What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Start by identifying what happened: a saved document may still be in Finder Trash, a cloud recycle bin, or a Time Machine backup; unsaved edits after a crash may be in Word’s AutoRecovery files. Check those sources before trying anything else. Recovery depends on a copy still existing—no method can guarantee restoration of a file permanently deleted without a backup or surviving cloud copy.
Choose the recovery route that matches what happened
| What happened | First place to check | What it can recover |
|---|---|---|
| A saved document was deleted from the Mac | Finder Trash, then Time Machine | A local copy still in Trash, or a version included in an existing backup |
| A document stored in a cloud service was deleted | The service’s web recovery area, such as OneDrive Recycle bin or iCloud Recently Deleted | A cloud copy still within the service’s recovery period |
| Word or the Mac closed unexpectedly before you saved edits | Word’s Document Recovery pane or AutoRecovery folder | Unsaved work Word retained after the unexpected shutdown |
| A document exists but will not open correctly | Word’s Recover Text option | Readable text from some damaged files; it does not undelete files |
If you are unsure where the document was stored, check the locations you actually use. A OneDrive or iCloud document may be synchronized across devices, while a file stored only in a local folder will not have a cloud copy unless you backed it up.
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1. Look in Finder Trash
- Open Trash from the Dock.
- Find the
.docor.docxfile. If you recognize it, Control-click or right-click it and choose Put Back. - Open the document from its restored location and confirm it is the version you need.
Put Back returns the file to its original location when possible. This route cannot restore an item that has already been removed permanently from Trash. For a OneDrive file deleted from its synchronized Mac folder, check local Trash too; a file deleted online or marked as online-only may not be there.
2. Recover unsaved edits with Word
Word’s Document Recovery and AutoRecovery features are intended for work lost when Word or the Mac closes unexpectedly—not for recovering a saved file that was deleted. Reopen Word after an unexpected shutdown. If an AutoRecover file is available, Word normally opens the Document Recovery pane.
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- In the recovery pane, compare the document names and timestamps to identify the most likely version.
- Open that version and check that it contains the edits you need.
- Immediately use File > Save As to save a copy under a clear name in a known location.
If the recovery pane does not appear, use Finder’s Go > Go to Folder and enter /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery, replacing <username> with your Mac account’s short name. The Library folder is hidden during ordinary Finder navigation. Microsoft describes this AutoRecovery path for current Word for Mac versions, but the folder can vary by Word version or configuration; if it is absent, consult Microsoft’s current Word recovery instructions and Word settings.
AutoRecovery is not a backup. Microsoft says that if you close a file and choose Don’t Save, Office deletes its AutoRecover file because it assumes the file is not needed. AutoSave availability also depends on the Microsoft 365 subscription and how the file is stored; it should not be treated as a guaranteed recovery copy.
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3. Restore a deleted OneDrive document
- Sign in to OneDrive on the web.
- Open Recycle bin, select the document, and choose Restore.
- If the file was deleted from the synchronized OneDrive folder on your Mac, check Finder Trash as well.
Microsoft’s current guidance gives personal OneDrive accounts a 30-day recovery window. For work or school accounts, the default is 93 days unless an administrator has changed the retention setting. These periods depend on account type and configuration; a file permanently deleted from the OneDrive Recycle bin cannot be restored through that bin.
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- Check Finder Trash first.
- Go to iCloud Drive on the web, open Recently Deleted, select the file, and choose Recover.
- If needed, visit iCloud Data Recovery and choose Restore Files.
Apple says eligible iCloud Drive files can generally be recovered for 30 days. A file permanently removed earlier cannot be restored through Recently Deleted or the restore-files flow. While iCloud recovery is running, do not edit or delete iCloud Drive items; Apple warns that changes can interrupt the process. Deletions can sync across devices signed in to the same Apple Account, so check the web recovery area rather than assuming another device still holds an untouched copy.
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5. Restore a file or older version with Time Machine
Time Machine can restore deleted files and older versions only if a suitable backup was made before the loss and is still available. Connect the backup disk or make sure your backup destination is accessible, then:
- In Finder, open the folder where the document was stored.
- Open Time Machine from the menu bar, or search for Time Machine in Spotlight and start the backup search.
- Browse to a date before the deletion or unwanted edits.
- Select the document and choose Restore.
Apple’s Time Machine recovery guide covers restoring files and older versions. A backup drive purchased after the loss cannot supply an earlier copy; it becomes useful for recovery only after backups have been created.
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6. Try Recover Text for a damaged document
If the document has not been deleted but Word cannot read it, Microsoft’s Recover Text option may extract readable content. This is a damage-recovery measure, not a way to restore a file emptied from Trash or removed from cloud storage.
- In Word, open Word > Preferences and enable Confirm file format conversion at Open if that option is available in your version.
- Choose File > Open, select the damaged document, then choose Recover Text in the open dialog’s file-format options.
- Review the extracted content and save it as a new document.
What if you emptied Trash or no recovery source has a copy?
Check the relevant cloud recovery area and any Time Machine backups before concluding that no copy remains. If Finder Trash is empty, the cloud item is permanently deleted, and no backup contains the document, Apple’s and Microsoft’s documented recovery paths do not guarantee restoration of a local file. Data-recovery software is a separate last-resort category, but success depends on the Mac’s storage state; no particular utility or outcome is established here. Avoid writing new data to the affected storage if you are considering professional recovery, and do not rely on an unverified tool as a sure fix.
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Protect recovered documents and reduce the risk of another loss
- Save a recovered file immediately to a known folder with a new, recognizable name.
- Keep a separate backup, such as a configured Time Machine backup, rather than relying only on the working copy.
- For cloud-stored documents, confirm the file is present in the intended account and allow synchronization to finish before closing the Mac.
- After recovering a version, open it and inspect the contents before replacing another copy.
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