Autorecover is an Excel’s inbuilt tool that automatically saves the backup copy of your Excel file in case the program crashes or closes unexpectedly.
The feature is helpful in preventing data loss and minimizing the disruptions to your workflow.
However, at times this feature refuses to work and lead to unexpected data loss. But there is nothing to worry about. In this article, I am going to discuss about how to fix Excel autorecover not working issue.
If you are recently dealing with this problem then read out this whole blog carefully. Here, you’ll get some of the best ways to solve autorecover not working issue in Excel.
Along with the solutions, I will also lead you know the causes of autorecover feature not working issue.
So, without wasting any more time, let move ahead:
Possible Reasons behind Excel Autorecover Not Working Issue:
There could be several reasons why Excel’s auto-recover feature is not working.
Here are some possible causes of this issue:
- Auto-recover feature is not enabled
- Your Excel file might get corrupted
- Auto-recover location is not set
- Excel crashes before auto-recover can save the file:
- Excel is not updated.
How To Fix Excel Autorecover Not Working Issue?
Here are the few fixes trying which you will able to make your autorecover feature work again.
Way #1: Check If the Auto-Recover Feature Is Disabled
Generally, the auto-recover feature is enabled in Excel by default, but it’s possible that this feature might be disabled.
To check if the feature is enabled or not, you need to follow the below given steps:
- Open your Excel workbook
- Then, go to the File menu and choose
- Next, click on Save.
- Here, you need to make sure that the “Save AutoRecover information every X minutes” box is checked and that the time interval is set to your desired value.
- And finally, click OK to save the changes.
Way #2: Fix Your Corrupted Excel File using Open & Repair Tool
A corrupted or damaged Excel file could often lead to Excel autorecover not working issue. You can repair the corrupted Excel file by using the Excel’s inbuilt tool.
Steps to be followed to fix the corrupted file in Excel:
Step 1: Firstly, you need to open a blank Excel sheet
Step 2: Then, click on File and choose Open.
Step 3: From here, you need to browse the folder that contains the corrupted file.
Step 4: Choose all the corrupted/damaged Excel file in Open dialog box then click on the arrow next to Open button.
Step 5: At last, click on “Open and Repair” & choose “Repair” to fix your damaged file.
Way #3: Check the Auto-Recover Location
MS Excel saves your auto-recover files in a specific location on your PC. If the location is not set, Excel may not be able to save the auto-recover files.
To check if the location is set, go to the File menu, click Options, and then click Save. Here, you need to look for the “AutoRecover file location” box and make sure a valid file path is entered.
Way #4: Check for the Updates
Sometimes, Excel AutoRecover feature is not working issue may also occur due to bugs and issues in Excel. To fix this issue, you need to make sure that you have the latest updates installed for Excel.
How to Avoid Data Loss in Excel?
Read out the below given tips carefully to avoid the data loss circumstances.
- Make sure that the AutoRecover feature should be always enabled to automatically save the backup of your file.
- While working on Excel, keep saving your files at regular interval.
- If you have accidentally deleted your Excel data, then make use of the Undo feature to revert the changes.
Time to Sum Up
Excel autorecover not working issue may occur when your Excel file gets corrupted or damaged or if a user has mistakenly turned off the auto-recover feature.
No matter whatever the reason is, the afore-mentioned solutions will help you in all scenarios. So, keep implementing the given solutions one by one until and unless your Auto-recover feature started work again.
Also, check out the prevention tips to avoid data loss in Excel.
