Help please: recovering deleted text

Howard

I use Word 2003. I blacked over the 3755 words I'd written today to do the word count before closing the programme and backing up. Nothing seemed unusual until I realised that the file on my pen drive which I'd been using was still the same size as the my back up copy from yesterday. In other words,all today's writing had disappeared. I can only presume that when I blacked it over to do the word count I accidentally erased it all.

It's not on the clipboard and I've tried to activate the 'Confirm conversion at open' function in the options menu which should open a 'Convert file' box when I re-open the file, but it doesn't.

Does anyone have any other tricks I can try? This is not a deleted file, but deleted text from the middle of a file I'd already started.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Howard

Stirling

Is it on the hard drive? If so you could try system restore.

Otherwise eek! I sympathise, this has happened to me many a time. Once when a literary agent had request the whole manuscript!

Viv

If anything like that happens and you are still in the open document, try pressing contol and Z together, and it will put you back to before your last action/amendment. Keep pressing it to get it all back a step at a time. Once the file is closed, you can't do it.

Claudia

Hope you've found your deleted words now, Howard.
That's a useful tip Viv - I'm going to keep a note of it as I've lost count how many times I've wanted to resurrect words I've deleted.

Howard

Thanks for your comments. It seems there's no way of getting it back. All I could do last night was make notes while the ideas were fresh in my mind and I'm starting again now. I must have been overtired because I found out I was working off the back up copy and not my 'original' as I usually do.

Tracy

Oh no - is this what I think it is?!

Betsie

Try looking through the list of files to see if there are any with a squiqqly dash next to the name. Sometimes these are 'rescued' documents. I've retrieved stuff this way in the distant past.

Nena

I've done the same myself, Howard. It's really frustrating. You have my sympathy.

Howard

Yes, Tracy, but it's less than 3% of the masterpiece!

No 'squiggly dashes' Betise, but thanks for adding to my technical jargon. ;)

Thanks, Nena. Frustrating, but not the end of the world. I'm telling myslf it'll be better the second time round.

neil

I don't know if this applies, but if I delete (or cut) a passage I've written, then press the curved arrow (which has turned blue) on the tool bar above, the whole passage comes back. I've just tested it. But sincere commiserations if that does not apply to your predicament.

Howard

Thanks, Neil. I think that's the same function as ctrl + Z. Unfortunately, I'd closed the programme. It doesn't work if you then re-open it.

HPRW

Look for the backup version of the file and see if it's got the missing text in. Of course, if you've since resaved you'll have lost it but it's worth a go.

Jay Mandal

What a pain! I'm always terrified I'll press delete instead of word count. I wish Microsoft hadn't put the keys so close together. I write my work by hand, so at least most of it would still be available - I'd just have to type it again. And, when I've completed a computer page, I print it out. I suppose that could be scanned if it was quicker than re-typing.

Woll22

Haven't you got an edit on Word or is there a long time lapse as this can undo what you have lost.

Stan2

Howard - keep saving as you work, then you don't lose so much if a problem arises. I am constantly saving when working on documents. I do feel for you - makes you feel sick losing so much work!

Lolli

if you have pressed delete insteadd of word count it is easy to recover lost work. JUst press CTRL and Z together this will undo the previous action. (as has been mentioned on this thread before.) Depending on the version of word one is usin g there shoiuld be an option to undo previous in the edit section. NONE of these work if the file has been saved or closed since the c*ck up!

If anyone wants any time saving keyboard shortcuts, Google keyboard shortcuts and oyu will find a whole pile of useful things!

Howard

Thanks for all the suggestions on this. I never recovered the text because I didn't realise it was lost until after I had closed Word. I re-wrote it all the next day.

Stan: I lost a day's work a number of years ago (a power cut just as I pushed 'save' at the end of the day!) and since then I've always saved every few minutes and backed up at the end of the day.

LilyC

Just revisited this thread and love Howard's typo of Betsie, as 'Betise' (Aug 5th). It means naughtiness, or mischief, in French. Tee hee.

Howard

I hadn't noticed, Lily, but I'm sure Betise will forgive me!

Jay Mandal

Or stupidity, I think!