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kevinstaake's avatar
kevinstaake
New member | Level 2
6 years ago

Didn't Save, Need to Recover File

Hi there. I'd been working on an Excel doc on desktop Dropbox and accidentally closed the program without saving. Now I've lost 4 hours of progress and can only restore to the version I last saved at...
FAQ
Restore
Security
Team admin
Third Party Integrations
  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    6 years ago
    Hey there (kevinstaake), sorry to hear that you couldn’t locate the file version you were looking for. As an initial pointer, I’d suggest checking back at the Version History of the file in question on your account online (tip: it’s on the on the 💬 of your excel). From there, I’m wondering if the version you’re looking for was saved back on the Recents of the app you used to modify your spreadsheet. Can you have a second look on whether this applies? 
     
    It may be worth mentioning that Dropbox is a syncing tool that mirrors ( :computer: ▶️ 🕸️ ▶️ :iphone:) any changes made to your content on your account online & across your devices Kevin, whereas the Autosave functionality pertains specifically to the third party app you used to edit your spreadsheet. 
     
    In any event, please do keep me updated here on the results you’re getting on your end & I’ll do my best to follow-up with you. Thanks again for posting your question on our Community! 
gwrevare's avatar
gwrevare
Explorer | Level 4

Today I was editing a Microsoft Word file. I saved then closed the file, then opened it again to find it had reverted to a version from 6 hours ago. 

There is nothing under version history besides one from earlier today (6 hours ago) and one last night. The entire day's work has been erased. I'm certain I was connected to the internet, and I saved multiple times while editing. The DB events list shows the above versions, nothing recent. Windows' internal "Restore previous versions" feature is empty. 

Jane's avatar
Jane
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
6 years ago
Hey gwrevare, kindly note that I moved your inquiry under this discussion, just so as to point you to the initial checks we’ve included on our posts with Rich. That said, if you haven’t been able to locate the version you’re looking for in Version History, then your best next step should checking whether you can retrieve your missing edits within Microsoft Word’s Recents. 
 
Please have a look my suggestions at your earliest convenience & let me know how you get on with these steps or if you have further questions in your next reply here. Thanks! 
  • gwrevare's avatar
    gwrevare
    Explorer | Level 4
    6 years ago

    Thanks for the help. So far, no solution. I've tried Microsoft's recover unsaved changes (blank) and previous versions (also blank) 

    Microsoft support's service says:

    "Version history in Office only works for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint Online. If you don't see this option it's possible your file is stored in a different service or on a local device."

    Is this true? Does Microsoft's version history not work at all if your file is stored in dropbox?

    • Jane's avatar
      Jane
      Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
      6 years ago
      Thanks for circling back to me on this matter gwrevare; let’s take it from where we’ve left off! 
       
      It looks like we’re starting to connect the dots, however let me briefly clarify that each application retains its own versioning scheme. That said, if you’re working on a file you’ve stored on your Dropbox folder & you save your changes, then these should be reflected in Dropbox as well. If you can’t see the most Up-To-Date version of your docs in Dropbox, then this denotes that there’s probably an underlying syncing issue. 
       
      Unlinking & relinking your account on your desktop once can be helpful as a quick fix, since it recreates the local database. Would you mind giving it a go at your earliest convenience? When you do so, could you have a look at your overlay icons to see if your files are syncing correctly :arrows_counterclockwise:/:white_check_mark:?
       
      From there, I’m wondering if you’ve also enquired to Microsoft regarding your missing edits by any chance, as I’m suspecting that this version hasn’t been synced to Dropbox so your best bet would be checking whether it can be retrieved within Microsoft Word. 
       
      I hope that this is helpful to some extent- please let me know if you make any progress on your end or you have any follow-up questions!
      • gwrevare's avatar
        gwrevare
        Explorer | Level 4
        6 years ago

        I unlinked then signed back into dropbox. Now none of my syncing icons are working. 

    • Tamie's avatar
      Tamie
      Helpful | Level 5
      6 years ago

      I had this exact same issue today. I had saved my word doc multiple times, working with my word doc in Dropbox. Then, I accidentally dropped my computer and the screen went blank. I restarted the computer, and when I opened my word doc, it only showed the version saved at 10:15 that morning, as if I hadn't saved it after that time. And Word also showed no previous versions. (That option was greyed out in Word.) So I"m afraid that the autosave function doesn't work if your document is in Dropbox. I've lost six hours of work, and now I don't trust dropbox. 

      • Jane's avatar
        Jane
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        6 years ago
        Hey Tamie, sorry to hear you’re feeling this way. Kindly note that after a crash or unexpected shutdown, the “Document Recovery Pane” should appear on the left when you start up Word, showing you work that might not have been saved; I’m wondering whether you got that once you relaunched Microsoft Word. 
         
        From there, I ran a search on our system & I could see that you’ve chatted in to my colleague, where you’ve made some progress together, so it would be best to gather all relevant details under the same email chain for convenience’ sake. 
         
        While I’ve now made sure to include a copy of your comments & I’ve increased your support priority internally, I remain at your entire disposal should you need more help in any way. Thanks! 

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