Recovering an older version of an Excel file on a Mac can be extremely useful if you’ve made changes to the file that you later want to undo. Fortunately, Mac offers a couple different ways to restore previous versions of Excel files.
Use Time Machine to Recover Previous Versions
If you have Time Machine enabled on your Mac, you can use it to recover older versions of your Excel files. Time Machine automatically backs up your Mac’s files and saves previous versions from different points in time.
To restore an older version of an Excel file using Time Machine:
- Open Finder and navigate to the folder containing the Excel file you want to restore an older version of.
- Right-click on the file and select “Enter Time Machine.”
- A new Finder window will open up showing your Time Machine backups. Use the timeline on the right side to navigate back to the date and time of the version you want to recover.
- Once you’ve located the version you want, click the “Restore” button to recover it.
This will save a copy of the older version of the Excel file in the same folder as the current version. You can then open the older version and access the data you need.
Use AutoSave Versions
If you don’t use Time Machine, newer versions of Excel for Mac include an AutoSave feature that automatically saves versions of your files as you work on them.
To restore an older AutoSaved version of an Excel file:
- Open the Excel file you want to restore an older version of.
- Click “File” > “Revert to” and select “Browse All Versions.”
- Excel will open a timeline view showing you AutoSaved versions from different points in time. Click on the version you want to restore.
- The older version of the file will open in Excel. Click “File” > “Save As” to save it as a separate file from the current version.
This lets you easily access and restore older data that may have been changed or deleted from the current version of the Excel file.
Recover Unsaved Drafts
If you forgot to save changes to an Excel file before closing it, you may still be able to recover an unsaved draft:
- Reopen Excel and click “File” > “Open Recent” to bring up a list of recently opened files.
- At the bottom of the menu, click “Recover Unsaved Workbooks” to open Excel’s draft recovery pane.
- Locate the unsaved draft of the Excel file you want to restore. Click the downward arrow next to the Save button and choose “Save As” to save the recovered draft as a new file.
This draft recovery only works for Excel files from your current unsaved work session. But it can help you restore accidental data loss if you forgot to save your changes.
Restore Previous Version from the Cloud
If you store your Excel files in the cloud using a service like OneDrive or Google Drive, you may be able to restore older versions of files from the cloud’s history:
- OneDrive: Right-click on the file in OneDrive and select “Version History.” Click on the date of the version you want to restore and click “Restore.”
- Google Drive: Open the Excel file in Google Drive. Click the 3-dot menu and choose “Manage versions.” Click on the date of the version you want to restore. Click the 3-dot menu again and choose “Restore this version.”
Check with your cloud storage provider’s help documentation for exact instructions on restoring previous versions of files.
Use Third-Party Backup Software
Another option is to use dedicated backup software that can take snapshots of your Excel files and restore older versions. Some options to consider include:
- Time Capsule: Apple’s wireless backup device can store hourly backups of your files including Excel documents.
- Dropbox: Dropbox can save deleted and previous versions of files for up to 30 days with the Extended Version History option.
- iDrive: iDrive allows point-in-time backups and can restore previous copies of Excel files from specific dates.
The steps to restore files will vary depending on the specific software. Check each program’s instructions for recovering older file versions.
Recover from a Backup
If you have a full disk image backup of your Mac saved externally, you may be able to retrieve older copies of your Excel files from the backup archive.
Connect your external backup drive containing the disk image archive. Then in the Finder, right-click on the Excel file you want to restore and choose “Get Info.” Expand the “Versions” section – this should display all versions of that file contained in your backup.
Click “Revert to Browse All Versions” to open the timeline viewer. Locate the version you want to recover, click Restore and choose “Save As” to save it as a separate file.
This allows you to pull older iterations of Excel files out of a full system backup.
Check Your Email Attachments
If you emailed an Excel file to yourself or someone else, check your email account for attachments. Open any message with the Excel file attached to download and recover an older version that was previously sent.
Use AutoRecover
Excel’s AutoRecover feature can help you restore unsaved Excel file data after a crash, power outage, or other issue on your Mac. It temporarily saves backup copies of open Excel files at regular intervals.
To restore an AutoRecovered file:
- Reopen Excel after a crash. A Document Recovery pane should appear showing unsaved files.
- Locate your Excel file and click “Save As” to save the AutoRecovered version to a new file.
This will allow you to recover your most recent unsaved changes up to the last AutoSave point. Just be aware that any changes after that point will still be lost.
Restore Your Mac from a Time Machine Backup
For more serious or widespread data loss situations, you can restore your entire Mac to an earlier state using Time Machine.
To go back to a previous system state:
- Open System Preferences > Time Machine on your Mac.
- Click “Enter Time Machine.” Your timeline backup history will open.
- Browse to a date and time before any Excel file issues occurred. Select the time, then click “Restore.”
- Your entire Mac system will be restored to that point, including older versions of Excel files.
This should be used as a last resort, as it will revert everything on your Mac – not just Excel files. Only use this if recovering individual files is not an option.
Contact Microsoft Support
If all else fails and you still can’t recover an older Excel version through normal means, reach out to Microsoft’s support team for help.
Contact options include:
- Web support form – Lets you describe your Excel file issue and attach relevant files.
- Online chat – Chat with a support agent in real-time via chat.
- Phone – Call Microsoft’s Excel support line for personalized assistance.
Microsoft’s dedicated Excel support team may have advanced tools or techniques for recovering corrupted, deleted, or unsaved Excel files on a Mac. They may be able to recover older versions that can’t be accessed through conventional methods.
Avoid Future Data Loss
Once you’ve recovered your older Excel file, take steps to avoid potential data loss going forward:
- Enable AutoSave and AutoRecover – Set up automatic backup features in Excel preferences.
- Back up files to the cloud – Use cloud services like OneDrive or Dropbox to keep copies.
- Set reminders to save – Use Excel options to get reminders to manually save.
- Close files properly – Don’t force quit Excel or shut down your Mac without properly closing files.
- Use Time Machine – Maintain regular systemwide backups to easily restore previous versions.
Saving your work frequently, sticking to best practices for closing files, and maintaining both local and cloud backups can help protect your work and prevent situations where you need to recover unsaved Excel changes.
Conclusion
Recovering previous versions of Excel files on a Mac is possible through Time Machine, AutoSave, cloud backups, third-party software, and manual file management. Choose the method that best fits your workflow and type of data loss. Enable automatic backup features that regularly save versions of your work. And contact Microsoft support if you need high-level help retrieving corrupted or unsaved Excel documents.
With the right tools and techniques, you can minimize Excel file loss incidents. But if you ever do need to revert changes or recover an older copy, there are various options available to restore Excel documents on your Mac.