Word Auto-Recovery Not Available after Auto Update Reboot?

I am pretty livid right now.

I was working on a Word document yesterday. I hadn't saved it yet and went
to bed with Word open. My computer performed an automated update during the
night and rebooted my machine. I opened Word and there were no AutoRecover
documents. I went into tools, options, and verified AutoRecover was set to
save every 10 minutes (I was working on the document for a couple hours).
There are no files in the Auto Recovery folder! I looks for ~.* files
modified within the last 2 days. I was able to find an Office scratch files
(~WRSxxxx.tmp) but it is garbage when I open it in Word, but I can see text
mingled in the garbage from the document I lost! I was also able to find a
~WRF file created the same day but it is a much smaller file and doesn't have
any of the text in it, it's just garbage.

If AutoRecover is set to 10 minutes, how in the heck could I have lost the
file. THANK YOU Windows Update.

Help!

Well, I'm happy. For some reason, when you go to Tools, Options and File
Loctions and click on the Auto Recovery path, there were no files. But I did
a search on all hard drives for .asd files and located the recovery document.
Weird. At least a happy ending.

"JJ" wrote:

> I am pretty livid right now.
>
> I was working on a Word document yesterday. I hadn't saved it yet and went
> to bed with Word open. My computer performed an automated update during the
> night and rebooted my machine. I opened Word and there were no AutoRecover
> documents. I went into tools, options, and verified AutoRecover was set to
> save every 10 minutes (I was working on the document for a couple hours).
> There are no files in the Auto Recovery folder! I looks for ~.* files
> modified within the last 2 days. I was able to find an Office scratch files
> (~WRSxxxx.tmp) but it is garbage when I open it in Word, but I can see text
> mingled in the garbage from the document I lost! I was also able to find a
> ~WRF file created the same day but it is a much smaller file and doesn't have
> any of the text in it, it's just garbage.
>
> If AutoRecover is set to 10 minutes, how in the heck could I have lost the
> file. THANK YOU Windows Update.
>
> Help!
>

Hi J.J.,

Autorecovery files are only retained during a Word session in most cases. If Word shuts down 'normally' (including under program
control) Word would delete those files. Automatic backup files wouldn't be deleted.

===============
<<"JJ" <JJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9EF5D060-02CF-404B-BBD3-2A72F0E89925@microsoft.com...
Well, I'm happy. For some reason, when you go to Tools, Options and File
Loctions and click on the Auto Recovery path, there were no files. But I did
a search on all hard drives for .asd files and located the recovery document.
Weird. At least a happy ending. <<
--

Bob Buckland ?:-)
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

Two tips to enhance future happiness:

1. Always save your work before stepping away from the machine, even if
you plan to be gone for just a minute.

2. Never allow system updates to install without your express permission.
Windows update has a download and notify option. Use it, or choose the
just-notify option. Much grief has been caused by ill-timed updates.


JJ <JJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Well, I'm happy. For some reason, when you go to Tools, Options and File
> Loctions and click on the Auto Recovery path, there were no files. But I did
> a search on all hard drives for .asd files and located the recovery document.
> Weird. At least a happy ending.

> "JJ" wrote:

> > I am pretty livid right now.
> >
> > I was working on a Word document yesterday. I hadn't saved it yet and went
> > to bed with Word open. My computer performed an automated update during the
> > night and rebooted my machine. I opened Word and there were no AutoRecover
> > documents. I went into tools, options, and verified AutoRecover was set to
> > save every 10 minutes (I was working on the document for a couple hours).
> > There are no files in the Auto Recovery folder! I looks for ~.* files
> > modified within the last 2 days. I was able to find an Office scratch files
> > (~WRSxxxx.tmp) but it is garbage when I open it in Word, but I can see text
> > mingled in the garbage from the document I lost! I was also able to find a
> > ~WRF file created the same day but it is a much smaller file and doesn't have
> > any of the text in it, it's just garbage.
> >
> > If AutoRecover is set to 10 minutes, how in the heck could I have lost the
> > file. THANK YOU Windows Update.
> >
> > Help!
> >

--
Gary L. Smith
Columbus, Ohio