Word Auto-Recovery Not Available after Auto Update Reboot?

[JJ]

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!

 

[JJ]

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 ?:-\)]

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.

===============
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*

 

[Gary Smith]

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.