Biff
>
> "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
> news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
> > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous versions.
> >
> > Jerry
> >
> > JCC wrote:
> >
> >> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
> >> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
> >> "saved as" over it?
> >
>
>
>

Oh, I see!

You "saved as" the same file name. Yeah, I you're sol unless you created
backups.

Biff

"JCC" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:04C835B4-4FAF-485B-A7BE-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Biff,
>
> Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, what I somehow managed to do was to
> "save as" over an existing file name. It is the prior version of this
> "saved
> as" file that I would love to find -- the one that existed before I "saved
> as" into that same file name. I suspect that Jerry Lewis may be right on
> this, though I wish he wasn't!
>
> JCC
>
> "Biff" wrote:
>
>> Mine does!
>>
>> And they're not backup files: *.xlk
>>
>> Biff
>>
>> "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
>> news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
>> > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous
>> > versions.
>> >
>> > Jerry
>> >
>> > JCC wrote:
>> >
>> >> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
>> >> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before
>> >> I
>> >> "saved as" over it?
>> >
>>
>>
>>

JCC

If you had file A open and "Saved as" file B, file A is not over-written.

It will still be on your computer in its original form. Do a search for it.

Biff

*.xlk files are backup files.

These are created when you set it up in File>Save As>Tools>General
Options>Save Options "Always create a backup".

This backup is created when you save the file, not when you "Save as" another
name.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP



On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 20:06:01 -0800, JCC <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Biff,
>
>Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, what I somehow managed to do was to
>"save as" over an existing file name. It is the prior version of this "saved
>as" file that I would love to find -- the one that existed before I "saved
>as" into that same file name. I suspect that Jerry Lewis may be right on
>this, though I wish he wasn't!
>
>JCC
>
>"Biff" wrote:
>
>> Mine does!
>>
>> And they're not backup files: *.xlk
>>
>> Biff
>>
>> "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
>> news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
>> > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous versions.
>> >
>> > Jerry
>> >
>> > JCC wrote:
>> >
>> >> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
>> >> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before I
>> >> "saved as" over it?
>> >
>>
>>
>>

>>>>>>>>>>
Biff

*.xlk files are backup files.

These are created when you set it up in File>Save As>Tools>General
Options>Save Options "Always create a backup".

This backup is created when you save the file, not when you "Save as"
another
name.
>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, I know. That's what I meant in my reply to Jerry. The original file is
not a *.xlk backup.

Biff

"Gord Dibben" <gorddibbATshawDOTca> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> JCC
>
> If you had file A open and "Saved as" file B, file A is not over-written.
>
> It will still be on your computer in its original form. Do a search for
> it.
>
> Biff
>
> *.xlk files are backup files.
>
> These are created when you set it up in File>Save As>Tools>General
> Options>Save Options "Always create a backup".
>
> This backup is created when you save the file, not when you "Save as"
> another
> name.
>
>
> Gord Dibben Excel MVP
>
>
>
> On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 20:06:01 -0800, JCC <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>>Biff,
>>
>>Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, what I somehow managed to do was to
>>"save as" over an existing file name. It is the prior version of this
>>"saved
>>as" file that I would love to find -- the one that existed before I "saved
>>as" into that same file name. I suspect that Jerry Lewis may be right on
>>this, though I wish he wasn't!
>>
>>JCC
>>
>>"Biff" wrote:
>>
>>> Mine does!
>>>
>>> And they're not backup files: *.xlk
>>>
>>> Biff
>>>
>>> "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
>>> > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous
>>> > versions.
>>> >
>>> > Jerry
>>> >
>>> > JCC wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> I overwrote an excel file by mistake, using the save as command to an
>>> >> incorrect file. Is there any way to recover the previous file before
>>> >> I
>>> >> "saved as" over it?
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>

Are you saying that you have found a way to configure Excel to automatically
create backup files for all edited files? If so, how have you accomplished
this, and in what version of Excel?

Excel is documented to create backups for a specific file if you
specifically ask Excel to do it
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/141451
also Help for "Save a backup copy of a workbook"
but my experience with this feature in Excel 2000 and Excel 2003 is that it
only applies to the specific workbook that you requested creation of backups
for.

Jerry

"Biff" wrote:

> Mine does!
>
> And they're not backup files: *.xlk
>
> Biff
>
> "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
> news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
> > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous versions.
> >
> > Jerry

I think what Biff meant and what it sounded as when the OP originally posted
is that he had the file open and did a file>save as and used another name,
that way the original file (that was open when the save was done)will still
be there. However it seems that the OP saved an excel file with another name
and that other file was overwritten, thus it's not possible to salvage that
other file

--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

"Jerry W. Lewis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5CCAA143-C862-4C2E-A945-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Are you saying that you have found a way to configure Excel to
automatically
> create backup files for all edited files? If so, how have you
accomplished
> this, and in what version of Excel?
>
> Excel is documented to create backups for a specific file if you
> specifically ask Excel to do it
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/141451
> also Help for "Save a backup copy of a workbook"
> but my experience with this feature in Excel 2000 and Excel 2003 is that
it
> only applies to the specific workbook that you requested creation of
backups
> for.
>
> Jerry
>
> "Biff" wrote:
>
> > Mine does!
> >
> > And they're not backup files: *.xlk
> >
> > Biff
> >
> > "Jerry W. Lewis" <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote in message
> > news:43814127.9090904@no_e-mail.com...
> > > Not unless you have a backup copy. Excel does not keep previous
versions.
> > >
> > > Jerry