where do I find pdf files

William Zimmern 0 Reputation points
2026-08-15T20:27:27.7933333+00:00

I am writing my memoirs and have saved sections as PDFs and Word documents. Where are the Word documents and the PDF files stored?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage
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  1. Marcin Policht 108.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-15T21:28:21.6733333+00:00

    Your Word documents and PDF files are stored wherever you chose to save them on your computer - if you haven't explicitly point to a specific location, then you'll likely find them in the Documents folder (default).

    To find your files in Windows, open File Explorer by pressing Windows Key + E on your keyboard. Click Documents in the left sidebar. You can also use the Search bar in the top right corner of File Explorer and type .pdf or .docx to find matching files on your computer.

    You can also check the Recent section on the File Explorer Home screen to see files you opened or edited recently.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-15T20:27:41.7833333+00:00

    Word documents and PDFs are stored wherever they were saved.

    Common places to check:

    1. In Word, go to File > Open. The left pane can show files stored on OneDrive, on the computer, and files shared with the account.
    2. If the files were saved with File > Save As, they may be in:
      • OneDrive
      • This PC
      • the specific folder chosen with Browse
    3. If OneDrive is being used, the current Documents folder may actually be under the OneDrive Documents location rather than only under C:\Users\<name>\Documents.
    4. In File Explorer, entering shell:Personal in the address bar can open the current Documents folder.
    5. If files seem missing, check OneDrive on the web and make sure the OneDrive app is signed in and running.

    For PDFs created from Word:

    • On Windows desktop apps, they are saved to the location chosen during Export > Create PDF/XPS Document > Create PDF/XPS.
    • On Mac, if a document is saved as PDF without changing the name, the original Word document is converted to PDF, so there may not be a separate editable Word file unless a different name was used.

    If a Word document was saved without a title, Word may use the first few words of the document as the file name.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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