How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

When we handle a vast dataset in Excel, sometimes it becomes required for us to get the earlier version of our spreadsheet. Besides it, sometimes we accidentally close our file without saving it. Excel has amazing features to get back those types of files. If you are also interested to know how to recover the previous version of the Excel file, then download the practice workbook and follow us.


Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbook for practice while you are reading this article.


4 Easy Methods to Recover Previous Version of Excel File

To demonstrate the approaches of recover the previous version of an Excel file, we consider a dataset of 10 text strings. So, our data set is in the range of cells B5:B14.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

The name of our worksheet is Recover Previous Version of Excel File.xlsx. We will try to get the earlier version of this file.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365


1. Recovering from Version History

We can get the previous version of our spreadsheet from Excel’s built-in feature called Version History. For recovering a file by this option, you have to always keep your Autosave feature On. The steps of this process are given below:

📌 Steps:

  • First of all, select File > Info.
  • After that, select the Version History option.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • A side window called Version History will appear on the right side of our spreadsheet.
  • Then, in this box, click on the Open version option to open the earlier version of our Excel file.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • Finally, you will see that the previous version of your Excel file is opened, Now, click Restore to save the file in your desired location on your computer.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

Thus, we can say that our working method worked successfully and we are able to recover the previous version of our Excel file.

Read More: How to Recover Overwritten Excel File with No Previous Version


2. Retrieve Previous Version from Manage Workbook Option

An Excel built-in feature called Manage Workbook can also help us to retrieve the previous version of our Excel file. Using this option we can also open the unsaved file and save it. The procedure of this process is explained below:

📌 Steps:

  • At the beginning of this process, select File > Info.
  • Now, select the drop-down arrow of the option Manage Workbook.
  • After that, choose the option Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • A dialog box entitled Open will appear.
  • Then, select the file and click Open. The file will open in Excel.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • The file will open in Microsoft Excel.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • After that, in the File tab, select the Save As command to save the file at your desired location.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

So, we can say that our process worked successfully and we are able to recover the previous version of the Excel file.

Read More:How to Undo Changes in Excel after Save and Close (2 Easy Methods)


Similar Readings

  • Recover Corrupted Excel Files from USB (4 Quick Methods)
  • How to Auto Backup Excel File (2 Easy Methods)
  • Recover Corrupted Excel Files from USB (4 Quick Methods)
  • How to Recover a Deleted Excel File (5 Effective Ways)

3. Using File Properties to Get File

The previous version of an Excel file can also restore from the Properties option of your device. For that, you must have to keep Turn On the File History option on your device. Otherwise, you cannot able to use this method. Follow these steps to recover your previous version of the Excel file:

📌 Steps:

  • Select the file on your device.
  • Now, right-click on your mouse and choose the Properties option. You can also press ‘Ctrl+Enter’ on your keyboard to launch the dialog box.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • A dialog box called Recover Previous Version of Excel File Properties will appear.
  • Then, select the Previous Versions tab.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • After that, select your desired file from the list of earlier versions of that life and click Open.
  • Finally, click OK to close the dialog box.
  • You will see Mircosoft Excel will open the file.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

In the end, we can say following the steps properly you can recover the previous version of your Excel file.

Read More: How to Find Backup Files in Excel (5 Easy Methods)


4. Recover Unsaved File from Document Recovery

Sometimes our Excel file accidentally closes without final saving due to power failure or hardware failure. In this case, Excel automatically provides you the option once to recover your file data.  If you don’t recover your file at that time, it will get lost forever from your device’s memory. It is a very easy process. The steps of this method are shown below as follows:

📌 Steps:

  • Carefully, double-click on that file with your mouse to open it.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • As the file opens, a side window titled Document Recovery will appear on the left side of your spreadsheet.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • Now, click on the drop-down arrow beside the file name shown in that window and click on the View option. The file will open in Excel and you will see the last modification done before the failure.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • Again, click on the drop-down arrow beside the file name shown in that window and select Save As to save the file at your desired location.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • Besides it, you can go from the File > Save As to save the file.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

  • Finally, click on Close to close the window.

How to recover previous version of excel file office 365

At last, we can say that through this process you can recover the previous version of an unsaved file.

Read More: [Fixed:] Unsaved Excel File Not in Recovery


Conclusion

That’s the end of this article. I hope that this article will be helpful for you and you will be able to recover the previous version of the Excel file. If you have any further queries or recommendations, please share them with us in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to check our website ExcelDemy for several Excel-related problems and solutions. Keep learning new methods and keep growing!


  • How to Recover File after Crash in Excel (4 Methods)
  • Backup Excel Files to a Flash Drive (4 Useful Methods)
  • How to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files Online
  • Recover Excel File Password (2 Easy Ways)

Can you restore previous versions in Excel?

If the file has previous versions, you'll see a button called Version History. Select it to open the pane. Select a version to view it. Once you've chosen the one to restore, select Restore at the top to restore it.

How do you recover an Excel file that was accidentally overwritten?

How to Recover Overwritten Excel File with Built-in Tool in Excel.
Open Excel, and click "File" > "Info" > "Manage Workbook". Click "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" from the drop-down menu..
Select the unsaved file and click the "Open" button..
Then, choose "Save As" in the bar at the top of the file to recover it..

How can I recover a file I accidentally saved over?

Restore Previous Versions (PC) – In Windows, if you right-click on a file, and go to “Properties,” you will see an option titled “Previous Versions.” This option can help you revert to a version of your file before the overwrite occurred, allowing you to get your data back.