Document goes blank after unplugging HDMI cable

Question

I recently connected a HDMI cable to my Mac to present a document. When I unplugged it, the document I had open went blank. The document had not been deleted but its contents were gone. I tried to restore the version history but for some reason there wasn't any version history to browse, despite my having saved the document before. There was no autorecovery file for the document either and restarting my computer did not work. Is there any way to recover the file contents?

Answer 1

1. Check AutoRecover Files:
   • Microsoft 365 apps often save AutoRecover files. On macOS, check these locations:
   • ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
   • ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Office 365 AutoRecovery
   • If you find files with the .asd extension, open them in Word to check for your document.
2. Search for Temporary Files:
   • Use Finder to search for temporary files related to your document. Look for files with extensions like .tmp or .wbk.
3. Reconnect HDMI:
   • Since the issue occurred after unplugging the HDMI cable, reconnect it to see if the document reappears. It might be a display-related issue.
4. Check Cloud Backups:
   • If you use OneDrive or SharePoint, check if the document was synced there. These services often save older versions of files.
5. Recover Unsaved Documents:
   • Open Word, go to File > Open > Recent, and look for the "Recover Unsaved Documents" option at the bottom.
6. Third-Party Recovery Tools:
   • Consider using tools like Disk Drill or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to scan your Mac for lost files.