Auto Recovery won't work

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

Hi. I had a power failure.
When I restarted my computer and opened Excel, the recovery panel won't appear!
I did click on "auto recovery" option and set it to save for every 2 mins!
I checked the files in C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Excel, there's only 1 file called "Excel10.xlb"

MS Word managed to recover my files!

Some time ago, Excel auto recovery won't succeed! But the recovered files
suddenly appear in front of me after 1 month or so. It's so strange!

How can I get back the missing recovered Excel files?

Thank you!

 

[Nick Hodge]

Generally it is very reliable (certainly more so than the add-in in earlier
versions). You appear to be looking in the right place (Check under
Tools>Options>Save) but bear in mind you will need to do this through
windows explorer as the file doesn't have an xls extension, it will be some
random name and no extension. If it is there simply add an .xls extension
and it will be able to be opened

Hope it works out for you

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't recall changing this setting (xl2003 and winXP home) and that file is
located in:
C:\Documents and Settings\David Peterson\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\

But I've always noticed that the files have an extension of .xar (eXcel
AutoRecovery?).

But if the OP doesn't see a file under that version of their folder, then I
don't think excel thinks that there's a file to be recovered.

(I've sometimes copied that *.xar file to a new folder (with excel closed) and
renamed it to *.xls and used it like any other "normal" .xls file.)

 

[Nick Hodge]

Dave

You're undoubtedly right with the extension, I was only noticing quite often
that people look through the Excel open dialog and don't change the 'files
of type' to *.* (all). They then resume it's not there

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Dave Peterson]

And lots of people haven't changed the windows setting to turn off the "hide
extensions for known files".

So the other extensions are hidden, too.

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

Thanks for all your reply!
All are done - look through Windows Explorer, select "show hidden/system files"
& "show all extensions".
There's only 1 folder and 1 file there - "XLSTART" folder and Excel10.xlb
I searched for deleted files using some "deleted file restoration" software in
vain!
I think I'm in bad luck! >_<"

It doesn't appear once. It seems the auto recovery in Excel is somewhat broken,
but Word auto recovery works just fine!
What can I do to repair the auto recovery service (for Excel) in my computer?

 

[Dave Peterson]

You may want to try a test.

Start excel
verify your autorecovery settings
start a new workbook
do some work and let the autorecovery file get created
kill excel using alt-ctrl-delete

Start it excel again and see if works.

====
In fact, you should be able to just work on any file normally and after
autorecovery saves the backup file, you should be able to open windows explorer
and go to that folder that holds the autorecovery file and see if it's there.

When I see bad things happen like this, I'm hesitant to blame excel. It's
usually my own error.

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

You may want to try a test.

Start excel
verify your autorecovery settings
start a new workbook
do some work and let the autorecovery file get created
kill excel using alt-ctrl-delete

Start it excel again and see if works.

====

I did it previously. It works, but this makes things really strange.
It's not the first time already.
It seems auto recovery will fail if I do not recover the files immediately (eg
power crash, hibernation failure)
Auto recovery works just fine for manual crash (Eg Ctrl+Alt+Del, or using Office
Application Recovery software).
I have no chance to try the "real" Excel crash.

In fact, you should be able to just work on any file normally and after
autorecovery saves the backup file, you should be able to open windows explorer
and go to that folder that holds the autorecovery file and see if it's there.

When I see bad things happen like this, I'm hesitant to blame excel. It's
usually my own error.

But what errors/mistakes did I make?
The incident keeps happening which is annoying.
I just don't know what parts go wrong!
Only that am I able to reslove that problem.

Any clues? Any workarounds?
Thank you!

 

[Dave Peterson]

My guess was that you dismissed the dialog that asked whether you wanted to
recover the files that excel saved. I could be wrong about you, but I've done
that in the past.

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

--
Additional information:
- I'm using Office XP
- I'm using Windows XP

?????????. ??????, ???????!!
After all, the above are merely my little opinion/idea.
Since my ability is limited, I could be wrong.

My guess was that you dismissed the dialog that asked whether you wanted to
recover the files that excel saved. I could be wrong about you, but I've done
that in the past.

No for sure!
After the power failure, the first time I did when I restart my computer was to
open Excel/Word and saved the files.
As said previously, no "recovery" panel was shown.

And it did not happen for the first time, so I don't think I will keep making
such a silly mistake unknowingly.

And I did search for deleted files by third-party software in vain.
Wait! How Excel name the recovered files (random names or "auto recovery of<my
file name>), and what's its extension?
Thank you.

 

[Dave Peterson]

The file is in that user selectable folder--check tools|options|save tab for
your folder name.

And the extension is .xar.

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

--
Additional information:
- I'm using Office XP
- I'm using Windows XP

?????????. ??????, ???????!!
After all, the above are merely my little opinion/idea.
Since my ability is limited, I could be wrong.

The file is in that user selectable folder--check tools|options|save tab for
your folder name.

I know the location of the folder.
But how about the file names?

 

[Dave Peterson]

The file names vary. The extension doesn't.

--
Additional information:
- I'm using Office XP
- I'm using Windows XP

?????????. ??????, ???????!!
After all, the above are merely my little opinion/idea.
Since my ability is limited, I could be wrong.


I know the location of the folder.
But how about the file names?

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

No luck!
No file is found!
That's troublesome. My auto recovery doesn't work properly.


--
Additional information:
- I'm using Office XP
- I'm using Windows XP

?????????. ??????, ???????!!
After all, the above are merely my little opinion/idea.
Since my ability is limited, I could be wrong.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't have any other guesses.

Sorry.

No luck!
No file is found!
That's troublesome. My auto recovery doesn't work properly.

--
Additional information:
- I'm using Office XP
- I'm using Windows XP

?????????. ??????, ???????!!
After all, the above are merely my little opinion/idea.
Since my ability is limited, I could be wrong.