The Temporary Folder Strikes Again!
(I thought this would be a good time to re-post a much-needed tip.)The temporary folder is a directory were many computer programs automatically store files that you download, or those that you open from email attachments. It's very likely that this folder has caused more lost homework and more headaches than any other computer feature or component.
The reason this folder is so troublesome is because it stores your downloaded files in a place that is really tough to find again. Here's an example of how the temporary seems to "eat" your homework assignments:
You work for hours on your research paper at school and decide to finish it up at home. Naturally, you email the file to your own account so you can open it from any computer without having to carry around a flash drive. When you get home, you open your paper and give it the finishing touches. You decide to print it out in the morning, so you hit the "save" command, close the word processor, and go to bed.
The next morning your paper is nowhere to be found. You know you saved it, but it doesn't show up in your list of recent work or in any directory. Panic time!
By hitting the "save" command, you have inadvertently saved your work in the temporary folder. To find it again, you have to access the folder again, or find the temporary folder's path--but that's not so easy to do. You can get into the folder by going back to the email and opening the original attachment again. Once your paper pops up on the screen, go to "open" as if you want to open a second file.
Your computer should show you all the files in the folder you're currently working from--and that should be the temporary file. You will find the updated version in the list. If you're using Microsoft Word, both files (original and updated) will be saved with the same name, but they will be numbered. The most recent file will be the updated version. You're saved!
Comments
Hey is there any other option for this because it didnt work and i lost my 7 pg paper
Nia, it depends on how you lost your paper. Was it opened from an email attachment at any time? If so, it probably is in the temp file, but that can be really hard to find. It also depends on your word processor. New ones will save a backup copy if your computer crashed. Can you give more details?
I have lost a 70,000 word document. I had an editor read and edit my paper. I was on page 82 of 121 manuscript pages when I saved and closed the document. Now I can not find the document. I have the copy from the editor but I spent probably 4 hours yesterday on fixing mistakes he gave me. Please help! I have searched in my temp folder and I have a 2006 IBM T60…microsoft word processor 2007. Thanks!
This could depend on your email provider. Different email types can be saved as different types of files and in different locations. If the editor mailed the last version to you, you changed the document, and then you hit ‘save’, the doc may have gone to that same location. Google your email provider name along with “where are my emails saved” and you may be able to locate your doc.
Thank you so much, I would not have found my paper without this. #### Microsoft.
Oh, my goodness, I just spent four hours citing references, not to mention two days worth of work and thought I had lost it all. I did click at the bottom of the “document” search box and found a temp/temp file and there it was. After drying my tears, I made sure to move it to my documents folder and give it a freaking good name. THANK YOU for this article!!
what if you didn’t email it to yourself, but the computer still didn’t save it? Is there any way I can get my document back?
Did you check the temp file? Do you have a printed copy? (You could scan that to make a pdf and turn that back into a Word file).
Was it a Word document? Try these steps:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316951
Wow, thank you so much you saved me a lot of time, I was working on my essay at school and send it back so I can work on it later that day. I worked on it for 2-3 hours draining as many ideas as I could for the paper. Ended up fleshing it out to 5 pages and I clicked save on my laptop and titled it and everything. Next morning when I try to find the file to proofread it, nowhere to be found. But I found it in the temp folder thanks to this article
i opened my doument from my school website and i worked for 3 hours on it, i pressed save and closed it. i cant find it anywhere, i cant work out how to fiind out? please help, its URGENT!!!
It must be in a temporary file. Try opening the document from the site again and see if you get the edited version. Even if you don’t, the new doc should open in your temp file. Go to save -> then look inside the file name that pops up and you may find the edited file.
how do I find a paper that I wrote yesterday??????????
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We have this project at school that invovles me using Adobe Illustrator. I emailed it to myself and i tried to open it at home using Adobe Illustrator Cs6 but it cannot open and it keeps on saying unknown format. It is needed by next week on Monday. It is saved at school but I won’t have enough time to work on it as it is the first lesson. Thank you and please help.
I opened up my paper to finish it and i saved it when i was done typing it but when i went to attach it to my assignment none of my editing was saved to the original paper. Can i get it back?
Here’s what to do. Repeat the mistake… I’m serious. It just happened to me. I couldn’t find the file anywhere searching in the computer and in MS Word. I went back to the email and clicked Open instead of Save As again.
When Word opens, click Save As again and it’ll open up the Temporary Folder where you first saved it. Copy the file you thought you lost and Paste it on your Desktop or wherever you know you can find it.
I hope this helps anyone who might find themselves in my situation. God bless.
OMG!!! Guys if you did what i did it’s defo there.. It’s in the temp file.. Like said above i re-downloaded the file from hotmail using firefox (not sure that makes a difference) word opened with the original file, i pressed the save icon and searched the file it was suggesting to save in and hey presto!!!
When i saved it i changed the name and everything and pressed the save icon the closed it, my computer could not find it.. It seems so DUMB but hey i found it…. Thank you SOOO much.. xx
I didnt send it to my email… normally my computer just saves it normally it is reliable…
HELP PLEASE! when i follow all the steps and go to ‘save as’ the first doc just my documents come up and not temp files! how do you find them?
Alice, I’m not sure what equipment you’re using. Go to your email and open any attachment. It should open inside your temp file. That is one quick way to find it.
I sent my profect on facebook and then I saved it and closed it. Now I can’t find it and I accidentaly klicked on the delete the file because it couldn’t find it… I there still a way to get it back?
Used your technique again for lost word 2010 document. Worked a treat. Many thanks
The above steps did not work for me. So after about 20 minutes of digging I discoved the method listed below.
For Word 2010 users:
When you open the file you recentlly lost from your email the second time. It will pop up in word. Then simply go to the file tab. On the right hand side there should be a link near the bottom that says ‘open file location’ under the Related Documents heading. When that opens begin to type the title of your work in the top right search bar.
You saved my paper Thank you so much!
I found the temporary files, but the saved paper is not there… the only version I can find anywhere is the original three pages. Any more tips? Could this be because it’s from yesterday? I feel like it HAS to be somewhere!!
I saved it three times IN MY FLASH. Then i made another edit, changed my mind and cancelled. And My doc IS GONE!!! In the Temp folder i find something with the .tmp extention and the date of creation. I believe it’s the mirror of my doc, but I can’t open it. Isn’t there a way? Or do you think I’m wrong and it has nothing to do with my docyment?
Thanks a lot. I knew it was somewhere, but not the slightest idea where. Even searching the name of the saved file yields no results.
nothing worked for me. its not saved anywhere, there is no related documents tab and no temp file anywhere on my computer. I use hotmail and I just saved the file as a draft, then opened it on my computer at home, worked on it and saved it to my computer. Then I tried to email it to someone and it was gone. I was using MS office word 2007. I think ill just rewrite it cause’ it was only 700 pages, but just a warning, it might not work.
it was helpful. i thought i was gonna die, seriously. its been two weeks since i lost my flash drive. you saved my life. I’m working on nutrition lab report and its like 22 pages.
THANK YOU SO MUUUUUCH!!!!! you saved my life!
Did all of this and was able to locate the temporary file but none of the edits i had done are there is there any way to get them back>
YOU ARE MY LIFE SAVER! I WAS HAVING AND ANXIETY ATTACK! I HIT SAVE MULTIPLE TIMES. I KNEW I DID… AFTER WRITING 7 PAGES…THEN POOF…IT WAS GONE…THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!