Todd Meredith
asked on
Recovering a lost excel (csv) file
Thank you in advance for the help. I have an excel document that was fine on Friday when I was done working with it and then today has been reduced down to one tab, with the wrong data on it. I do not know if my computer shut down on it's own or my cat did something (ie sat on the keyboard). This is a csv file and I would really like to recover it. I was working on it last on 12/16 and I believe I saved it but when I opened it up this am there is one tab with the wrong data on it. I have no idea what happened. I have used the piriform recuva tool but am over my head as i don't quite understand it (have no idea if it's even the right tool) and don't know how to open up those files.
Thanks in advance. I have attached photos of the recuva tool and what it is showing. The last save which I believe was good was on 12/16 around 2 11 pm.
recuva-1.JPG
recuva-2.JPG
Thanks in advance. I have attached photos of the recuva tool and what it is showing. The last save which I believe was good was on 12/16 around 2 11 pm.
recuva-1.JPG
recuva-2.JPG
I don't see any Excel files in those lists.
But one thing I want to clarify. You said this was a CSV file? If it really was a CSV file it wouldn't have tabs. So the fact there is only one tab is normal.
Again, going on the CSV assumption. Thinking about the origins of that file, is there a chance some other operation you did created another file and you accidentally overwrote the previous one?
Check in the C:\windows\temp folder for any files with Friday's date. See if you can open them in Excel.
This is hindsight, but normally the power going out or a visit from the cat would only affect the file if you left it open. In general leaving a file open when you aren't using it is not a good idea. Always best to at the least lock you computer (Windows Key + L) when you are done.
But one thing I want to clarify. You said this was a CSV file? If it really was a CSV file it wouldn't have tabs. So the fact there is only one tab is normal.
Again, going on the CSV assumption. Thinking about the origins of that file, is there a chance some other operation you did created another file and you accidentally overwrote the previous one?
Check in the C:\windows\temp folder for any files with Friday's date. See if you can open them in Excel.
This is hindsight, but normally the power going out or a visit from the cat would only affect the file if you left it open. In general leaving a file open when you aren't using it is not a good idea. Always best to at the least lock you computer (Windows Key + L) when you are done.
ASKER
So by csv.. this is in excel and it saved as a .csv. Excel allowed me to add a tab on Friday and I was switching between the two. I looked in the temp folder and do see activity for Friday. See attachment.
capture.JPG
capture.JPG
ASKER
By full path I don't quite understand. It saves to my 'desktop' and as mentioned is an excel file with a .csv ending.
capture.JPG
capture.JPG
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Do you have any backup either through 3rd-party software or via system checkpoints?
Bill explained it quite well. Excel won't stop you from adding things to the file, but will warn you that some things may be lost when you try to save it in a file format that doesn't support those changes.
As for the information in your temp directory, any sort of temporary file would usually have a TMP extension. Based on the file size, none of these are correct. The other possibility is look in the folder where your CSV file is saved for any files dated Friday starting with a ~ (tilde) and try and open those.
As for the information in your temp directory, any sort of temporary file would usually have a TMP extension. Based on the file size, none of these are correct. The other possibility is look in the folder where your CSV file is saved for any files dated Friday starting with a ~ (tilde) and try and open those.
To be more precise, CSV files are just plain text files, values separated by a comma (or semi-colon).
Excel display these like workbooks, but they definetly arn't workbooks. Ehence why most excel features arn't supported in CSV.
Excel display these like workbooks, but they definetly arn't workbooks. Ehence why most excel features arn't supported in CSV.
ASKER
Thank you to everyone. Looks like I am out of luck. Bummer! Time to get back to work and recreate it. I REALLY appreciate everyone's time and knowledge. Well done everyone!
I don't care enough to file a request for attention, but FYI I think I was the first one to mention about a CSV file only having one tab. So should have been flagged as part of the solution. You can select more than one "assist" in a solution.
No problems, just so you know for the future.
No problems, just so you know for the future.
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