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Urgent! Help! Anyone know of some software that will recover an overwritten word file?

Mobi

By Mobi
in IT and Computers

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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Posted

Here's what happened.

 

I have spent the entire day since early morning writing an important 5000-word document which contained a short story for a client. At the end of the day, I saved it to a folder.

 

A few minutes later I was cleaning up and closing some open word docs and without thinking I saved another file to the same filename, actually clicking 'yes' to replacing the existing document.

As soon as I had done it I realised I had overwritten the original 5000- word doc. I made no backups as I had only just written it.

 

I have tried all the usual ways. There are no asd files and no previous versions and nothing in the word temp folder.

 

It seems that the only way to recover the file is to use a word doc recovery software tool, and I am not even sure if that will work.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to recover, including recommending a recovery tool – if there is one. I'm using W10 and word 10

 

Or is it hopeless… I will cry if it is, as I poured my heart into that story and can't imagine trying to start over,

 

Thanks for any help,

 

Mobi

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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11 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Maybe the info at this webpage will help....talks how to recover to a previous version of a word doc.

 

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/restore-previous-versions-word-file-54121.html

 

or  maybe this....it worked for me.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/restore-overwritten-word-file-54156.html

 

Thanks, I've tried both of these already. Unfortunately, there are no 'previous versions'. That's why I think the only possible way is using some kind of recovery tool, but even then I;m not at all sure. I've just been trying one, but no go - just says file corrupted...

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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And not at all helpful.

 

I am at my computer  12 hours a day and I always have multiple documents open. It has happened to me once before a few years ago and since then I have been very careful.

 

I usually save my work many times as I am writing and backup at the end of the day. I didn't pause to save this document as I went along as I was int eh groove and wanted to press ahead. I have never produced 5k words of original material which shows I was right to press on, but foolish not to stop for a few moments to press save.

 

Even if I had it might have still happened. I was tired and emotionally spent and wasn't thinking clearly and as soon as I'd done it, my heart dropped.

 

If you derive pleasure from other people's misfortunes, then I'm glad to have been of some use to someone.

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Pib Star Member

Pib

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Heck, it easy to overwrite the wrong file especially if you have multiple documents open...or have been opening and closing docs and the brain just gets confused.   For people who use a computer lot for such tasks they understand.

 

Whether a Previous Version exists depends on things like if File History is turned on, maybe it was saved in a Create Restore Point, etc.  

 

For the future, you might want to turn on create backup copy setting in Word...by default it's turned off.   

 

Quote

IF, in Word, under File>Options>Advanced>Save, you have the box checked for "Always create backup copy" AND you only saved the file once, there would be a copy of the file with a .wbk extension that is your original document.

 

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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Word creates some auto save and temp files in the background and often you can recover the files from 10 mins before you overwote it. tmp files or wbk files. by defalt it makes a wbk file every 10 mins

 

http://office-recovery.com/word.asp

Edited by Peterw42
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avander Advanced Member

avander

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Not sure if the below may have been covered in other suggestions.

As long as you haven't done too much work or Word since you may be able to find the file (or at least the last working version of the file if you do a File Search in a Microsoft Explorer Window.  I have been "lucky " many times using this method.

 

Search for files in drive C; or whatever drive you have the Microsoft Word application installed on (you could also try the drive you normally save your documents to if that is different.

 

Search for the file name ~xxxx.yyyy   

where: 

~ is the tilde character (denoting a temporary Windows file.)

xxxx is the filename minus the 1st character which is replaced by Windows with the tilde

. is dot, period or decimal point

yyyy is the file extension (eg doc, docx or whatever)

 

I hope the above helps!  Good luck.

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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1 minute ago, Mobi said:

Yes, I tried that - nothing there.

 

Wbk and tmp files may be hidden files and may not be in the same place as you saved files.

even if you save to an external drive, the backups may be on C drive.

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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6 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

Be careful of free recovery tools. They often contain malware.

 

Recovery tools may not work as the file has not been deleted, only renamed and contents of file changed. 

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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24 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

open file explorer, file menu tick show hidden. search window then search whole drive for *.wbk and *.tmp.

sort results by time to narrow down the search

 

Done that, the file doesn't show - presumably because it has been overwritten.

 

I think my only hope is to try and recover the data from the overwritten file, but so far I'm not having much success with recovery tools.

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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51 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

dont use the computer at all or it will be further overwriiten.

 

look for free disk recovery software, i have used a few successfully in the past

 

 

 

The only thing I have written in word since it happened was the draft to open this thread, and I didn't save the file.

 

If I can't crack this tonight it might be too late as I have to other work over the weekend.

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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5 minutes ago, Mobi said:

Done that, the file doesn't show - presumably because it has been overwritten.

 

I think my only hope is to try and recover the data from the overwritten file, but so far I'm not having much success with recovery tools.

 

Not sure if you will have any luck with recovery tools as the file hasnt been deleted. only the contents of the file has changed.

Does a search bring up any .wbk files ?

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Rc2702 Gold Member

Rc2702

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I had a similar issue to this. I have a product called DRS data recovery stick

 

Cost about $90 purchased from US had it shipped to uk. done the job and then some. spent a lot of time search g through all docs recovered.  only downfall and obviously the price but it is future proof no subscription etc. works with windows only.

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Mobi Diamond Member

Mobi

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7 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Not sure if you will have any luck with recovery tools as the file hasnt been deleted. only the contents of the file has changed.

Does a search bring up any .wbk files ?

 

yes plenty of .wbk files and .tmp files but nothing created since this morning when I was doing some backups.

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lostinisaan Platinum Member

lostinisaan

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Just now, tominbkk said:

I know now it doesn't help you, but because of similar things happening to me, I moved to Google docs.  Previous versions are always there, you just have to go back in time.  Sorry for your loss, been there and done that

 

 

    I always send an e-mail with the file to me and save it twice. Was there, done that. Not again, please. 

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lostinisaan Platinum Member

lostinisaan

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4 minutes ago, Mobi said:

I'm trying  Ease Todo Data Recovery wizard, Recuva, and iSkysoft, the latter two failed on the first try and they are all on deep scan which takes hours, but I'm not hopeful.

 
 

 

 Did you get the message about Disc Doctor?

 

  Here's an interesting part of the program:

 

        

Supported Data Loss Situations
* Formatted or re-formatted drives
* Virus Attacks
* Human Errors comprising accidental deletion of data
* Lost or Missing volumes
* Unable to mount or execute data
* Clicking Sound of the drive
* Platter contamination and damages
* Corrupt Files
* Natural Disasters & Others
Edited by lostinisaan
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bubba1 Advanced Member

bubba1

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21 minutes ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 Did you get the message about Disc Doctor?

 

  Here's an interesting part of the program:

 

        


Supported Data Loss Situations
* Formatted or re-formatted drives
* Virus Attacks
* Human Errors comprising accidental deletion of data
* Lost or Missing volumes
* Unable to mount or execute data
* Clicking Sound of the drive
* Platter contamination and damages
* Corrupt Files
* Natural Disasters & Others

He didn't delete the data he replaced the file

 

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