This has been the umpteenth time that I've lost data because Autorecover
cannot be recovered on my machine. The Help menu instructs me to access the
recovered file by going to C:\Documents and Settings\my name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Excel\.

When I access C:\Documents and Settings\my name\ through Windows Explorer,
the folder "my name" does not show a folder called Application Data.

When I run a search for the folder Application Data, it turns up seven
different folders, one of which is identified as sitting in C:\Documents and
Settings\my name\. But when I open that folder, it does not contain a folder
called Microsoft\Excel\. It includes a folder called Microsoft, which
includes a folder called Excel, but when I open that folder it does not
include an Autorecover file. I checked all the others as well - to no avail.

I checked this board for similar problems and found the advice to download a
free utility called Autosafe. I followed the instructions, ran setup.exe,
verified it was indeed in the Add-ins and tried to run a test. I opened an
Excel file, modified it, waited about fifteen minutes for Autosafe to do its
thing, closed the file without saving, but never encountered an Autosafe
prompt, neither upon closing nor upon reopening. Needless to say, the file
when reopened did not include the modification.

I tried again, this time closing the modified file with control-alt-delete
without saving. When I reopened it, a window informed me that in order to use
AutoSafe, I would have to go to Excel's menu bar, select Tools, then Macro,
then Security and on the Trusted Publishers tab check Trust access to Visual
Basic Project which I did. Now when I try to open my test file after not
saving it in its modified version, it once again opens up unmodified and
without an acknowledgment of AutoSafe's presence or function.

Am I missing something? Am I really safe with AutoSafe?

I believe you do not understand what the difference is between AUTOSAVE and Auto
Recovery.

The pre-2002 AUTOSAVE Add-in made incremental backups as you worked. It
actually overwrote the workbook at intervals as you worked.

I did not like that method because many times I would work on something for
quite a while but want to close with no changes so I never used it.

Autorecovery just makes a temporary backup which becomes available only if Excel
crashes while working on the workbook. Otherwise it just deletes the temporary
backup when Excel or your workbook is closed with no crash.

JKP's AutoSafe is much the same as the Autorecovery but.........does not delete
the backups when the workbook is closed or if Excel crashes.

By default the files are sent to the Recycle Bin at intervals you choose.

Look in there for the file(s) to recover if need be.

Each will have a timestamp.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:18:15 -0700, Dominika
wrote:

This has been the umpteenth time that I've lost data because Autorecover
cannot be recovered on my machine. The Help menu instructs me to access the
recovered file by going to C:\Documents and Settings\my name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Excel\.

When I access C:\Documents and Settings\my name\ through Windows Explorer,
the folder "my name" does not show a folder called Application Data.

When I run a search for the folder Application Data, it turns up seven
different folders, one of which is identified as sitting in C:\Documents and
Settings\my name\. But when I open that folder, it does not contain a folder
called Microsoft\Excel\. It includes a folder called Microsoft, which
includes a folder called Excel, but when I open that folder it does not
include an Autorecover file. I checked all the others as well - to no avail.

I checked this board for similar problems and found the advice to download a
free utility called Autosafe. I followed the instructions, ran setup.exe,
verified it was indeed in the Add-ins and tried to run a test. I opened an
Excel file, modified it, waited about fifteen minutes for Autosafe to do its
thing, closed the file without saving, but never encountered an Autosafe
prompt, neither upon closing nor upon reopening. Needless to say, the file
when reopened did not include the modification.

I tried again, this time closing the modified file with control-alt-delete
without saving. When I reopened it, a window informed me that in order to use
AutoSafe, I would have to go to Excel's menu bar, select Tools, then Macro,
then Security and on the Trusted Publishers tab check Trust access to Visual
Basic Project which I did. Now when I try to open my test file after not
saving it in its modified version, it once again opens up unmodified and
without an acknowledgment of AutoSafe's presence or function.

Am I missing something? Am I really safe with AutoSafe?