I just accidentally 'Don't Save'd a Word document. CAn I get it back?

If you've already examined the autorecovery files in ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 AutoRecovery and there's nothing, you're out of luck.

"Time machine" is a built-in backup tool that works with your Mac and an external drive, As the problem you described, I read it. The files deleted in Trash bin could be a different problem which Time machine can't solve. you can read this article and learn more. I hope it will help.

Maybe you can try uFlysoft Data Recovery for Mac, it can recover empty trash on Mac only in three steps:

Step 1. Launch the software to scan the device where your files deleted

Step 2: Preview the scan result files and make mark if it is the one you find

Step 3: Recover files

Yes, YES, YES you can!! IF you use Apple's Time Machine Software, which absolutely all Mac users should be using!

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac programs, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. all have Auto-Recover (by default set to every 10 minutes), and save the Auto-Recover files to a folder that is a bit hard to find, because it's hidden way at Users > usernamehomefolder > Library > Application Support > Microsoft > Office > Office 2011 AutoRecovery. You can change the AutoRecovery folder location, and you SHOULD change it to a Dropbox (or iCloud) folder location as described here:

http://diyivorytower.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/use-dropbox-to-turn-microsofts-aut orecover-feature-into-an-autosave-feature-to-avoid-losing-work/

The problem is, if you "Don't Save" when you close a file, the file will not be saved, AND the AutoRecover file will be deleted! Auurgh! Windows users, have the option to "Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving" as described here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/help-protect-your-files-in-case-of-a -crash-HP010354296.aspx

But Mac users do not have that option!

But here's the trick: Time Machine may have created a Backup of the AutoRecover file! By default, Time Machine creates a backup once per hour, although you can change the backup frequency as desrcibed here:

http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-tweak-time-machine-backup-inte rval--mac-52397

Understand that it is better to plan in advance by saving frequently, and using Dropbox for your AutoRecovery folder, but if you have Time Machine you are likely able to recover your AutoRecover file after clicking "Don't Save".

1. "Enter Time Machine" by clicking the Time Machine icon on the menu bar
2. Navigate to the last Time Machine Backup
3. Navigate to the AutoRecovery folder, which by default is at Users > usernamehomefolder > Library > Application Support > Microsoft > Office > Office 2011 AutoRecovery
4. "Restore" the AutoRecover file (it will ask what folder you want to restore the file to)
5. Open the AutoRecover file, and re-save your recovered work.

You are correct. Time Machine can't backup a file that is not saved. And in "bopdog"s question above, I agree that her chances of getting her Word file back are slim to none. Bopdog specified that s/he never saved the Word file at all. In my experience and testing, I have never seen a Microsoft Office program create an Auto-Recover file of an open, but unsaved file, except when a program crash has occurred. I have seen Excel create an Auto-Recover file of an open document that had never been saved, when Excel crashed. So your point is well taken, and is likely correct in bopdog's case.

However, Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 programs, do save files automatically. If you have not changed the preferences, Office will automatically save an open, previously-saved, file every 10 minutes to the file location of Microsoft Office Auto-Recover documents (by default: Users > usernamehomefolder > Library > Application Support > Microsoft > Office > Office 2011 AutoRecovery). And if you use Time Machine, it will back up the Auto-Recover files every hour.

There are numerous support and forum Q&As across the internet where posters have basically said "if you click 'Don't Save' you are doomed." And there are numerous Q&As that explain where to find MS Office Auto-Recover files, and others that suggest Time Machine as a way to recover files. My post was meant to point out the fact that the combination of Auto-Recover and Time Machine can often allow you to recover a file (with at least some of your otherwise lost work) when you accidentally click "Don't Save."

The reason for my enthusiasm in the post is that I had just recovered several hours of work using the method I described. Here's what happened in my specific case:

1. I was working on a Word document that had been saved previously.
2. I spent several hours over the course of a workday bouncing between the open Word document and multitasking with other programs and files.
3. In the evening I went back to work on the file for a while, then I got distracted.
4. I went to install some new software and when my Mac asked me to Restart, I blithely shut down all my programs.
5. When Word asked, I accidentally clicked "Don't Save" on the file that I had been working on off-and-on all day, without saving.
6. I shut down Word normally and restarted the computer.
7. I then re-opened the Word file (opened recent documents) and realized that hours and hours of work were gone!
8. I went to Auto-Recover and there was no Auto-Recover file for the Word document. That is the way Auto-Recover unfortunately works. If you say "Don't Save" it assumes you mean it, and it deletes the Auto-Recover file. You can't get it back.
9. However, Time Machine backed up the Auto-Recover file. It was still there in my last Time Machine backup. In my case I didn't lose one minute of my work, because the Word file had been sitting there open for hours, without me working on it, and Time Machine backed up the Auto-Recover file every hour.

So yes, you can recover a Word file that YOU did not (recently) save, even if you clicked "Don't Save," because Auto-Recover saves files automatically, and Time Machine backs up the Auto-Recover files. It may not work in every case, but it sure saved my butt a couple days ago. So forgive my enthusiasm, but I was pretty stoked to get a few hours of my life back, and wanted to share this with the Mac community.

Is it still available under Apple Menu -> Recents -> Documents? Word has an autosave feature, and depending on how it was setup for how often to save you might get some of it back. But if you never saved it it might not show up in Recents.

Actually, I think it is unlikely you will be able to get it back because you never named it nor saved it. There is nowhere to find it and nothing to find. Except one possibility, could a Time Machine run happened while you were editing the file you never named nor saved? If so, Word creates temporary files during that time you were entering text, and if you can find the temporary "work files" they may have some or all of the text that you entered.I just opened a blank Word file and started entering text and I see it created a "work file" which is inside

/private/var/folders/IU/

and then inside another folder within the /IU folder which has a long complicated string of characters,

and yet another folder called

-Tmp-/TemporaryItems/-Word Work File plus many odd characters

That Word Work File is what you want, it may have the contents of what you were editting.

The /private/var and so forth area is hidden and won't show up in Spotlight searches but will show up with EasyFind, an alternate search tool. There are various ways to get to hidden directories, but this is all moot unless Time Machine did a backup while this text entry was going on.

WildBlue2030 wrote:

Yes, YES, YES you can!! IF you use Apple's Time Machine Software, which absolutely all Mac users should be using!

No NO NO you can't.

Time Machine can't backup a file that is not saved, please curb your enthusiasm and check your facts.

Just a bit of advice on how to avoid this problem. Get into the habit of saving a document with a name before you start typing. That way auto-save features will keep however far along you get. Even if you do "accidentally don't save'ed" it, you will at least have the document available.

You, sir, just saved my day. Thank you!

Worth adding that if you cannot see the Library folder, right click somewhere in the blank space and select 'Show View Options'. From there, check the box at the bottom of the pop out window that says 'Show Library Folder'.

Then tell the OP (the poster with the problem) I would never let any part of my life be tainted by Microsoft's junk.

Thank you.

Thanks!! This worked great for me. Exactly what I wanted.

There are also programs that can recover lost files. They aren't cheap, but I used EaseUS Data Recovery for Mac to recover an unsaved word document I deleted. You might try that before you give up.