Lost Excel documents can put you in trouble, especially if they contain important office records, business information, or other types of vital information. Whether your file is deleted by mistake or due to reasons like drive formatting, sudden system crashes, etc., there’s no need to worry. Fortunately, there are multiple free data recovery methods to get your Excel files back.
This step-by-step guide explores the reasons for deleting Excel files and how to recover deleted Excel files on Windows PC. Just try these methods one by one to restore your files easily, with or without backup. Let’s get started!
Common Reasons for Excel File Loss on Windows
Before diving into free data recovery methods to restore your lost Excel files, try understanding the exact reason for your data loss. Some main reasons why Excel files get deleted on Windows PC include:
- Accidental deletion: You may’ve accidentally deleted files from your Windows PC while removing other files and folders.
- System Crashes or Power Failure: Unexpected shutdowns or crashes while working on an Excel file can cause data loss or file corruption if the file wasn’t saved properly.
- Virus or Malware Attack: Malicious programs like viruses or malware can delete, corrupt, or encrypt Excel files, making them inaccessible.
- File System Corruption: Any error in the Windows file system, which generally occurs due to improper shutdowns or disk errors, can result in missing or inaccessible files.
- Improper Software Closure: Closing Excel files abruptly may introduce software glitches that can corrupt files or prevent your work from being saved properly.
Quick Methods to Recover Deleted Excel Files
Now that you are familiar with the reasons for the deletion of Excel files, it’s time to explore different Windows data recovery methods to restore them. Just go with the following methods one by one to get your files back:
Method 01: Recover Deleted Excel Files from Recycle Bin
Every deleted file on the Windows PC goes to the Recycle Bin folder and remains there until permanently erased. Before applying advanced recovery methods to restore your lost Excel file, it’s important to check the Recycle Bin folder. For this:
- Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop to launch it.
- Search for your deleted Excel file using the file name or extension (.xls, .xlsx).
- Once found, right-click on that file and select Restore.
- This will save the selected file to its original location.
Method 02: Restore Using File History Backups
If your deleted Excel file is not in the Recycle Bin folder, then it might have been permanently removed from your device. In such a case, you can use previously created backups or third-party free data recovery software to get your files back. Windows OS offers a built-in File History feature that, when enabled, automatically creates regular backups of your files, making it easier to recover them when needed.
Follow the below steps to recover deleted Excel files on Windows using the File History backup utility:
- Firstly, type Restore File in the search box located on the taskbar.
- Select Restore your files with File History from the context menu. Or, launch the Control Panel and go to File History > Restore personal files.
- Browse through the backup version of your lost Excel files and select the one you need to restore.
- Click Restore to recover the file to its original location.
Method 03: Recover Excel Files Using Cloud Backups
If you’ve saved your Excel file in cloud backups like OneDrive, Google Drive, etc., there’s a high chance to recover it. These cloud platforms automatically back up your files and keep deleted items in their Recycle Bin or Trash folder for a certain period (usually 30 days). To restore your files using these backups:
Recover Excel Files from OneDrive:
- Open a web browser, go to onedrive.live.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Now, click the Recycle Bin from the left panel to view deleted files.
- Browse or search for your deleted Excel file (.xls or .xlsx).
- Select the file you want and click Restore to save it to its original OneDrive folder.
Recover Using Google Drive:
- Visit drive.google.com and log in to your account.
- Click Trash or Bin from the left sidebar.
- Locate the deleted Excel file that you need to restore.
- Right-click on that file and select Restore to save the selected file to its original Google Drive location.
Method 04: Recover Deleted Excel Files Using Free Data Recovery Software
Ever wondered what if you don’t have a backup of your deleted Excel files on Windows PC? In such a case, you can use free data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Free to get your deleted Excel files back. This is an all-in-one data recovery tool which supports the recovery of files deleted due to several reasons, including accidental deletion, formatting, system errors, and many more.
The Stellar Data Recovery Free software supports the recovery of up to 1 GB of files for free. This software can recover files deleted from any internal or external storage devices, such as SD cards, memory cards, USB drives, etc. You can use this tool to recover not only Excel files but also photos, videos, documents, and many more of various formats.
Here’s how to recover deleted Excel files on Windows using this free data recovery software:
Step 1: Download the Stellar Data Recovery Free software from its official website and install it on your computer.
Step 2: Launch the software and select Office Documents (as you need to restore lost Excel files). Click Next to continue.
Step 3: Now, choose the drive or folder from where the Excel files were deleted and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.
Step 4: Once the scan completes, preview the recoverable files and select the ones you want. Click Recover to save them to the desired location on your PC.
Note: Save the recovered Excel file to a different storage location, since saving it to the same drive may overwrite existing data and reduce the chances of successful recovery
Wrapping Up
If you ever find an Excel file deleted from your Windows PC, go with the aforementioned free data recovery methods one by one to restore it. Start with simple steps like checking the Recycle Bin, then move on to previously created backups using built-in tools or cloud services such as OneDrive or Google Drive. Moreover, if you don’t have any backup, use third-party free data recovery software tools like Stellar Data Recovery Free to restore your deleted Excel files.
To avoid such data loss in the future, always enable Excel’s AutoSave, maintain regular backups, and protect your system from crashes or malware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it Possible to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel files on Windows?
Yes, if your file is permanently deleted from your Windows PC, use backups (File History or OneDrive) or a professional data recovery tool like Stellar Data Recovery Free to restore it.
How to Recover Deleted Excel Files Using OneDrive?
To restore files from OneDrive, visit onedrive.live.com and go to the Recycle Bin. Find your deleted Excel file and click Restore. This will restore the selected file to its original OneDrive folder.
Is Free Data Recovery Software Safe to Restore Excel Files?
Some reliable free data recovery software, like Stellar Data Recovery Free, is 100% safe and secure. It offers recovering deleted or lost Excel files without risking data corruption or compromising your system’s security.
