Document Recovery ( AutoRecover ) is not working for Excel 2016. System: Windows 8.1 64 bit Microsoft Excel 2016 MSO (16.0.8528.2126) 64 bit No fix even after a full Online repair of Office 2016 and, of course, all possible Office Updates. After working for hours on several Excel documents (which had previously been saved with a file name etc.), the power went out in our building. When the power was restored and Excel reopened, I was presented with the expected list of Recovered Documents on the left side. HOWEVER, every single one of these were simply "the Original version" or "the version last saved by user" (something like that). Meaning they did not contain ANY new data that had been entered since the last time I had saved them/reopened them despite the AutoRecover being set to 1 minute. NOTES : Document Recovery seems to be working for Word and PP. The settings in Options>Save are all the same for all Office products: currently set to AutoRecover every 1 minute. The ...AppData>Roaming>Microsoft>Excel folder contains no backup file/folder for new or reopened Excel Documents. Thank goodness, the AutoRecover does seem to be updating the equivalent folder for Word ("AutoRecovery save of DocumentX.asd" files get updated) and PowerPoint (the "pptXXX.tmp" file also updated). Edit: This is obviously some MSOffice Bug. Of the multiple 'test' spreadsheets I've been playing around with to study this, exactly 1 of them seems to actually back up. But absolutely no other ones and none of my previously created sheets ever backup to AutoRecover.

Hi, We're currently investigating your concern so that we could validate if this has something to do with Excel. Have you tried to save AutoRecovery information every 1 minute? Also have you installed the latest Office updates on your computer? As per initial troubleshooting, we recommend that you repair your Excel app to scan and repair corrupted files on your computer. You may refer to this link for the steps. We look forward to your reply.

It is definitely widespread! I believe for the most part, the majority of us are aware of this glitch, and have made sure to check that the box is not checked every time we open the damn thing. My issue is that all the settings seem to be correct, but it still won't auto save. I say seem because excel settings become more more complicated with each passing year. Once you've mastered the lingo they change it again... The class I took in 2010 was obsolete the moment I completed it lol Another issue I can't seem to figure out is why that box is checked in one of my workbooks, and it won't let me uncheck it. Anybody know how to fix this? Unfortunately this is not the only workbook I have the autosave issue with. Whether that box is checked or not, it doesn't autosave.

Those with the issue of the Disable AutoRecover checkbox being ticked SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE that even if the box is clicked off and saved, a file may revert back to being checked again at another time. Files where I have found the box to be checked have had the option turned off only for me to find it checked again after reopening and then not AutoRecovered. This has caused so much trouble for me. My Excel crashes daily, either because of a large file I must use or an add-in. I won't know for another week or so. But because of the crashes, the Disable AutoRecover issue is very apparent. It's probably FAR more widespread but if not experiencing frequent crashes (like all of us here) you would never even know about thIs glitch - because you wouldn't need an AutoRecovered file.

Ugh ! Their replies I think infuriate me even more than their shotty software does! There are even more complaints on other websites. You'd think they'd attempt to fix it by now.

Excel 2016 AutoRecover not working - NO files being saved to the AutoRecover File location

Anonymous

Document Recovery (AutoRecover) is not working for Excel 2016.

System:

Windows 8.1 64 bit

Microsoft Excel 2016 MSO (16.0.8528.2126) 64 bit

No fix even after a full Online repair of Office 2016 and, of course, all possible Office Updates.

After working for hours on several Excel documents (which had previously been saved with a file name etc.), the power went out in our building. When the power was restored and Excel reopened, I was presented with the expected list of Recovered Documents on the left side. HOWEVER, every single one of these were simply "the Original version" or "the version last saved by user" (something like that).

Meaning they did not contain ANY new data that had been entered since the last time I had saved them/reopened them despite the AutoRecover being set to 1 minute.

NOTES:

Document Recovery seems to be working for Word and PP.
The settings in Options>Save are all the same for all Office products: currently set to AutoRecover every 1 minute.
The ...AppData>Roaming>Microsoft>Excel folder contains no backup file/folder for new or reopened Excel Documents. Thank goodness, the AutoRecover does seem to be updating the equivalent folder for Word ("AutoRecovery save of DocumentX.asd" files get updated) and PowerPoint (the "pptXXX.tmp" file also updated).

Edit: This is obviously some MSOffice Bug. Of the multiple 'test' spreadsheets I've been playing around with to study this, exactly 1 of them seems to actually back up. But absolutely no other ones and none of my previously created sheets ever backup to AutoRecover.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

I finally found the right location of the autorecovery files for Mac users of Excel!

See: this post on this forum

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94 additional answers

Anonymous

2018-01-11T17:35:22+00:00

Hi,

We're currently investigating your concern so that we could validate if this has something to do with Excel. Have you tried to save AutoRecovery information every 1 minute? Also have you installed the latest Office updates on your computer?

As per initial troubleshooting, we recommend that you repair your Excel app to scan and repair corrupted files on your computer. You may refer to this link for the steps.

We look forward to your reply.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2018-01-10T19:45:38+00:00

It is definitely widespread! I believe for the most part, the majority of us are aware of this glitch, and have made sure to check that the box is not checked every time we open the damn thing. My issue is that all the settings seem to be correct, but it still won't auto save. I say seem because excel settings become more more complicated with each passing year. Once you've mastered the lingo they change it again... The class I took in 2010 was obsolete the moment I completed it lol

Another issue I can't seem to figure out is why that box is checked in one of my workbooks, and it won't let me uncheck it. Anybody know how to fix this?

Unfortunately this is not the only workbook I have the autosave issue with. Whether that box is checked or not, it doesn't autosave.
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1 person found this answer helpful.

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Anonymous

2018-01-10T18:35:17+00:00

Those with the issue of the Disable AutoRecover checkbox being ticked SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE that even if the box is clicked off and saved, a file may revert back to being checked again at another time.

Files where I have found the box to be checked have had the option turned off only for me to find it checked again after reopening and then not AutoRecovered. This has caused so much trouble for me.

My Excel crashes daily, either because of a large file I must use or an add-in. I won't know for another week or so. But because of the crashes, the Disable AutoRecover issue is very apparent.

It's probably FAR more widespread but if not experiencing frequent crashes (like all of us here) you would never even know about thIs glitch - because you wouldn't need an AutoRecovered file.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2018-01-03T20:46:23+00:00

Ugh ! Their replies I think infuriate me even more than their shotty software does! There are even more complaints on other websites. You'd think they'd attempt to fix it by now.
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3 people found this answer helpful.

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