I seem to have lost docx file from earlier this year. Can I search for a file saved after a date?

Ray Gauden-Ing 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T00:44:07.1633333+00:00

I seem to have lost a file from earlier this year. Can I search for a file saved after a date?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 357.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-11-13T09:18:03.7266667+00:00

    If the file was synchronized with OneDrive, you can search OneDrive online via https://onedrive.live.com .

    However, many users are currently seeing problems with Microsoft services (see https://status.cloud.microsoft/ ), so you may want to wait for a while, before you attempt to recover anything.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-13T00:45:12.3366667+00:00

    Search the whole PC in File Explorer with ext:.docx modified:>01/01/2026, replacing the date with the earliest date the document could have been saved.

    Search by date

    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Select This PC in the left pane so Windows searches all available local drives.
    3. Enter one of these queries in the upper-right search box:
      • Files modified after a date: 
             ext:.docx modified:>01/01/2026
      • Files modified within a date range: 
             ext:.docx modified:01/01/2026..03/31/2026
      • Add part of the filename or a word that may appear in the document: 
             report ext:.docx modified:>01/01/2026

    Windows Search supports the modified property, > for “after,” and .. for a date range.^1^ The date should follow the format used by your Windows regional settings; on a US-configured PC, use MM/DD/YYYY.

    Change the results to View → Details, then sort by Date modified. When you find the document, right-click it and select Open file location. Microsoft also recommends searching from This PC when locating a missing file.^2^

    If the document is not found

    • If it was stored in OneDrive: search OneDrive on the web and check its Recycle bin. If the file exists but has the wrong contents, right-click it and select Version history. OneDrive supports restoring deleted files and previous versions of stored Office files.^3^
    • If it may never have been saved: in Word, go to File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents. Open any likely result and immediately select Save As.^4^
    • If Windows Search returns incomplete results: on Windows 11, open Settings → Privacy & security → Search → Advanced indexing options → Advanced → Troubleshoot search and indexing. Follow the troubleshooter, then repeat the search from This PC.^2^

    References

    1. Advanced Query Syntax
    2. [Windows 10](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/install-upgrade/find-lost-files-after-upgrading-windows#look-for-the-files-using-search)
    3. [Microsoft 365](https://support.microsoft.com/office/collab-files/save-back-up-and-recover-a-file-in-microsoft-office#back-up-and-recover-your-files)
    4. Recover an earlier version of a Word file | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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