Where Are Autosaved Excel Files Stored?

If you’re like many Microsoft Excel users, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of losing Excel files due to computer crashes or other unexpected events. Fortunately, Excel has a feature that can help keep your work safe – the AutoSave function. But if you’re wondering ‘Where are Autosaved Excel files stored?’, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll explain where AutoSave files are stored, and how you can access them. So, if you want to ensure that your Excel work is safe and secure, read on for the answers.

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Where Are Auto-Saved Excel Files Located?

The ability to auto-save Excel files is a great way to make sure your data is backed up, but where exactly are these files stored? This article will explain the exact location of auto-saved Excel files, as well as how to access them.

Auto-saved Excel files are stored in a hidden folder in the user’s account. The exact location varies based on the operating system and version of Excel that is being used. For example, in Windows 10, auto-saved files are stored in the “%appdata%\Microsoft\Excel” folder. In Mac OS, auto-saved files are stored in “/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Data/Excel”.

Accessing Auto-Saved Files in Windows 10

To access the auto-saved Excel files in Windows 10, open File Explorer and enter “%appdata%\Microsoft\Excel” in the address bar. This will open the folder where the auto-saved files are located. The files will be named “AutoRecovery save of ”.

It is important to note that the auto-saved Excel files are not the same as the regular saved files. The auto-saved files are temporary files that are created every 10 minutes by default. They are used to recover data in the event of a crash or power outage.

Accessing Auto-Saved Files in Mac OS

In Mac OS, the auto-saved Excel files are located in the “/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Data/Excel” folder. To access this folder, open Finder, click “Go”, then click “Go to Folder”. Enter the path above into the “Go to Folder” window and click “Go”. This will open the folder where the auto-saved files are located. The files will be named “AutoRecovery save of ”.

Enabling Auto-Save

By default, auto-save is enabled in Excel. However, if auto-save is not enabled, it can be easily enabled in the “Save” tab of the Excel Options. Click the “Save” tab, then check the box next to “Save AutoRecover information every minutes”.

Recovering Lost Files

If a file is lost due to a crash or power outage, it may be possible to recover the data from the auto-saved files. To do this, open the auto-saved file in Excel, then select “File” > “Save As”. Choose a location to save the file, then click “Save”.

Conclusion

Auto-saved Excel files are a great way to make sure your data is backed up in the event of a crash or power outage. This article has explained the exact location of auto-saved Excel files, as well as how to access them in both Windows 10 and Mac OS. It has also explained how to enable auto-save, as well as how to recover lost files from the auto-saved files.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where are Autosaved Excel Files Stored?

Answer: Autosaved Excel files are stored in the default “Autosave” folder on your computer. The exact location of this folder varies depending on which operating system you are using and what version of Excel you are running. For example, if you are using Windows 10 and Excel 2016, the Autosave folder will be located in the “C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\” directory. In this folder, you will find files named “AutoRecover save of ” for each of the Excel documents that you have Autosaved.

2. How Often Does Excel Autosave Documents?

Answer: By default, Excel will automatically save your documents every 10 minutes. However, you can change this setting by going to File > Options > Save, and then adjusting the “Save AutoRecover information every” setting to whatever interval you prefer. If you set this option to 0 minutes, then Excel will not automatically save your documents at all.

3. How Do I Recover an Autosaved Excel File?

Answer: To recover an Autosaved Excel file, open the file in Excel and go to File > Info > Manage Versions. This will open the “Manage Versions” window, where you will be able to select the Autosave version that you want to recover. Clicking the “Recover” button will open the selected version and discard any changes that were made since the Autosave occurred.

4. Can I Change the Autosave Location?

Answer: Yes, you can change the Autosave location in Excel. To do this, go to File > Options > Save and click the “Browse” button next to the “AutoRecover file location” option. This will open a window where you can choose a new folder for the Autosave files to be stored. Once you have chosen a new folder, click “OK” to save your changes.

5. Does Excel Automatically Delete Old Autosave Files?

Answer: No, Excel does not automatically delete old Autosave files. The Autosave files will remain in the Autosave folder until you manually delete them, or until you change the Autosave location in Excel.

6. Does Autosaving Put My Computer at Risk?

Answer: No, Autosaving does not put your computer at risk. Autosaving is a feature that is designed to save your work in case of a power outage or system crash. As long as you are not storing sensitive information in your Excel documents, Autosaving should not put your computer at risk.

In conclusion, it is important to know where your autosaved Excel files are stored, as this knowledge can ensure that you don’t lose your important data. Autosaved files are stored in the default folder location, which is usually the same folder that contains the original Excel file. Additionally, you can manually change the folder location for storing autosaved files. With this knowledge, you can be confident that any changes you make are safely stored and can be retrieved when needed.