"I spent quite a bit of time on a presentation for a client. When I came back and opened the new file name, it didn't have ANY of the updates that I made that day. How can I find my latest version?" — From Reddit Hogwarts Community.
Are you feeling stressed due to lost, unsaved, or corrupted PPT files, causing delays in your work or projects? Working on Windows 11/10/8/7, your PPT files could be lost due to accidental deletion, system crashes, or other issues, leading to significant frustration. But fear not! This post provides five practical methods to recover your unsaved PPT files and get back to work. Keep reading for more details about recovering PPT files in Windows.
Can PPT Files be Recovered?
Almost every PowerPoint user has encountered the issue of file loss, and in most cases, it's caused by accidentally closing an unsaved presentation. So, is it possible to recover unsaved or deleted PPT files on a computer? The answer is yes, and we’ll introduce five useful methods to help you recover PPT.
Before that, it’s worth knowing that unsaved work is not the only reason for losing a PPT file. There are many other reasons that can lead to PPT loss:
Human error or damage: If your laptop or computer gets stolen or accidentally falls and is damaged, your stored PPT files may be lost as a result.
Virus or malware: Sometimes, PowerPoint or other programs crash before you can save your work, especially if there are system or plugin conflicts.
Software crashes: When a hard drive stops working, you might lose access to everything on it, including your presentations.
Hard drive failure: When a hard drive stops working, you might lose access to everything on it, including your presentations.
Accidental deletion or overwriting: You might delete a file by mistake or save over it without realizing it, making the original version disappear.
In the following sections, you can learn the 5 best methods for recovering PPT files, whether unsaved or not.
How to Recover PPT in Windows?
There are several ways to recover unsaved or deleted PPT files in Windows, and most of them are super simple, just like opening a regular document. If it all sounds a bit complicated, don’t worry. You can follow our step-by-step instructions below.
Method 1Recover PPT in Windows with Advanced Data Recovery Software
The best way to recover lost PPT files on Windows is by using data recovery software. No matter if your files were lost due to accidental deletion, power failure, system crash, hard drive failure, or other situations, you can use Kingshiper Data Recovery to recover PPT quickly.
Kingshiper Data Recovery also offers several advantages when it comes to file recovery:
It recovers deleted PPT files from your desktop and even restores PowerPoint presentations from the Recycle Bin.
This software provides 6 recovery modes and works with both internal hard drives and external devices like USB drives, external hard drives, and camera memory cards.
You can scan instantly and preview files in real-time, so you don’t have to wait for the scan to finish to start recovering.
Recover a wide range of file types, including PPTX, PPT, DOCX, PDF, images, videos, and audio.
Download this PPT recovery software and recover unsaved or deleted PowerPoint files as soon as possible.
Step 1. Launch Kingshiper Data Recovery in Windows 11/10/8/7 and choose the mode you need. We recommend using the “Deep Recovery”, which can find more lost data.
Step 2. Click on the “Recover” button and select the partition where you have lost the PPT file. Then, click “Scan” to find the lost files.
Step 3. During the scan, the software will list the files in the interface in real time. Once you find the target file, you can double-click the file to preview its content.
Step 4. Click the checkbox and tap on the “Recover” button. Select a different location to save the recovered data. That’s all.
Method 2Recover Lost PPT Files with WPS/Microsoft Backup
If you're using WPS Office, you can use the built-in “Auto Backup” feature that can help recover unsaved or deleted PPT files. In the following, we’ll take WPS as an example(Microsoft also has a backup feature called AutoRecover). While you're working on a presentation, WPS automatically saves backup copies in the background. So even if you forget to hit “Save,” you might still be able to get your file back.
Follow the steps and recover PPT in Windows:
Step 1. Launch WPS Office, go to “Menu” > “Backup and Recovery” > “Auto Backup”.
Step 2. In the pop-up window, click on the “View Details”. It will show all the files you have edited before.
Step 3. Find the file that you want to recover. Click “Open All” to resume the file on your computer.
Method 3PowerPoint Presentation Recovery with Windows Backup
The third way to recover PPT is to use Windows Backup, which is available for users who have already enabled this feature before the PPT loss. It is pretty easy, and you can refer to the steps below:
Step 1. Click the “Start” icon and type “Control Panel”.
Step 2. Open it and click on the “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” > “Select another backup to restore files from”. Then, choose your backup.
Step 3. Search for your PowerPoint file by name or date through the backup list.
Step 4. Check the target file and click “Next” to start the PPT recovery process.
As the same, you can also recover PPT from the backup files with File History on a Windows computer. You can check a similar solution here: How to Recover Images from Memory Card.
Method 4Restore PPT Files from the Recycle Bin in Windows
Apart from adopting data recovery software and other backup methods, you can also check your Recycle Bin on your desktop to see if your PPT files are there. The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage location in Windows for deleted files. If the files were deleted recently and have not exceeded 30 days, it’s easy to restore. However, if you've emptied the Recycle Bin, you'll need to try the other methods in this guide.
How to recover PPT from the recycle bin:
Step 1. Double-click the "Recycle Bin" icon to open it on your desktop.
Step 2. Find the PPT file you want to recover. You can search by file name or date.
Step 3. Right-click the file and select the "Restore" option, or click “Restore all items” in the top menu bar.
Step 4. The file will be immediately restored to its original folder before it was deleted.
Method 5Recover PPT from Temporary Files
Sometimes, when a program crashes, the system freezes, or you forget to save your PPT, a copy of the file may be stored in the temp folder. Both Windows and apps like Microsoft Office automatically create temp files in the background, which could contain your unsaved changes.
Step 1. Press “Win + R” to open the Run window. Type “%temp%” and click “OK” to open the folder.
Step 2. Look for files with the .tmp extension or files that include your original PPT name.
Step 3. Copy the file to a different location to avoid overwriting the original, then change the file extension to .pptx.
Step 4. Finally, open the file with PowerPoint and check if it is the target file you want to recover.
Read More: Tips for Avoiding PPT Loss in Windows
PPT files can be lost for various reasons. We collect and list some useful and effective tips to minimize the risks of losing your PowerPoint presentations. Let’s check the table below:
Tips
Descriptions
✅Enable “AutoSave” in PowerPoint
Turn on “AutoSave” to save changes in real time and avoid losing data due to forgetting to manually save. To enable: click “File” > “Options” > “Save”, check AutoSave, and set the save interval.
✅Save Presentations to the Cloud
Use cloud services like OneDrive or Google Drive to automatically back up your files. This allows access across devices and supports version recovery.
✅Create Backup Copies
Regularly copy your PPT files to other drives, USBs, or external hard disks to prevent data loss. You can also enable “Always create backup copy” in PowerPoint settings.
✅Prevent Accidental Deletion
Double-check before deleting files, especially when emptying the Recycle Bin or formatting a drive. You can also enable “Display delete confirmation dialog” in folder settings to reduce accidental deletions.
✅Check System Health Regularly
System crashes or disk failures may lead to lost PPT files. Use Windows built-in tools like “Disk Check” and “System Restore” to maintain your system's health and ensure stable performance.
To Wrap Up
Here are five possible methods to recover PPT files on Windows. We hope this article was helpful and you successfully recovered your unsaved or deleted PowerPoint presentation. If you were unable to recover it, please reach out to our customer service team for further assistance. In the meantime, remember to regularly back up your PPT files to prevent future data loss. Thank you for reading!
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