Anne Troy
02-19-2003, 03:10 AM
This little feature is not the be-all and end-all that people would like it to be. It has its flaws and most users are not aware of them.
Most importantly, if Word or your PC locks up on you, and you have not saved your work, DO NOT end the task. If you end the task, the autorecovery file is GONE. First, attempt to close all of the other programs, saving your files, if possible. If that is not possible, then hit the Power button on your PC. This is the ONLY way to have Word create that autorecovery file. Again, if you end task on Word, you LOSE the autorecovery feature.
After you power your PC up again, the very first thing you should do is open Word. As long as you did not end task, your document should appear in the Word window, ready for you to save.
Occasionally, you can recover your file anyway, even if Word does not do it for you. Hit Start-Find or Search-Files or folders. Type in *.tmp,~*.* and hit Enter. If you find that one of the files that appear are of a significant size, and were created at the approximate time of your crash, you can TRY this: Right-click the file and hit Rename. Give the file a name you can recognize and also a DOC extension. Then copy the file to a location you’re familiar with, like My Documents or your Desktop. Try opening the file directly from Word. You may find that this is your file and some or all of your work is recoverable. Though this method does not always work, the time investment is definitely worthwhile. If you find more than a few of these files in the list, it is an indication that your hard drive needs to be cleaned up.
Most importantly, if Word or your PC locks up on you, and you have not saved your work, DO NOT end the task. If you end the task, the autorecovery file is GONE. First, attempt to close all of the other programs, saving your files, if possible. If that is not possible, then hit the Power button on your PC. This is the ONLY way to have Word create that autorecovery file. Again, if you end task on Word, you LOSE the autorecovery feature.
After you power your PC up again, the very first thing you should do is open Word. As long as you did not end task, your document should appear in the Word window, ready for you to save.
Occasionally, you can recover your file anyway, even if Word does not do it for you. Hit Start-Find or Search-Files or folders. Type in *.tmp,~*.* and hit Enter. If you find that one of the files that appear are of a significant size, and were created at the approximate time of your crash, you can TRY this: Right-click the file and hit Rename. Give the file a name you can recognize and also a DOC extension. Then copy the file to a location you’re familiar with, like My Documents or your Desktop. Try opening the file directly from Word. You may find that this is your file and some or all of your work is recoverable. Though this method does not always work, the time investment is definitely worthwhile. If you find more than a few of these files in the list, it is an indication that your hard drive needs to be cleaned up.