Email and Microsoft 365
Get back an earlier version of a file
Someone saved over the good version of a spreadsheet. Before you start rebuilding it, check the version history.
1 min readWhat to do if
The short version
Overwrote a document, or someone changed it in a way you need to undo? OneDrive and SharePoint keep earlier versions you can open and restore.
Where to find it
Files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams keep a history of earlier versions as they change.
- In the file itself: in Word, Excel or PowerPoint, select the file name at the top of the window and choose Version history.
- In OneDrive or SharePoint in the browser: select the file, open the menu with three dots and choose Version history.
- In File Explorer on Windows: right-click a synced file and look for Version history.
Restoring a version
Open an earlier version to check it is the one you want. Then you can:
- Restore it, which makes it the current version. The version you are replacing is kept in the history too, so nothing is lost.
- Copy what you need from it into the current version, if only part of the file needs to go back.
What it does not cover
- Files saved only on your computer, outside OneDrive or SharePoint, do not have this history.
- Deleted files are in the recycle bin instead, for a limited time.
- Very old versions may have been removed, depending on settings.
- Changes across many files at once, such as from ransomware, are better handled by IT with proper backups.
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