Can I recover a file I accidently wrote over via Save-As?

[Guest]

I had a file that I managed to overwrite. I desperately need the version
before I overwrote it. Can I recover it? I don't see a .bak version of the
file.

 

[Bernie Deitrick]

Katy,

Sorry but no, you can't recover it. Consider it a lesson in keeping proper backups. Here's a macro
that you can use to create dated backup copies in two other places - modify as needed (C...DEITBE is
mylocal harddisk, and F is a netwrok drive), and use the macro instead of normal saving to
occasionally create safety backups of important files.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP

Sub DoubleBUandSave()
'Saves the current file to two backup folders and its own folder
Application.DisplayAlerts = False

ActiveWorkbook.SaveCopyAs FileName:= _
"C:\Documents and Settings\DEITBE\My Documents\Excel Backup\" & _
Left(ActiveWorkbook.Name, Len(ActiveWorkbook.Name) - 4) & _
" BU " & Format(Now, " yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm") & ".xls"
ActiveWorkbook.SaveCopyAs FileName:= _
"F:\Excel Backup\" & _
Left(ActiveWorkbook.Name, Len(ActiveWorkbook.Name) - 4) & _
" BU " & Format(Now, " yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm") & ".xls"
ActiveWorkbook.Save

Application.DisplayAlerts = True

End Sub

 

[Gord Dibben]

Katy

Which version of Excel?

They all have different backup strategies and features.

I will assume Excel 2002 or newer.

One feature they all have in common is the "Always create backup" when saving.

This must be enabled under File>Save As>Tools>General Options(or just Options)
prior to saving.

This would leave you with a backup of the last save before the one you just did.

Look for *.XLK files, not *.BAK

For future consideration............I will post my standard "Autosave"
information.

Here it is...........................................

If you're using Excel 2002 or 2003, there is no Autosave in XL2002 and 2003 as
there was in earlier versions.

Autorecovery from Tools>Options>Save is it. This is not the same as Autosave
which made true incremental saves at intervals and alerted you before saving.

Autorecovery just saves a temporary file which it deletes if Excel closes
normally without incident.

BTW.....Dave Peterson reports that he tried an earlier version of Autosave.xla
in XL2002 and it seemed to work fine.

I have also tried the Autosave.XLA from XL97 and does the job.

To download the 97 version go here.....

http://www.stat.jmu.edu/trep/Marchat/sp2001/Library.htm

In addition to the above......Jan Karel Pieterse has an addin called AutoSafe
which also doen't alert before saving.

It doesn't overwrite the existing workbook when it saves. It saves to a user
selectable folder. And when it's done, it either deletes these backups (or
puts them in the recycle bin). And the user can always restore the backups
from the recycle bin.

http://www.jkp-ads.com/Download.htm

(look for AutoSafe.zip)



Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

I had a file that I managed to overwrite. I desperately need the version
before I overwrote it. Can I recover it? I don't see a .bak version of the
file.

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP