Recover document history that is not appearing in version history of word

How did you back up the document? For example, if it is synchronized with OneDrive, try signing in to https://onedrive.live.com and see if you can use the Version History there.

Dear Evan Siegel

Welcome, and thank you for sharing your issue in Q&A forum.

I am truly sorry to hear that you have suffered such a significant loss of data. This situation where a file was not fully synced to the cloud (OneDrive) and subsequently disappeared from the local device is notoriously difficult to recover from.

The most viable remaining options for restoring your local files depend on your Mac's built-in backup features: Time Machine and iCloud.

Crucial Note: Before attempting a Time Machine recovery, please ensure that all your current data is protected and backed up externally (e.g., to OneDrive Web or iCloud) to prevent overwriting or losing your most recent files.

1. Time Machine Recovery: If you have Time Machine enabled, this represents your best opportunity to restore previously saved versions of the document.

• Please connect the external hard drive that you use for Time Machine to your Mac.
• Access Time Machine: Open the folder where the missing document was last stored.
• Click the Time Machine icon on the menu bar (or go to System Settings/Preferences > Time Machine) and select Browse Time Machine Backups.

Browse and Restore:

• Use the on-screen arrows to scroll through the time-based backups (into the past).
• Look for a date before the incident occurred (e.g., 4 or 5 days ago) and locate your file.
• Select the document with the complete content, and then click the Restore button.

2. iCloud Advanced File Check: If you automatically back up Mac folders like Desktop or Documents to iCloud Drive, you should check the web interface for deleted versions.

• Access the Website: Open your browser and go to iCloud.com, then log in.
• Navigate to iCloud Drive and check the Recently Deleted folder.

Advanced Restoration:

• On iCloud.com, click on the Account Settings (or Settings) icon.
• Find and click on Restore Files in the Advanced section. This area lists files deleted from iCloud within the last 30 days that the standard Trash might miss.

3. Double-Check Local Trash: Please ensure you have checked the local Trash folder on your Mac one last time. Sometimes, a file with a similar name may have been moved there.

I hope this information proves useful in recovering your work. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to share any updates or if any issues arise; I am ready to help you further.

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We are hearing similar stories of this type of "editing change" and content going missing for students in our schools. In addition to documents not saving correctly.