Quick answer
Reopen Word and go to File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents. Pick your file from the list and use Save As straight away. If it was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, open Version History online instead to roll back to an earlier version.
WHY THERE'S HOPE
Word saves more than you think.
By default Word runs AutoRecover, which writes a hidden snapshot of your document every few minutes to a .asd file. If you enabled "Always create backup copy", it also keeps the previous save as a .wbk file. And anything stored on OneDrive or SharePoint keeps a full version history in the cloud. So a crash, an accidental "Don't Save", or a document you can't find is usually recoverable from one of these.
HOW TO GET IT BACK
Try these routes in order.
- Reopen Word and check the Document Recovery paneIf Word or the PC crashed, the next time you launch Word a Document Recovery pane often appears down the left. Open each item, find the most complete one, and use Save As to store it somewhere safe before doing anything else.
- Use Recover Unsaved DocumentsGo to File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents (or File → Open → Recover Unsaved Documents at the bottom of the recent list). Word opens the folder holding your unsaved .asd drafts — pick yours, then immediately Save As a proper .docx.
- Search for .asd and .wbk files yourselfIf it's not in the list, search your PC for .asd (AutoRecover) or .wbk (backup copy) using the Start search box or File Explorer. AutoRecover drafts usually sit under %appdata%\Microsoft\Word and %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles. Double-click any promising file to open it in Word.
- Look in the Windows temp folderPress Windows key + R, type %temp% and press Enter. Sort by date and look for recent files beginning with a tilde (~) or ending in .tmp. These are working copies Word leaves behind; try opening the newest ones in Word to see if your content is inside.
- Restore from OneDrive or SharePoint version historyIf the file lived in OneDrive or a SharePoint/Teams library, go to it in your browser (or File Explorer), right-click → Version history, and open or restore an earlier version. This is the most reliable route and often recovers edits you thought were gone — including changes made moments before a crash.
- Check your Recent files listIn Word choose File → Open → Recent. If the document was simply misplaced rather than lost, its last location shows here — right-click the entry to copy its path or open the containing folder. Also glance in the Recycle Bin in case it was deleted by accident.
- Turn on stronger safety nets for next timeGo to File → Options → Save and confirm AutoRecover is on and set to every 5 minutes or less, and tick Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving. Better still, save straight to OneDrive or SharePoint so AutoSave and version history do the worrying for you.
If recovery keeps being needed — files landing in random local folders, no cloud backup, AutoSave switched off — that's a document-storage problem, not bad luck. Moving your team's files onto OneDrive/SharePoint with sensible backup and versioning means a lost document becomes a two-minute restore instead of a lost afternoon.
