With the popular programs in the Microsoft 365 suite, such as Excel, Word or PowerPoint, users create work-intensive files every day. This is why it is so frustrating that a file is not saved or accidentally deleted . There are even unforeseen events, such as power loss or system freezing, which can cause documents to be closed prematurely without saving. Fortunately, there are several methods at your fingertips that will allow you to recover a PowerPoint that has not been saved. Next, we will explain step by step how to recover a PowerPoint file..
If you try to close a PowerPoint file without saving it, the system will prompt you. This notice informs you that the file will not be closed without saving the most recent changes until you confirm that action. Despite this precaution, unsaved programs can be closed and data lost. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances can cause a program to close without saving. However, there are several ways to recover unsaved PowerPoint.
Files from other Microsoft 365 programs can also be recovered in these types of situations: read more about this in our articles Recover Excel files and Recover Word files ..
In the so-called "temp" folder, Windows constantly registers temporary files. There is a possibility that the unsaved contents of your PowerPoint are in this folder.
Open File Explorer and enter the term? PPT * .tmp ? in the search bar. Now wait and see if the search returns any results..
When you save the file, PowerPoint adds a random number to the name. Since you don't know that number, you can use * as a wildcard.
If the PowerPoint file appears in File Explorer , you can rename it by adding .ptt to the end.
Then open the file to verify that it is the unsaved file you were looking for. To get the file back , simply save it to another folder on your computer.
Starting with the 2010 version of Office , PowerPoint offers a built-in feature to help you recover an unsaved PowerPoint. To use this feature, do the following:
Open the presentation program, click on the menu? Open? and select? Recent documents ? in the left menu bar.
Now, click? Recover unsaved presentations ? at the end of the list.
Now a folder will open where all the unsaved documents are located . If the file you're looking for is there, all you have to do is left-click and open it. Save the file as usual, and you can continue working on the document.
While you are working on a PowerPoint presentation, you can modify unwanted changes using the key combination [Ctrl] + [Z] . In this way, entire paragraphs can be retrieved with just a few clicks. But the moment you save the document and close it, this data is lost. Follow these steps to recover an old version of a PowerPoint file.
Right-click on a file and select? Older versions ? in the context menu that opens below. A new window will open in which the appropriate tab is already selected. In this window you can find older versions of your PowerPoint file, but only if a restore point is marked. Select one of those previous versions to recover a previous version of your document.
If you save your files in Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive or another type of cloud storage , you have one more alternative to recover an unsaved PowerPoint: look for the previous versions or the option to manage your old files and recover that file that you are searching.
In general, it is recommended to delete files that are no longer in use or that are out of date . In this way, the file system is kept clean and clear. But what to do if an important PowerPoint file is deleted?
When you delete a file, it is not completely removed from your system. At first, the deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin. Open it by double clicking on the trash can icon .
Enter the name of your PowerPoint file in the search field of the Recycle Bin.
Now use the right button to click on the file and select the option? Restore? on the menu. Your presentation will automatically reappear in the same folder that you deleted it from.
Saved a PowerPoint file, but now you can't open it? We teach you various methods to recover a corrupted PowerPoint file.
In most cases, it is not possible to know if what is damaged is the file itself or its location . If the file can be recovered by following the instructions below, the location is corrupted. In this case, it is recommended to restore all files in that folder and make a backup.
Open the folder where the file. Open the context menu with a right click on the file. Select the option? Copy? and save the file to the clipboard.
Then open any folder or create a new one. Paste the file by right clicking on a free section and selecting? Paste? in the context menu. You can also paste the file into the folder using the [Ctrl] + [V] key combination .
Try opening the file by double clicking. If possible, you can recover PowerPoint: what was damaged was the location where the file was originally.
But in many cases what is damaged is not the location, but the PowerPoint file itself . In this case, the program offers a practical function that allows you to insert the slides into a new file.
Open an empty PowerPoint presentation.
From the menu, select? Home? and then? New Slide? in the drop-down menu. Using the left mouse button, select the option? Reuse slides ?.
A field with the same title will appear on the right side. Click the button? Browse? and select the file you want to recover in Explorer. A preview of all the slides will appear . Left-click the slides to insert them into the new presentation. To fully recover the unsaved PowerPoint file , right-click to open the context menu and select the "Insert all slides" option.
Once you've pasted all the slides, be sure to save the file to a new location.
If a PowerPoint file doesn't open normally, try starting PowerPoint in safe mode . To do this, press the control key [Ctrl] and, with it held down, double-click on the PowerPoint file. Answer yes? in the confirmation window to open the presentation in safe mode.
Most Office programs can be opened in safe mode using this technique.
Now, you can check for a problem with the file before saving it under a new name.
Despite the various options for recovering a PowerPoint file, success cannot be guaranteed. This is why it is important to use the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl] + [S] while working. With this key combination, you save your file and make sure your work is not lost.
As of version 2010 , PowerPoint integrates a feature that automatically records open presentations . We show you how to activate this function and thus avoid losing your files.
Activate the feature in the PowerPoint menu bar (Microsoft 365 users only) by moving the switch to? AutoSave ON.?
If you activate the function in the "Options" area, you will find additional parameters that you can configure. Select the button? File? on the menu. Then click on? Options? and then on? Save ?. Activates the function ? Save AutoRecover information every ...? and enter the desired time interval for automatic recovery. If you enable the option ? Save the last autosaved version when it closes without saving? , you will avoid losing data if you accidentally close the PowerPoint file without saving it. If necessary, you can also set the file location to find the recovery files easier.
Use the entire Microsoft 365 Office suite and take advantage of all its benefits, such as five installations per user, updated versions, SSL / TLS encryption, etc.