An Excel file disappeared after I saved it and shut down my laptop

Marc Demers 0 Reputation points
2026-09-16T01:33:18.6866667+00:00

An Excel file disappeared after I saved it and shut down my laptop earlier this afternoon. When I came back to continue working on it, the file is gone. I do not know how to find it. The laptop says the file does not exist.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. Senthil kumar 2,500 Reputation points
    2026-09-16T04:57:33.7566667+00:00

    Hi @Marc Demers

    Root Cause :

    May be the document not saved properly. are you saved in local folder or one drive. please check from your side.

    Solution :

    Option 1 :

    • Open Excel
    • Go to File → Open → Recent
    • Scroll down → click Recover Unsaved Workbooks
    • Look for files with .xlsb or .asd extension
    • Open the newest one → Save As

    This folder often contains files that “vanished” after shutdown.

    Option 2:

    *%AppData%\Microsoft\Excel*

    Paste that into File Explorer. Look for files with .asd or .xlsb and sort by Date Modified.

    Thanks.

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  2. Manoel Barros 21,910 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-16T03:24:38.4666667+00:00

    Hi!

    I believe you are trying to open the file via Excel's Quick Access list. Right-click the file and select "Open file location," then check if the spreadsheet is in that same location in File Explorer.

    Also, manually check the folder where the spreadsheet is usually stored and see if there is anything in the Recycle Bin.

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