How to Recover Unsaved Files in LibreOffice Full Guide 2026, by How To Fix Pro on YouTube. 1 min 46 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 46 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Start LibreOffice again after the crash and wait for the Document Recovery window. It lists each file that was open when the program closed unexpectedly.
Select the file you need from the list and click Open. Read the text or check the sheet before saving so you know it is the right version.
Use Save As straight away and store the recovered file under a new name in a folder you trust. Do not overwrite the original.
If no recovery window appears, open Tools, then Options, then Load/Save and click General. Tick Save AutoRecovery information every and set the interval to 5 minutes.
Copy the folder path shown in the AutoRecovery section, open it in your file manager and look for files named like your lost document.
Open the backup folder listed on the same settings page and look for copies ending in.bak. Rename a copy to.odt,.ods or.odp before you open it.
Search your system temporary folder for files starting with lu or LibreOffice, then sort them by the date you lost the work. Copy any likely file to your desktop first.
Go back to Load/Save, then General, and tick Always create backup copy so a spare copy is written every time you save from now on.
Tips and common mistakes
Copy a possible recovery file to a new folder before opening it, so a failed attempt cannot destroy the only copy.
Press Ctrl and S every few minutes while you work, because AutoRecovery only helps if the file existed at least once.
Recovery is not guaranteed if you never saved the document, so treat any found file as a lucky break.
Keep finished work in cloud storage or on an external drive so a single crash cannot wipe it.
Questions
Why did the Document Recovery window not appear?
LibreOffice only shows it when it detects a crash on the last run. If you closed the program normally or restarted the computer several times, the temporary files may already be gone.
Where does LibreOffice keep backup and recovery files?
The exact paths are listed in Tools, Options, Load/Save, General under the AutoRecovery and backup headings. They differ between Windows, macOS and Linux.
Can I recover a file I never saved once?
Sometimes. AutoRecovery writes a temporary copy at the interval you set, so a file open for a few minutes may leave one behind. A brand new document closed within seconds usually leaves nothing.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
