How to revert to the previous version of an Excel file

Finding out that the Excel file you were working on was not saved due to a technical error is frustrating to say the least. Realizing that the changes you made to a file are all wrong isn't nice either. Fortunately, in most cases you can recover the previous version of the file whether it was saved or not.

In this guide, we will show you how to recover previous versions of Excel files on Mac, Windows 10, via SharePoint, Teams and OneDrive. Read on to learn how to avoid overwriting an entire file.

How to Recover a Previous Version of an Excel File in Windows 10

If you need to recover a previously saved version of an Excel file in Windows 10, follow the steps below:

1. Open the last saved version of the Excel file you want to recover
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2. Click "File," then select "Info" from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Find the "Manage Workbook" section and locate the version of the file you want to recover.
   
4. Click "Restore" to overwrite the current version. You can also click "Compare" to compare versions without overwriting the current version.
   

If you need to recover a version that has not been saved, here is what you should do:

1. Open the latest version of the saved file and click "File" at the top.
   
2. From the drop-down menu, select "Info", then "Manage Workbook".
   
3. Select "Recover Unsaved Workbooks".
   
4. You will see a list of recent unsaved files. Select the file you want to recover and click "Open".
   
5. Choose how you want to save the file.

How to Recover a Previous Version of an Excel File on a Mac

If you need to restore the previous version of a file that has been open all the time, you can undo the changes with the "Command" + "Z" shortcut. However, you will need to use the shortcut multiple times if you have made many changes. If you're dealing with a file that was saved and closed, you can recover the previous version by following these instructions:

1. Open the last saved version of the Excel file that you want to recover.
2. Hover your mouse over the "File" tab, then "Restore" from the drop-down menu.
3. Select "Restore last save for recovery".
4. You will see a list of all Excel file versions. Find the version you want to restore.
5. If you want to replace the current version of the file with the previous version, select "Restore". If you want to save the previous version without overwriting the current file, press the Option button, then select "Restore a copy".

How to Recover a Previous Version of an Excel File from SharePoint

If you're using SharePoint server, you're in luck. You can easily recover both saved and unsaved versions of Excel files. To recover an Excel file, follow the steps below:

1. Launch SharePoint and navigate to the list or library containing the file you want to restore from the Quick Launch bar. If you don't see the name of the library or list, click "Site Content", then click "View All Site Content" and scroll down the list.
   
2. Right-click the document name or date and select "Version History" from the menu. You may need to click on the three-dot icon first and then select "Version History".
   
3. Scroll through the list of file versions until you find the file you want. Click the arrow icon next to the edit time.
   
4. Click "View" to open the version or "Restore" to open and save it.
   

How to Recover a Previous Version of an Excel File from Teams

You cannot access previous versions of an Excel file directly through Microsoft Teams. However, you can open the file through another application and retrieve it there. Here's how:

1. Go to the "Files" tab in Teams.
   
2. Find the file you want to recover and click on the three-dot icon to the right of its name to display the options.
   
3. Click "Open in SharePoint" if you are using SharePoint" or "Open in Excel" if you are not.
   

If you opened the file in SharePoint, the next steps are:

1. Right-click on "File" and select "Version History" from the menu. You may need to click on the three-dot icon first and then select "Version History".
   
2. Scroll through the list of file versions until you find the one you want. Click the arrow icon next to the edit time.
   
3. Click "View" to open the version or "Restore" to open and save it.

If you opened the file in Excel on a Mac:

1. Hover your mouse over the "File" tab, then "Restore" from the drop-down menu.
2. Select "Restore last save for recovery".
3. You will see a list of all Excel file versions. Find the version you want to restore.
4. If you want to replace the current version of the file with the previous version, select "Restore". If you want to save the previous version without overwriting the current file, press the Option button, then select "Restore a copy".

In Windows 10, the steps are slightly different:

1. Click "File," then select "Info" from the drop-down menu.
2. Find the "Manage Workbook" section and locate the version of the file you want to recover.
3. Click "Restore" to overwrite the current version. You can also click "Compare" to compare versions without overwriting the current version.

How to recover a previous version of an Excel file from OneDrive

1. Launch OneDrive and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Find the latest saved version of the Excel file you want to recover and right-click on it. Alternatively, open the file and select "More" from the menu at the top.
   
3. Click on “Version History”.
   
4. You will see a list of file versions. Find the one you want to recover, click the three-dot icon next to it and select "Restore". In an older version of OneDrive, click the arrow icon next to the version name and select "Restore".
   

How to recover a previous version of an Excel file from Office 365

The file recovery functionality in Excel has not changed a bit since the Office 365 version. The instructions to recover the previous version of the file do not differ according to the version of Excel but rather according to your device. On Mac, follow the steps below:

1. Open the last saved version of the Excel file that you want to recover.
2. Hover your mouse over the "File" tab, then "Restore" from the drop-down menu.
3. Select "Restore last save for recovery".
4. You will see a list of all Excel file versions. Find the version you want to restore.
5. If you want to replace the current version of the file with the previous version, select "Restore". If you want to save the previous version without overwriting the current file, press the Option button, then select "Restore a copy".

On a Windows 10 PC, follow the instructions below:

1. Open the last saved version of the Excel file that you want to recover.
2. Click "File," then select "Info" from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Find the "Manage Workbook" section and locate the version of the file you want to recover.
   
4. Click "Restore" to overwrite the current version. You can also click "Compare" to compare versions without overwriting the current version.

Prevent the loss of important data

Hope our guide helped you restore the needed Excel file version. To avoid such problems in the future, be sure to enable automatic file saving. A cloud backup also keeps all your files organized without taking up space on your device.

What's your best tip for backing up important files and easily accessing previous versions? Share your experiences in the comments section below.