Microsoft Excel · Sharing, output and safety · Intermediate
Recover an earlier workbook version
Inspect and recover workbook versions safely, distinguishing OneDrive history from conditional AutoRecover copies.
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Quick answer: For a workbook already stored in OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365, open its title menu and choose Version history, then inspect an earlier version before restoring it. For a local workbook, look for an available AutoRecover copy under File > Info instead. Neither route guarantees that a missing version exists.
Before touching the current file
These instructions target English Excel for Microsoft 365 desktop on Windows. Cloud history requires an existing OneDrive or SharePoint storage location and the appropriate access. This tutorial describes that route; it does not require you to create an account or move private files to a new service. AutoRecover is separate and depends on its settings and the recovery files actually available.
Save a copy of the current workbook before restoring an older state. A restoration can replace newer work, including valid changes on sheets you were not trying to fix. If other people are editing the file, coordinate the recovery rather than treating a shared workbook as your disposable test.
Use a two-revision practice example
In a user-owned test workbook, enter Quantity in A1, 100 in B1, Double in A2, and =B1*2 in B2. The initial result is 200. Save it in an already authorized OneDrive or SharePoint location if you want to practice cloud history.
After a saved earlier version is actually visible in history, change B1 to 120 and save again. The new result is 240. Do not assume every keystroke becomes a separately retained version, or that a previous version appears instantly. The exercise is ready only when the list contains a version with the original values.
Inspect cloud Version history
- Open the current workbook and click its file title in Excel.
- Choose Version history.
- Select a candidate earlier version to open in a separate window.
- Inspect B1 and B2 and check the file’s other sheets. For this example, the desired version contains 100 and the formula result 200, while the preserved current copy contains 120 and 240.
- If that is the version you actually want, use Restore. Do not restore solely because its timestamp looks plausible.
After restoration, reopen the current workbook and verify both cells. A visible 200 is not enough if B2 has become a constant: inspect its formula too. Keep the separate 120/240 copy until you have checked that no wanted changes were discarded.
Look for a local recovery copy
For a previously saved local workbook that was closed without saving, open it and choose File > Info. Under Manage Workbook, look for a version labeled when I closed without saving. If one exists, open it, inspect the contents, and use Restore only after preserving the current file.
For an unsaved workbook, use the Recover Unsaved Workbooks command in the File > Info management area. Select an available file, open it, and use Save As to give the recovered work a real file name and location. The presence of this command does not prove there will be a recoverable file.
Troubleshoot and confirm the outcome
No Version history? Check the storage location first: Microsoft 365 history is for OneDrive or SharePoint, not an arbitrary local XLSX. No AutoRecover entry? It may not have been enabled, a recoverable interval may not have occurred, or no retained copy may remain. Do not deliberately crash Excel to test recovery.
Save and reopen the recovered file and verify the chosen 100/200 or 120/240 pair and formula. Record which version you kept. For a stale formula result after recovery, consult Excel calculation-mode behavior rather than immediately restoring another version.