autosave did not keep my corrections on my document

Francoise Holley 0 Reputation points
2026-09-15T22:58:07.9566667+00:00

I worked for hours adding and changing on my2 saved documents and auto save did not keep any of my work.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-16T07:42:03.6633333+00:00

    I worked for hours adding and changing on my2 saved documents and auto save did not keep any of my work.

    Automatic saves will only work if your document is saved to OneDrive (or SharePoint). Use the Version History facility. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive .

    For local documents, you may be able to find .asd files left behind. Try opening those in Word (via File > Open > Browse). Note that .asd files are normally discarded, unless Word crashes, in which case the files provide basic recovery.

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  2. Jhun Buala 5,730 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-16T01:05:47.4766667+00:00

    Hi Francoise,

    Good day. The first thing you check is whether Word still has a copy of your missing changes. AutoSave doesn't always mean every change is immediately recoverable, so let's check the available versions first.

    For now, avoid making more changes to those documents yet, just in case there's still a recoverable copy.

    1. Open one of the affected documents in Word.
    2. Go to File > Info > Version History.
    3. Look for a version from around the time you made your corrections.
    4. If you find one with your changes, open it and choose Restore, or save it as a separate copy.

    If you don't see Version History, go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents and check there as well.

    By the way, if the documents are saved in OneDrive, you can also check their Version History directly from OneDrive on the web. Sometimes the missing changes are still there even when the current document doesn't show them.

    If you still can't find the changes, let me know where the documents are saved (OneDrive, your PC, etc.) and which version of Word you're using. We can then check the next recovery option.

    I hope this helps.

    Regards,
    Jhun

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-15T22:58:25.52+00:00

    If the file was stored in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online, AutoSave should save changes continuously. If those changes were saved but the current file no longer shows them, restore an earlier version from Version History:

    1. Open the document in Word.
    2. Select the file name at the top, then select Version History.
    3. Review the dates and times.
    4. Select Open version for the version that contains the missing corrections.
    5. In the second window, select Restore to make that version current.

    Another path is:

    1. In Word, select File > Browse Version History.
    2. Open the version needed.
    3. Select Restore.

    Important points:

    • AutoSave only works for files stored in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online. If the document was saved to a local path such as C:\ or another non-Microsoft cloud location, AutoSave is disabled.
    • If AutoSave was off, AutoRecover can still help after a crash. Reopening the file may show the latest recovered version in the Document Recovery pane.
    • If the file was opened from File Explorer or a recent files list, AutoSave may not turn on. Close it and reopen it from within the Microsoft 365 app.
    • If AutoSave is still not on, go to File > Options > Save and make sure the AutoSave box is checked.
    • AutoSave can also be unavailable if the file is in an older format such as .doc, .xls, or .ppt, if OneDrive sync is paused, or if the file is embedded inside another Office file.

    To avoid this going forward:

    • Save working documents to OneDrive and confirm the AutoSave toggle is on.
    • If changes should not overwrite the original, use File > Save a Copy before editing.
    • Before leaving the PC unattended, manually Save and close important files.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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