Missing MS Word and Excel docs

Try these recovery paths in this order on the Mac:

1. Search from the Office app
   • Open Word or Excel.
   • Select File > Open.
   • Select Browse and search by full or partial file name, or text that may be in the file.
   • Also check Recent and use Show in Finder if the file appears there.
2. Search the Mac directly
   • Use Finder to search for the missing files.
   • Also check the Trash.
   • If the files were saved outside OneDrive or never synced, they may still be on local storage.
3. Check OneDrive on the web
   • Sign in to the OneDrive website and use Search everything.
   • Search with filename fragments and also descriptions, dates, or file types such as xls.
   • Check the Recycle bin on the left and restore anything found.
   • If more than one Microsoft account is used, sign out and check the other account too.
   • If Personal Vault is enabled, check there because those files do not appear in normal search results.
4. Try Word AutoRecover on Mac
   • In Finder, select Go > Go To Folder or press Shift + Command + G.
   • Check the Word AutoRecovery folder: /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
   • The folder is hidden, so the full path must be entered.
   • If recovered files appear when Word opens, save them immediately.
   • Important: if a file was closed normally and Don’t Save was selected, the AutoRecover copy is deleted.
5. If Word says the file cannot be opened or is blocked
   • In Word, install all available updates: Help > Check for Updates.
   • Then try File > Open.
   • Select the document once, then in the Open dropdown choose Recover Text and open it.
   • If it opens, save it as Word Document (.docx).
   • Formatting may change.
6. If the files were on OneDrive and disappeared recently
   • If a Microsoft 365 subscription is available, OneDrive may be restorable to an earlier point in time from Restore your OneDrive.
   • Caution: restoring sends files and folders created after the restore point date to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
7. If files still are not found
   • If files are not found in search, OneDrive, Recycle Bin, Trash, or AutoRecovery, recovery options are very limited.
   • For local Mac files, also check any backup source such as Time Machine if available.

• Open files from the File menu
• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive
• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive
• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive
• Recover files in Office for Mac
• Recover your Word files and documents
• Error: [Filename] uses a file type that is blocked from opening in this version