Restore Overwritten/Replaced/Saved-over XLS/CSV Files

Have you ever got Excel files such as important XLS or CSV file saved-over, replaced, or overwritten by new file with the same file name? If so, what will you do if such a problem happens to you?

Usually, when an Excel file got overwritten or replaced in Windows PC, ordinary users would think that it's impossible to get their files restored. If you are having the same problem and finding no way to restore them, don't give up. Here, this article will provide you with two reliable methods to help you restore saved over, overwritten or even replaced XLS/CSV files. Besides, data recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can help you to recover deleted, lost, or formatted XLS/CSV effortlessly. 

Method 1. Restore Overwritten XLS/CSV from TMP File

As we all know that Microsoft Office has AutoRecover feature which will save all Excel files under editing as a temp file and save them to a specific location in Windows C drive. The particular location may be Unsaved Files or Temp folder of your Windows depending on the OS version you use. So if your Excel file got lost, replaced or even overwritten, you might directly restore it from TMP files with below tips. 

1. Follow the temp file folder location on your PC and find the Excel temp files.

• For Windows 7 users: 

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\ 

• For Windows 8/10 users: 

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles\

2. Locate and select the right Excel temp file by date, then copy and save to another safe spot by changing the extension.

After this, do remember to save the restored XLS/CSV files into a safe location in case of an unexpected problem happening again.

Method 2. Restore Replaced/Saved-Over XLS/CSV File from the Previous Version

If your Excel file XLS or CSV files got replaced or saved over, relax. You may follow guidelines and get your saved-over XLS/CSV files back now.

1. Try to create a new Excel file with the same name as the overwritten file or find the overwritten saved file. Right-click on the Excel XLS/CSV file and select "Properties";
2. Go to Previous Versions, find and select the latest version or the last version before Excel replaced or saved, click "Restore". Then you can get your Excel file XLS or CSV restored without losing any saved data. 

If you are a Mac user and lost Excel files without saving, you can read how to recover unsaved excel file on Mac.

Bonus Tip. Recover Lost/Deleted/Formatted XLS/CSV with File Recovery Software

If you got your XLS/CSV removed from your PC by deletion, formatting, virus attack, or emptying recycle bin, don't worry, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard software will help you out. This versatile data recovery program supports deleted files recovery, formatted recovery, recycle bin emptied data recovery, lost partition recovery, OS crash recovery, RAW partition recovery, etc. 

Now, download and use this Excel file recovery software to recover deleted or lost XLS/CSV file from HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, Pen drive, external hard drive, and so on. 

Step 1. Select location and click "Scan"

Choose the drive or a specific folder on Desktop or somewhere else where you lost the excel files, and click the "Scan" button.

Step 2. Locate your excel files

To quickly find the Excel files from the scan results, click the "Documents" option in the left panel. Choose "Excel", and click "Preview" to check if the Excel files are the wanted ones.

Step 3. Recover Excel files

Finally, select the desired Excel files and click the "Recover" button. Then, select a folder to save the Excel files to another location.