My Excel file crashed! How do I get my data back? No autorecover?

[Guest]

I entered quite a bit of data into an Excel Spreadsheet. I went to make a
chart and it crashed. Now the data is gone. How do I get that data back? I
thought Microsoft Applications had an autorecover feature?

 

[Chip Pearson]

There is probably no way to get the data back. Excel (2003) does indeed have
an auto recover system, but 1) it must be enabled, 2) it only saves recovery
data periodically, and 3) it doesn't do a full backup like an auto save
function, 4) it can't recover from all types of crashes.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
(email address is on the web site)

 

[Jon Peltier]

You should use a third party backup system. I use AutoSafe by Jan Karel
Pieterse (http://jkp-ads.com). It's free and very helpful.

- Jon

 

[Bill Ridgeway]

When a file is deleted it isn't physically deleted and when file is saved it
isn't necessarily over the original. Let me explain. The computer keeps a
record of all the files on the hard disk. Think of it as an index. If you
were to cross out
a line in the index of a book the word or phrase will still be extant in the
body of the book. (The difference with a computer is that the area of the
'lost' file is available for re-use). It is, therefore, possible to recover
'lost' files. As you will appreciate success depends on whether or not the
area on the hard drive has been re-used.

There are a number of software that will do the job. I have used and,
therefore, can recommend 'Get data back' www.runtime.org. It is highly
recommended that the software is installed on and run from another hard disk
(to decrease the possibility of overwriting the 'lost' file).

You should, perhaps, also think of getting a backing up system. You may
like to have a look at my web site www.1001solutions.co.uk for more
information.

MS Excel does have an AutoRecover facility but it needs to be turned on!

Regards.
Computer Solutions