Solutions: Find Previous Version of Word Documents

How to find previous version of Word documents? This article can help you restore previous version of Word document if you have regretted the modification.

Lora

By Lora / Updated on April 3, 2024

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Can I retrieve a previous version of a Word document?

When editing content with Microsoft Word, people are prone to meet unexpected errors and accidents even if they are prudent. Word document deletion, overwriting, crash before saving, etc.

Many users are bothered by the question of how to recover unsaved Word documents. In addition, file deletion and modification regrets are also common.

Some of them are in need of methods to find previous version of Word documents to discard the newly-modified contents.

   
   
   
       

Retrieve previous version of documents

       

I accidentally hit "save" instead of "save as" and need the earlier version of this document. Is there any way I can do that?

       

- Question from Wordbanter

   

If one wants to revert Word document to previous version, what to do?

find-previous-version-of-word-document

How to find previous version of Word documents?

This section offers 2 feasible methods to recover previous version of Word document. If the old version of Word file was deleted already, please head over to the next part.

Solution 1. Restore previous version of Word document via Manage Documents

Microsoft Word offers an in-built feature to help users manage their file versions. With AutoSave enabled, it automatically stores the doc every 10 minutes by default.

Notes:✎...
This method is pretty limited, only working when you have not closed the window yet. 
If you have clicked “Save” and closed the file, the versions folder would be empty.

Step 1. Click File > Info > Versions > choose a version you like.

file-info-choose-file-version

Step 2. Click Compare to decide which version to keep. Or click Restore to get your wanted content back.

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If you have closed the windows already, check the next solution.

Solution 2. Revert Word document to earlier date via Previous Versions

The Previous Versions feature would be of help as well. Users could restore previous version of file to get the saved over content back; also, it can help users revert a folder to its earlier status to recover deleted files.

Step 1. Click File Explorer > find and right-click the target Word document> Properties.

Step 2. Choose the latest or needed version > Restore.

word-file-choose-previous-version-click-restore

Find previous version of Word document after deletion

The 2 methods above are to help you recover previous version of Word document when the doc is still available. If you have already removed the older version, how to recover previous version of Word document quickly?

To recover deleted Word files quickly and easily, using an efficient Windows data recovery tool will be a great idea due to its efficiency and convenience.

Among many eligible apps, MyRecover is your best choice since it is competent, convenient, comprehensive, and compatible.

Restore deleted and lost Word documents easier
  • Competent: designed and supported by a sophisticated team with over 10 years of experience.
  • Convenient: recover deleted and lost data in 3 steps and within several minutes.
  • Comprehensive: restore 200+ types of data, applying to comprehensive data loss situations from deletion, disk formatting, system crash, viruses, etc.
  • Compatible: support Windows 11/10/8/7/Server, and NTFS/exFAT/FAT32/ReFS, etc.
Download SoftwareWin 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Follow the instruction to restore previous version of Word document after a deletion with ease.

Step 1. Run the software > hover the mouse over the source disk where the Word doc was saved > click Scan.

select-location-to-scan

Step 2. During the process, you could search the wanted Word doc by Type, Date modified, etc.

scanning-drive

Step 3. Go and select the Word files you need > click Recover x files

select-deleted-word-files-to-restore

This powerful tool could help restore deleted WordPad files as well.

Related Q&A

To find previous version of Word document, check the tutorial in this post. The Manage Versions feature and the previous versions could help you. To make it easier, choose a reliable data rescue tool.

More related info is prepared in case you need it.

Lora
Lora · Editor
Lora is an editor of AOMEI Technology. She is also a tester and editor of AOMEI Data Recovery Tools. -- "Keep testing, write the most useful tutorials for helping people recover the lost data for Windows and phones" is the most meaningful thing for her. Dedicated to creating helpful tutorials, she hopes her tutorial can assist users to effortlessly solve data loss problems on their personal computers and mobile phones.