6 Proven Ways to Recover Deleted Excel Files​ in 2025

I accidentally deleted the most important spreadsheets of our company and don’t know whether I can restore them till the next morning. So, how do I recover an Excel file I deleted? What’s the solution?”

____A Question for Reddit

Accidents do take place, and files may sometimes be removed, but without intention. However, it is not the end of the world. If you want to grasp whether can you recover deleted Excel files, and if yes, how to recover deleted Excel files​, this post is for you. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about retrieving erased Excel files.

Can You Recover Deleted Excel Files?

So, if the question, “Can you recover deleted Excel files on Windows or Mac?” is bothering you, well, its answer depends on some factors. First, you have to think about when the Excel file was removed. Then, take into account what factors affect this process. For starters, when you erase an Excel file, it does not get destroyed at once. 

Rather, your computer simply indicates the area as free, and the file remains as it is until another file overrides it. This means deleted Excel file recovery is viable before the file is overwritten.

Here, your next question would be, “How do I recover an Excel file I deleted?” You can retrieve erased Excel files from a built-in or cloud backup or use data recovery software for this purpose.

How to Recover Deleted Excel Files​on Windows & Mac?

When you’ve accidentally deleted an Excel file, here’s how to recover the removed Excel files on Windows and Mac in 6 ways. Pick a method based on the situation you’re in right now:

Option A: Check Your Trash/Recycle Bin

The first step in knowing how to recover deleted Excel files​ is to examine your erased Excel files in the Recycle Bin on Windows and the Trash on Mac. In case you’ve deleted them recently, you might not have emptied the bin, and the Excel files might still be there.

Option B: Employ a File Recovery Software

If you’ve erased the Excel files from the Recycle Bin/Trash and don’t have a backup either, a deleted Excel file recovery tool is the only option. 4DDiG Data Recovery is specialized software to retrieve files you’ve removed by mistake or from the bin on Windows and Mac. It can also reclaim corrupted, formatted, missing, and hidden files with a high recovery rate. The tool offers many amazing features, such as

• This recovery app can extract 2000+ file formats, including all Excel files like XLS, XLSX, and XML.
• Can also repair files after recovering them if they display errors.
• It supports old and new versions of the Excel software and various internal/external storage devices.
• No technical knowledge required.
• It is capable of retrieving deleted, unsaved, corrupted, or formatted Excel files with a high success rate.

If you’ve accidentally deleted an Excel file, here’s how to recover​ it with the help of this tool:

Step 1: Install and execute the Excel file recovery tool on your Windows or Mac system. Then, choose the disk where you lost the files. 

Step 2: Pick “Document” as the file type to recover. Hit “Scan.” You can pause or stop the scan to check on recovered Excel files. 

Step 3: Locate exact matches through filter tags or by placing keywords in the search field. Hit “Recover” to export recovered Excel files to a secure place on your computer or cloud drive.

Option C: Use File History

Once you set up the Windows built-in File History feature on your computer, it will perform a routine backup of your Desktop, Documents, Videos, Pictures, and Music directories. And in case the erased Excel files were available in the “Documents” folder, they would not be left out of the backup. So, here’s how to recover deleted files in Excel​ with File History:

Step 1: Type “con” in the Windows search field. Execute “Control Panel.”

Step 2: Head to “System and Security.” Tap “File History.” Then, choose “Restore personal files.”

Step 3: Find the removed Excel files. Select them. On the bottom, there is a “Green Recycled” icon. Click on that.

Step 4: Wait till the restore is completed. Then, see where your files are normally saved.

Option D: Utilize Time Machine

Just like File History in Windows, Time Machine is a built-in backup feature in Mac, ideal in case your Excel file is overwritten. When it’s switched on, it makes a duplicate of all the files in your system at an interval and stores them on an external disk. Thus, in case you have accidentally deleted an Excel file, here’s how to recover it with the help of Time Machine:

Step 1: Select the symbol of “Time Machine” in the “Apple Menu Bar.” Tap “Enter Time Machine.”

Step 2: Sort through the Excel files. Then, select the file you wish to reclaim. Hit “Restore.”

Option E: Restore From Cloud Backups

In the event that you do not have an in-built backup enabled on Windows or Mac, and you would like to know how to recover deleted files in Excel,​ look for a cloud backup. For example, you might have a copy of your erased Excel files in iCloud, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive, whichever cloud service you use for a backup.

Option F: Contact a Local Data Recovery Centre

Still asking, “How do I recover an Excel file I deleted?” because it’s overwritten, and you don’t have a backup. You’ll need to reach out to your nearest data recovery center. They’ll let you know whether deleted Excel file recovery is viable or not.

Pro Tips to Prevent Losing Excel Files Again

After learning how to recover deleted files in Excel​, your next step should be to make sure you never lose them again. For that, here are some prevention tips:

1. Start the AutoRecovery and AutoSave features to auto-save your work in Excel.
2. Make duplicate copies of your Excel files on a cloud drive or an external disk.
3. Back up your Excel files with the Windows-embedded File History or Mac-embedded Time Machine feature.
4. Block corruption or deletion of files by malware by regularly scanning using an anti-virus software.
5. Do not use a forced shutdown to close the Excel files, lest you lose or ruin them.
6. Update your operating system and Excel to make sure it is bug-free.
7. Keep data recovery software at hand just in case you lose Excel files.

How to Recover Deleted Excel Files​ FAQs

Q1: How do I recover deleted Excel files not in the Recycle Bin?

In case you do not see deleted files in the Recycle Bin, they have probably been gone permanently. However, in such a scenario, you’re capable of restoring them from a backup, if you have one. Otherwise, use data recovery software. 

Q2: What software is used to recover deleted Excel files?

To restore erased Excel files, there are a great number of specialized programs, including 4DDiG Data Recovery, Recuva, DMDE, Windows File Recovery, and many others.

Conclusion

If queries like “Can you recover deleted Excel files?” or “How to recover deleted Excel files​?” have sent you into a frenzy, we’ve shared their solution. A number of methods are possible to recover your deleted Excel files, as long as you act fast. 

You can get them back from the bin, File History, or Time Machine, or restore them using a cloud storage backup (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.). But if you don’t have a backup, work, or software like 4DDiG Data Recovery, you can reclaim permanently erased Excel files. It supports many file formats, allows selective recovery, and can even fix damaged files.