Can I recover a spreadsheet I accidently deleted?

LinsterBee Start by navigating to the "File" tab in Excel. From there, click on "Open."

Within the "Open" dialog, head to the "Recent" section on the left. This is where you'll find a list of recently accessed files. Keep an eye out for your deleted file in this list.

If your deleted sheet pops up in the "Recent" files, a simple click will open it, allowing you to recover your work.

However, if the file isn't in the "Recent" section, let's check the "Recycle Bin" or "Deleted Items" on your OneDrive or SharePoint account. Visit your OneDrive or SharePoint account online and locate the "Recycle Bin" or "Deleted Items" section.

In this space, see if your deleted Excel file is present. If so, select it and opt to restore it.

Now, in case your file wasn't stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, and you didn't maintain a backup, recovering it might be a bit challenging. This emphasizes the importance of regular backups to prevent such data loss in the future.

As an additional measure, explore the Windows Recycle Bin, and check if the sheet was inadvertently hidden. Right-click on any sheet's tab, select "Unhide," and look for the deleted sheet.

Should these steps fall short, you may need to recreate the sheet. This underscores the wisdom of regularly saving backups or preserving different versions of your work.

In the event that these efforts prove futile and the sheet seems lost, it's a reminder to incorporate regular backup practices (i use nakivo for it) and exercise caution when performing actions like sheet deletion in Excel.

Remember, the ability to recover deleted files can vary based on your organization's settings and retention policies. Keeping these practices in mind will not only help recover lost data but also prevent such incidents in the future.