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yamileecm's avatar
yamileecm
Copper Contributor
Oct 15, 2026

recovering data

URGENT — I really need help recovering data from an Excel workbook.

I already contacted Microsoft Support, and they directed me to post my issue here in Microsoft Community.

I was actively working in Microsoft 365 Excel on Windows when around 50 rows suddenly disappeared from my spreadsheet. I did NOT intentionally delete them, and there was no warning or confirmation message.

These rows contained very important information, and the latest changes had not been saved yet, so I cannot simply restore a previous saved version.

I have already checked whether the rows were hidden or affected by filters, and I also tried Ctrl + Z, but nothing brought the missing rows back.

I am extremely concerned about losing this information. Is there ANY way to recover the missing rows through AutoRecover, temporary files, cache, recovery files, version history, or another method?

I would really appreciate urgent guidance on what I should do next. I do not want to accidentally overwrite or permanently lose any recoverable data.

I am using Microsoft 365 Excel on Windows.

Please help as soon as possible. Thank you.

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1 Reply

  • Jamony's avatar
    Jamony
    MCT
    Oct 19, 2026

    Since hidden rows, filters, and Undo have already been checked, preserve what remains before further troubleshooting. Save the current workbook under a different name without overwriting the original, and avoid closing Excel until you have inspected available recovery information.
    Open File, Info, Manage Workbook and look for recovered versions or Recover Unsaved Workbooks. Check File, Options, Save for the configured AutoRecover location, then copy any relevant recovery files elsewhere before opening them. AutoRecover must have captured the missing content beforehand; enabling it now cannot recreate those rows.
    If the original workbook was in OneDrive or SharePoint, inspect Version History and open promising versions separately rather than immediately restoring over the current file. Even if the latest edits were unsaved, an earlier snapshot might recover part of the information. Temporary files and caches are not guaranteed backups. If no saved or recovered version contains the rows, complete recovery cannot be promised.