how to find previous version of a word document on a usb that has been copied and replaced

Stop using the USB drive immediately, then run Windows File Recovery in Extensive mode and save recovered files to a different drive; recovery is possible only if the old file’s data has not already been overwritten.

Recover the previous file from the USB

1. Do not copy, edit, delete, or save anything else on the USB. Continued use can overwrite recoverable data.^1^
2. Note the USB drive letter in File Explorer—for example, E:.
3. Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.
4. Connect another destination drive, or use the computer’s internal drive. The source and destination must be different drives.
5. Open Start, search for Windows File Recovery, and select Run as administrator.
6. Run the appropriate command, replacing E: with the USB letter and C: with the destination drive:

winfr E: C: /extensive /n *.docx /n *.doc

To search for a known part of the filename instead:

winfr E: C: /extensive /n *filename*

7. Enter Y when prompted. Examine the automatically created Recovery_<date and time> folder on the destination drive.

Extensive mode is required for FAT or exFAT devices and is also the thorough option for NTFS media. Check the USB’s file system by right-clicking the drive in File Explorer and selecting Properties.^1^

An overwritten file may be less recoverable than a deleted file because some or all of its old disk space may already contain the replacement file. If the first scan finds nothing, avoid further use of the USB; professional data recovery is the remaining option for an essential document.

Check Word’s local recovery cache

If the earlier document was recently open in Word on this computer, Word may have retained an AutoRecover copy:

1. Open Word.
2. Select File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents.
3. Open any likely version.
4. Immediately select Save As and save it to the computer—not the affected USB.

Also inspect File → Info → Manage Document for an entry labeled “when I closed without saving.” Select Compare first if available, or Restore if it is clearly the required version.^2^

AutoRecover primarily protects work interrupted before it was saved; it does not guarantee that Word retained a historical copy after one saved file replaced another.

Other conditional recovery paths

• If the original file was previously stored in OneDrive or SharePoint: open that original cloud location, right-click the file, and select Version History. USB-only files do not receive Microsoft 365 cloud version history.^3^
• If File History had already backed up the folder containing an earlier computer copy: in File Explorer, right-click that folder, select Restore previous versions, preview the available version, and use Restore to... to place it somewhere new. Do not select plain Restore unless replacing the current copy is acceptable, because that replacement cannot be undone.^4^
• If the current document is present but Word reports corruption: use File → Open → Browse, select it, open the arrow beside Open, and choose Open and Repair. This repairs the current file; it does not retrieve its overwritten contents.^5^

References

1. Windows File Recovery | Microsoft Support
2. Recover an earlier version of a Word file | Microsoft Support
3. How can i make a word document go back to the original version when I opened it up? - Microsoft Q&A
4. Backup and restore with File History | Microsoft Support
5. Open a document after a file corruption error | Microsoft Support