The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
- Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
SYMPTOMS
Word may be unable to automatically recover your document after Word shut
down unexpectedly.
CAUSE
This problem may occur when any of the following conditions are true:
- An AutoRecover file has not been created yet.
By default, an AutoRecover file will not be saved until after 10 minutes
into the documents use. After 10 minutes, the AutoRecover file is
created and if a failure shuts down Word prematurely, then Word will use
the AutoRecover file to recover the document.
-or-
- An AutoRecover file is deleted after the document has been saved.
A new AutoRecover file is not created until after the next
AutoRecover duration (by default: 10 minutes into a document's use).
-or-
- The document was closed and changes were not saved.
Once a document has been closed, the AutoRecover file is deleted. There
is no way to recover the document once the file has been closed and
changes were not saved.
WORKAROUND
To change the AutoRecover Save duration, follow these steps:
- On the Tools menu, click Options (Preferences on the Macintosh), and
then click the Save tab.
- In the "Save AutoRecover Info Every" box, change the number to the
desired time interval between AutoRecover saves, and click OK.
NOTE: AutoRecover is not a substitute for saving your document. When you
use AutoRecover, Word creates a temporary file to recover your document if
Word shuts down unexpectedly. You must still save your document in order to
retain your changes.
MORE INFORMATION
For additional information, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q156573
TITLE : WD97: How to Recover Text from Any File
ARTICLE-ID: Q180871
TITLE : WD98: How to Recover Text from Any File