Windows XP is my OS and I have just 'lost' a spreadsheet.Used 'SEARCH' and found shortcut.It no longer works?

Question

When I was using the 'disc' icon to save an entry a message appeared telling me there was no more disc space.I minimised the spreadsheet and later closed it from the bottom toolbar.Instead of asking me if I wanted to save the changes I had made it just closed the file and disappeared.I tried a system restore to a previous checkpoint but all was still the same.Any ideas???

Answer 1

Check the Recycle bin.

Answer 2

Apparently you did not save first time round because if lack of space. However, even though you closed the file from the task bar, if it didn't prompt you to save indicates it must have saved somewhere, unless the message did come up and you said no. It could possibly just be called Book1 if you did not have opportunity to give it logical name. Whatever files you have worked on recently should show up in the submenu at the bottom of the file menu. Open Excel again,click on File and look at the bottom of the list and see if your file is there. If you have been opening several since that time while looking, you may have to increase the number of files displayed (Tools, Options, General and increase the number of files displayed). Another way, of course, is Start (on the task bar up and across to Recent Documents and a list of all recent documents should appear.to the right. You could try searching My Documents because unless you have specified otherwise, all files would by default be saved into there. Another way to try and find is Start, Search, All files and folders and type in *.xls so it brings up all Excel files on the hard drive. I am assuming that was where you were attempting to save to, or did you have a memory stick or other portable storage device in. Hope you have success.

Answer 3

It may well be lost. Since you didn't save it before you closed it the changes certainly are not saved. If you had the document saved on your machine and opened it, made the changes and then closed it, the changes will not be there, but the earlier document should be there.

If you don't have Google's free "Desktop" (http://desktop.google.com/) you might find it helpful in doing a search for the document. You can even search for text or a specific string of numbers that are contained in the document...if you happen to remember any.

Windows "System Restore" only alters system program items and doesn't have any effect on data files.

Answer 4

I can see the problem there ..the spreadsheet contains a lot of data and you'll need a lot of disc space. You will have to delete a lot of programmes for the spreadsheet to go on.

Answer 5

If autorecover is on (and I think that's the default), the file should be located somewhere in here:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\

The "" would be your user account that you logged into. Otherwise, it should be in your "documents and settings" directory somewhere.

Answer 6

it is in your documents and it is most likely a .tmp file