How to Recover a File You Overwrote

You saved over a file and the old contents are gone. If the file was synced, backed up, or edited in an app that keeps versions, an earlier copy still exists and you can bring it back.

Check OneDrive or SharePoint version history

Right-click the file in File Explorer and choose OneDrive, Version history. Pick a dated version and click Restore, or open it and copy out what you need.

If the file is not on this PC, go to onedrive.com, right-click the file, and choose Version history.

Use version history inside Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

For a document saved to OneDrive or SharePoint with AutoSave on, open the file and go to File, Info, Version History. Open an earlier version from the list and click Restore.

Use version history in Google Docs or Sheets

Open the file and go to File, Version history, See version history. Click a version in the right pane to preview it, then click Restore this version.

Try Previous Versions on a local Windows file

Right-click the file, choose Properties, then open the Previous Versions tab. Versions appear here only if File History or System Protection was turned on before the overwrite. Select one and click Restore, or Open to copy from it without replacing the current file.

Restore from Time Machine on a Mac

Open the folder in Finder, open Time Machine from the menu bar, go back to a date before the overwrite, select the file, and click Restore. Many Mac apps also keep their own versions under File, Revert To, Browse All Versions.

If none of these show a version. A plain overwrite on a local drive with no backup is not recoverable. Undelete tools cannot help because the old data was replaced on disk, not deleted. Turn on OneDrive or File History now so the next overwrite is a one-minute fix.